Rogue Magic
by James Roland
Watching a Terry Gilliam movie is a lot like having lunch with your weird cousin Melvin. It’s been a few years, things don’t really make sense at first, but after 20 minutes you remember why you love hanging out with the guy.
Gilliam’s latest film, The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus, is a mesmerizing fantasy made infamous as the late Heath Ledger’s final film. And, like all his films before, it takes a bit of time for the audience to situate itself within the bizarre world of Doctor Parnassus.
The story launches from the simple fantasy concept of a magical theater act still traveling around modern London, struggling to find an audience.
But soon the story expands into an intricate character study as we learn that, 1,000 years before, the titular doctor made a deal with the devil, and he has spent the millennium competing for human souls. The ultimate prize: the doctor’s beautiful daughter. The Parnassus troupe remains blissfully unaware of the dark cloud that follows its wagon — a cloud in the shape of Tom Waits, who plays the devil with his usual quirky ad-libs and mischievous smirks.
Doctor Parnassus, as played by the mesmerizing Christopher Plummer, manages far more nuance than many a wise man archetype appearing in a fantasy story. He’s a wise old wizard who yearns to be the trickster, lax in his duties as leader because he longs to make wagers with the devil. As a result, his band of actors falls perpetually to shambles, and his proclaimed desire to bring the magic of storytelling to the world suffers under his alcoholism, erratic behavior, and guilt.
Meanwhile, the mysterious Tony (played by Heath Ledger) enters the story dangling from a noose under a bridge. The troupe rescues him, and on waking the next morning Tony claims amnesia. He quickly becomes part of the show, using his snake-oil charm to seduce unsuspecting women onto the stage and through the magic mirror.
Once inside the mirror, each person unconsciously builds a fantasy world with her mind. Intrigued, Tony follows the “clients” inside. As he does, his face is transformed by their imaginations, a fantastic gimmick conceived by Terry Gilliam after Ledger died partway through the filming schedule, allowing Johnny Depp, Jude Law, and Colin Farrell to step in and finish the movie.
As the story unravels and Tony’s charm begins to wane, revealing something much darker underneath, Ledger’s absence is truly felt. Colin Farrell does an amazing job as Tony in the third act, when Tony’s best character moments arise, but it seems a shame that Ledger missed out on the juiciest parts of his final character.
Nonetheless, Tony’s character transitions seamlessly from actor to actor, a testament to the consummate writing and directing. This is Gilliam at the top of his game. Magic gateways, twisted landscapes, impromptu musical numbers, distorted faces, and slightly over-the-top performances have been Gilliam trademarks for more than two decades, but in Doctor Parnassus these elements weave together into a masterwork. Characters pursue their various goals, only to have those motivations rearranged, turning good guys into bad guys and bad guys into innocent bystanders.
Throw in endless bizarre visuals and some dancing police officers and you have a recipe for disaster, but in the hands of Terry Gilliam, the potential mess becomes a brilliant fantasy film rife with emotional resonance — the perfect stage for a great actor’s final bow.
images care of IGN.com
