Terry Gilliam’s Brazil was a movie that I fell in love with as a college undergraduate. I remember all of the unsettling images that were on screen from the first time I had watched it. But, ever since, Gilliam’s pieces are something that I admire but do not love. I would even go as far as to classify most of his work as exceptionally innovating but simultaneously disorganized. Along with this, some things that he said have made it clear that he does not want to be pursued as a filmmaker. When I was younger, I had watched Time Bandits for the first time and to this date I can say it was very impactful. The Adventures of Baron Munchausen was something that I had seen commercials of and wanted to watch it, but it was something I had never seen at the video rental store. And now that I remember it, like other films of his, I can say that he has been able to use great art but has been unable to stay consistent which greatly hinders his work such as Gilliam’s.
As the city is being invaded, it is struggling with Ottoman forces. In the theater where the invasion is taking place, the life of the fictional character Baron Munchausen is being performed by a group of actors. The mayor of the city, Horatio Jackson (Jonathan Pryce), appears to be the one in control and is not willing to get into a tussle with the performers. Suddenly, out of the blue, an old man (John Neville), who identifies himself as the true Baron Munchausen, interrupts the show. He recites the tale of a sort of trick that he had played on the Grand Turk and believes it to be the reason for the hassle at hand. Diana (Sarah Polley), the daughter of the theater troupe’s manager, is fascinated with the idea of this man who can achieve what the common man cannot. In the hope that they can end the war, they begin a journey out of the city together. En route to their destination, they travel to the moon, plung the depths of a volcano and to make matters worse, they end up in the belly of a whale, all while engaging in a spectacle of fighting and making new friends.
Without a doubt, this film is among the most visually stunning that I have seen. This is the last of the great turning practical effects movies, just before the rise of the computer generated one. Also, Gilliam’s source of employment of the member of crew which worked with Federico Fellini and other Italian masters contributes in a large degree to that. To name just a few, he worked on Amarcord and Visconti’s The Leopard, as well as Fosse’s All That Jazz. Production design was done by Dante Ferretti, who was also a production designer for several Pier Paolo Pasolini’s pictures in the late 1960s and 1970s. These Italian artisans make dream worlds look and feel believable and “real”. It is so much unlike motion capture and green screen: it is the understanding that the actors are in a different physical location where indeed it is possible to use props.
One of Gilliam’s weaknesses as a director is his lack of self-control, which leads him to exceed the budget frequently. And American companies used to behave similarly, maintaining a tight budget while hoping for incredible success at the box office not as tightly budgeted as today however. In 1985, with the release of Brazil, Universal Pictures distorted their connection with Gilliam, disregarding the director’s approved version of the film. As a result, there was the Criterion box set, which contains the version created by Gilliam and the version entitled the studio’s preferred “Love Conquers All Version”.
Gilliam went over budget by a large amount on Munchausen and this annoyed Columbia Picture. Gilliam also went $10 million over the limit given but during the making of this film Gilliam was moving over to new executives so this film was considered one left behind by the old executives and not of their interest. The post production special effects artists were offered bonuses to get the work done by a certain date but when they went to the executive who they said that were sure to be help Gilliam he said that he didn’t say that.
Some areas of the picture do come off as bloated to me as well.
While it goes without saying that the special effects are terrific, the moon scene together with Robin Williams as the Moon King gets slightly longer than it should. They allowed him too much space to improvise and tell jokes. A case in point is Gilliam’s and Williams’s latter work the Fisher King, which is what would happen if both of them were put on a sufficiently tight leash then again were free to create some magic. Part of the self-indulgence is becoming so captured by stunning visuals that you think twice about deleting anything. I see how it is. You believe everything is interesting, but you lose sight of the fact that the movie is supposed to have a rhythm and a pace that’s not too laborious for the audience.
Gilliam has always had vision but has failed to deliver consistently as a director. I understand how Munchausen might be a bit hard to push as a film where the audience is concerned. To who is this addressed? Is it meant for kids? Not really. Is it for the older audience? Sure, there is some double entendre humor but not that much. I wouldn’t say that this movie is intended for the most ardent of Monty Python as its not filled with punchlines and laughs. As does most of Gilliams works he made it for himself, and to that end certainly made it. I believe he would do a better job as a production designer than a director.
John neville is spot on with his portrayal of the titular Baron, which is among the best of the rest of the cast. Young Sarah Polley, aged 10, proves she is able to hold her own against adult actors and gives hints of what is to come. Portraying a villain who is at once ridiculous and a genuine danger, Jonathan Pryce is a great actor. His character appears to be the bureaucratic menace Gilliam seems to be rather obsessed with. Along with his bride Venus, Oliver Reed is hilarious as the Roman god Vulcan. As for Williams, I thought he overdid it a tad, but he needed more guidance around the rest anyway.
The movie is titled the adventures of baron munchausen and is stylistically chaotic. There are long periods in which Gilliam doesn’t make any effort to propel the action forward. Witnessing a film that meanders about and is a bit on the indecisive side is not particularly disturbing, but Murch clearly indicates that such information needs to be better scripted and edited. At certain stages, the movie becomes so self-satisfied that one begins to think that Gilliam actually intended to make it for himself, rather than for an audience. In case you didn’t touch this piece of art, it is sure worth a watching. Most films are not this bold, but for the money, few of them turn out to be able to produce results. There is no doubt you will, in the end, recall some specific images forever.
For more movies likeThe Adventures of Baron Munchausen (1988) visit solarmovie
