By: debbie lynn elias
It seems more than fitting that as we come to the close of yet another decade, that I share with you a film as visually imaginative and inventive as one that made its debut and helped kick off this decade, and the one that still reigns as my all time favorite film, “Moulin Rouge!” Now, instead of the fertile imagination of Baz Luhrmann, we are treated to that of the wild and wacky Terry Gilliam who brings us THE IMAGINARIUM OF DOCTOR PARNASSUS, a sumptuous vision that embraces the beauty, spectacle and kaleidoscopic psychedelic vibrancy of Luhrmann’s “Moulin Rouge!” and the lush hued richness of Rafi Mercado’s work in “Manuela Y Manuel” with the intricate artistic feminine laciness of a Dickensian Valentine card. The result? A fantastical whimsical eye-popping visual delight that you will want to see over and over again.
Faustian in its origin, this is the story of Doctor Parnassus. An aging former monk filled with all the mysticism and magic of the ages, in his youth Parnassus sought what so many ponder and desire- immortality, eternal life. Unsatisfied with his own gift of being able to transport and guide the imaginations of others through his mind, Parnassus continued to seek that timeless connection with the universe, spending countless hours striving to reach what he believed was his Nirvana. Travelling deep within his own mind, he struggled and struggled to attain that higher plateau but without success. For you see, Dr. Parnassus was not totally pure of heart and spirit. He had a flaw. A major flaw. He was an inveterate gambler. And who better to know this than the Devil himself. Appearing one day to Parnassus in the guise of a bowler-wearing dapper, albeit slightly strange man named Mr. Nick, Parnassus made a deal that was too good to refuse, a deal that would grant him his immortality. But even with immortality, one physically ages. So what does one do when they are centuries old and the love of your life appears before them? Do you walk away because she turns a blind eye and deaf ear? Or do you call upon Mr. Nick again? For Parnassus, he took the only route he knew and made another deal with the Devil, this time exchanging his immortality for youth with the added caveat that when Parnassus’ daughter (and yes, he would have a daughter with this beautiful woman, a daughter named Valentina) arrived at her 16th birthday, she would become the property of Mr. Nick.
Fast forward to the 21stt Century. The world is not what it was those centuries ago. People have changed. Fashion has changed. Values have changed. Technology is booming. The world is moving along at a fast and furious pace. But what’s this? An oddity among the ages? Rumbling down the street is a horse drawn wagon that looks as if lost by the gypsies or a travelling minstrel show. Slowly the wagon stops and right before your very eyes, a stage appears. A stage filled with light and color and beauty. A stage with the beautiful cherubic Valentina with skin the color of the finest alabaster, an old swami named Parnassus settled deep into a trance, a jester named Percy, and a tall lanky young man named Anton calling out “Come one, come all to the imaginarium of Dr. Parnassus”, and a mirror, a tall, flowing mirror made of aluminum foil. “Look behind the mirror. Step into the mirror. Step into your imagination.” Well, this manner and method of showmanship may have worked in the days of the Wizard of Oz or 19th Century London, but not know…at least not without a little bit of help.
As our little troupe moves on its way, something miraculous happens. Valentina spies a young man hanging by a noose beneath Blackfriars Bridge. Pure in heart and mind, she determines to save him from what appears to be suicide. Dressed in a dapper cream suit, as Valentina gazes upon his face, she is immediately smitten with him, much to Anton’s chagrin as it seems he is more than smitten with Valentina. And none of this pleases Parnassus as the clock is ticking down to Valentina’s 16th birthday and her betrothal to Mr. Nick. Is he willing to lose his daughter to the Devil and destroy any chance of her happiness? Or is Parnassus willing to make one final deal with Mr. Nick, a deal that would make them even, a deal that would exchange five souls for her one? A deal that would have to be completed before the clock strikes 12 on Valentina’s birthday which is now two days away?
While Parnassus wrestles with his conscience and does his own wheeling and dealing, Tony, a huckster and con man at heart, who is nevertheless grateful for Valentina saving his life, has his own agenda. Though full of ideas to help save Parnassus and his travelling troupe, this isn’t about selflessness. Tony sees this as not just way to get closer to Valentina, but a way for him to amass all the riches he so desperately desires. Planning to bilk every rich lonely woman in London of her money, furs and jewels, and keep a large percentage for himself, Tony’s plans also change once he enters the mirror and the Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus.
Heath Ledger, in this is final role, is adequate and entertaining as Tony. As we all know, Ledger died while filming, leaving writer/director Terry Gilliam with more than a quandry over how to complete the project. Thankfully, Gilliam worked his own magic and called on three friends of both himself and Ledger for a little help. Johnny Depp, Jude Law and Colin Farrell all step behind the mirror to play out the parts of Tony behind the mirror. Mesmerizing sequences all, thanks to dreamlike sequences and creativity, their appearances never seem out of place or disbelievable. Colin Farrell does a wonderful job with the darkest and most heinous part of Tony’s psyche. Physically and emotionally challenging, he is both smarmy and charming at the same time. Jude Law enters as a romantic in a very Daliesque type sequence. But it is Depp who steals the show. He is too die for as the gigolo womanizer. Engaging and fun, there is more than a hint of Jack Sparrow with his playfulness both to his female companions and to the camera. The most energetic, dynamic and sexy of the incarnations of Tony, he draws you ever deeper into the mind maze. And fact that he is in a fantasy involving a never ending supply of stilettos is certainly a fantasy of most every woman out there. Johnny Depp and a world of shoes? It doesn’t get much better than this! Or does it?
Christopher Plummer is magnificent as Parnassus. With a wisdom beyond his years both on and off the screen, he is an embodiment of immortality. But take a look at Lily Cole! Making her film debut as Valentina, Cole is a beauteous wonder worthy of a place among the Muses. Jumping into a film with the likes of Gilliam, Plummer and Ledger, according to Cole, her greatest challenge was “being faced with these incredibly talented and experienced actors and being thrown in their mix and trying to swim. That was quite daunting. Then coming back after Heath died, those were incredibly difficult for me and I think for everybody. And playing against Colin [Farrell] who was playing Tony and I was playing Valentina and trying to keep that relationship oblivious to the fact that something so tragic had happened. That was probably the most challenging part of it.” Not to be missed are Verne Troyer as Percy and Tom Waits as Mr. Nick, a part that almost seems custom made for him.
When I think of Terry Gilliam, the word “genius” always comes to mind. One of the men behind the legendary Monty Python, it is his imagination that has captivated and captured the world for decades. (A visionary himself, he had the foresight to own the Python properties). And now with THE IMAGINARIUM OF DOCTOR PARNASSUS, we are privy to even a greater part of that genius. Described by Cole as having “so much knowledge of lots of cultures, lots of religions, lots of art. . . He is so Faustian and Prospero and all these different references that he’s pulled together” which lends to the “huge amount of visual culture that gets pulled into [IMAGINARIUM].”
Technically, the film is impeccable thanks to the elaborate visual effects which were initially drawn by Gilliam. The worlds created for each individual who enters the imaginarium are absolutely mind boggling. Stunning. Colorful. Fantastical. Whimsical. Beautiful. And even, frighteningly dark. Great care is paid to color and texture. A fan of wide angle lenses, Gilliam believes in a 360 degree approach to framing and together with cinematographer Nicola Pecorini, surmounted the challenges of such a shoot, to bring the very immersive visuals of the imaginarium to life. Celebrating imagination, for the first time in many a film, Gilliam storyboarded the film himself. Admitting the story of Parnassus to be “vaguely related to mine”, Gilliam believes one of the central themes of the story is to “inspire… encourage [others] to open their eyes, to appreciate the truth of the world.”. Co-written with Charles McKeown, much of the script was still ad-libbed, a fact which Gilliam attributes to Ledger who was fresh off playing the Joker and “he was just full of ideas and fresh dialogue…and inventive.” Unfortunately, I believe a bit too much ad-libbing occurred as there are blatantly obvious story holes as to the morality issues involved in the plot. However, given the visual beauty, one can’t help but be forgiving of this shortcoming and still enjoy the film as a whole. Adapting to Ledger’s death, only a few scenes were either removed or rewritten “in the real world”. CGI was then just adapted for the entry of Depp, Farrell and Law.
I applaud the work of Production Designer Anastasia Masaro, Visual Effects Supervisor Richard Bain and Costume Designer, Monique Prudhomme, all of whose works imbibe the very essence of imagination. As for Prudhomme, she has a fan in Lily Cole who still wants to wear in real life a beauteous green velvet dress designed for her.
Given that this is Ledger’s last role, I would be remiss not to mention some thought from one his final co-stars, Lily Cole. “I think I learned a lot from him as a person and how that kind of person is reflected in his art. He was just an extraordinary source of energy and commitment and fearlessness and generosity and that person I met just applied that all into his craft of acting and give 100%. Be generous with the other actors and be generous with himself and to his character. Whenever you meet somebody who is quite remarkable and quite inspiring, that bears an influence if you allow it to, if you are inspired by that, rather than any particular little scribbled down technique.”
A cinematic stage that can only be described as a pantheon of visual delights, let your imagination run wild and enter THE IMAGINARIUM OF DOCTOR PARNASSUS.
Tony: Heath Ledger
Tony: Johnny Depp
Tony: Colin Farrell
Tony: Jude Law
Dr. Paranssus: Christopher Plummer
Valentain: Lily Cole
Mr. Nick: Tom Waits
Directed by Terry Gilliam. Written by Terry Gilliam and Charles McKeown.
