The Adventures of Baron Munchausen

Directed by Terry Gilliam and written by Gilliam and Charles McKeown, The Adventures of Baron Munchausen is the story of a 18th Century German nobleman and his many adventures as it is told in a whimsical fashion where many wonder if they’re true. The third part of a trilogy based on the ideas of imagination, the film is a sprawling tale where a man tries to fight against forces while coming to terms with his own drawbacks as a hero as he is played by John Neville. Also starring Eric Idle, Sarah Polley, Uma Thurman, Oliver Reed, and Jonathan Pryce. The Adventures of Baron Munchausen is a spectacular and absolutely adventurous film from Terry Gilliam.

The film explores the world of a famous German nobleman during the Ottoman Wars of the late 18th Century where he is a man known for his great adventures where he returns to save a town ravaged by war as he felt responsible for being the one that caused all of it. With the help of a young girl named Sally (Sarah Polley), Baron Munchausen would travel through different worlds to retrieve the men who had helped him in his many adventures yet is battling age and the new realities of his quest as it plays into the idea of fantasy vs. reality. Especially as Munchausen is trying to tell this story of his adventures while a young girl wants to know if anything he is saying is true. All of which plays into a man wanting to die as he deals with a world that is becoming more complicated as there are forces who have other ideas about conflict and such.

The film’s screenplay by Terry Gilliam and Charles McKeown definitely play into this idea of a man wanting to live a life that no longer exist as the men who had been with him in his adventures now live very different lives without the powers they once had. The film begins with theater actors led by Sally’s father (Bill Paterson) who tell Munchausen’s story until the real Munchausen appears to reveal that the reason this small town is at war is all because of a wager that Munchausen won which upset the Turkish sultan Mahmud I (Peter Jeffrey) who wanted to cut Munchausen’s head off. Once Sally realizes that the man who claims to be Munchausen is real, she would stowaway in his hot-air balloon to help him retrieve his old friends for the film’s second act.

Yet, the fast-running Berthold (Eric Idle), the strongman Albrecht (Winston Dennis), the midget with strong ears and wind-power in Gustavus (Jack Purvis), and the sharpshooter Adolphus (Charles McKeown) aren’t the same as they share a sense of resentment towards Munchausen as they reluctantly join him. Throughout the course of the film, Munchausen would face many challenges that plays into mythical figures of the universe such as a delusional moon-king (Robin Williams), Vulcan (Oliver Reed), and all other things that would tempt Munchausen into believing he’s young and still part of the world until he would anger the wrong people and put himself and Sally into situations that would test their will. Especially as it comes to the climatic confrontation with the Turkish army where Munchausen is still caught up in his idea of defeating the Turkish in such a way that it almost seems unreal and more of a fantasy.

Gilliam’s direction is quite lavish in the way he tells the story as it opens up with scenes of an 18th Century town being destroyed where people are watching a performance of Munchausen’s story in this theater that is on the verge of collapse. It is part of this world that Gilliam sets up where he definitely infuses a lot of dark humor into the film where it’s very offbeat as well as fanatical considering how troubled Munchausen is as he wishes for death due to his old age. Adding to that feeling of death is the presence of the Angel of Death who would appear to reveal that it’s Munchausen’s time to go only to be evaded by many circumstances. Much of Gilliam’s compositions include a lot of wide shots and medium shots plus some stylish usage of some crane shots and visual effects that play into this world that is extremely off-the-wall in terms of what the universe is like.

Gilliam’s approach to set pieces definitely showcase that sense of a world that is quite strange where he plays with the idea of mythological figures like Vulcan and Venus (Uma Thurman) as Munchausen would charm the latter much to the dismay of the former. There is a sense of a world where it does have this idea of nostalgia and fantasy that Munchausen seems to try and hold on to where he becomes oblivious to what is happening in the real world thinking it will be okay for a while. The film’s third act would definitely play into that idea of reality vs. fantasy as it is this constant struggle that Munchausen would face as he would deal with the realities of war and death in a manner that only Munchausen would do no matter how fanatical he can be. Overall, Gilliam crafts a very sensational and whimsical film about a heroic man dealing with aging and living up to the idea of fantasy.

Cinematographer Giuseppe Rotunno does brilliant work with the film‘s very colorful cinematography with its usage of lights for some of the war sequences set at night as well as some of the interior settings and a chilling scene inside the body of a sea monster. Editor Peter Hollywood does excellent work with the editing with its usage of jump-cuts and other rhythmic cuts to play into the film‘s humor and action sequences. Production designer Dante Feretti, with set decorator Francesca Lo Schiavo and supervising art director Massimo Razzi, does phenomenal work with the set designs from the lavish staging of the moon city as well as the European town that Munchausen needs to protect as well as the stage play and other sets as it‘s one of the film‘s major highlights.

Costume designer Gabriella Pescucci does fantastic work with the film‘s lavish costumes from the ragged period clothing of the people of the town as well as the costumes made for the stage shows as well as Munchausen‘s uniform. Hair/makeup designer Maggie Weston does superb work with the different aging makeup that Munchausen would endure in his journey as well as the look of the younger versions of his gang. Special effects supervisor Richard Conway does terrific work with some of the film‘s visual effects with the movement of the moon-king‘s floating head as well as some of the shots set in outer space. Sound editor Peter Pennell does superb work with the sound effects as well as the layering of sounds in the battle scenes and other lavish sequences. The film’s music by Michael Kamen is amazing for its bombastic score that is quite triumphant at times in its orchestral setting as well as comical to play into the film’s humor.

The casting by Francesco Cinieri, Irene Lamb, and Margery Simkin is just incredible as the film features some cameo appearances from Sting as a soldier, Terry Gilliam as an irritating singer, Ray Cooper as a functionary for the city official, Alison Steadman as an actress with a baby, and Robin Williams in an un-credited appearance as the delusional yet funny the King of the Moon. Bill Paterson is terrific as the theater company leader who is also Sarah’s father as he struggles to get his play on Munchausen going. Charles McKeown, Jack Purvis, and Winston Dennis are excellent in their respective roles as Adolphus, Gustavus, and Albrecht as well the actors who would play these characters to add to that sense of fantasy vs. reality. Valentina Cortese is wonderful in a dual role as Queen Ariadne who is a former lover of Munchausen as well as a stage actress that is in love with Munchausen. Peter Jeffrey is superb as the Sultan Mahmud I who starts a war only because of a wager he lost to Munchausen.

Uma Thurman is amazing in a dual role as the young actress Violet who is trying get some attention as well as the role of Venus whose beauty is indescribable as she is charmed by Munchausen. Oliver Reed is fantastic as the eccentric yet hot-tempered fire god Vulcan who welcomes Munchausen only to be upset when Munchausen gets to dance with Venus. Jonathan Pryce is great as the very smarmy city official the Right Ordinary Horatio Jackson who wants to maintain order in the city as he is also someone that represents the dark realities of the world. Eric Idle is brilliant in a dual role as Berthold and the actor who played him as a man who can run with great speed as he loses him memory for a short time only to feel resentful towards Munchausen for abandoning him.

Sarah Polley is phenomenal as Sally as this young girl who would join Munchausen in his adventure as she would be this person who would try to ground him into reality and also make him not give up. Finally, there’s John Neville in a remarkable performance as the titular character as an aging hero who is caught up in living in a world that no longer exists while wishing for death due to the harsh realities that he’s dealing with as it is a truly astonishing performance from Neville.

The Adventures of Baron Munchausen is a tremendously extravagant and incredible film from Terry Gilliam. Armed with a great ensemble cast as well as amazing technical work from its crew, the film is truly a visual feast filled with dazzling set pieces and images. Especially as it’s backed by this compelling story revolving around the ideas of reality vs. fantasy as a man deals with age and death. In the end, The Adventures of Baron Munchausen is a dazzling and exhilarating film from Terry Gilliam.

Terry Gilliam Films: Jabberwocky - Time Bandits - Brazil - The Fisher King - 12 Monkeys - Fear & Loathing in Las Vegas - The Brothers Grimm - Tideland - The Imaginarium of Dr. Parnassus - The Zero Theorem - The Auteurs #38: Terry Gilliam

© thevoid99 2014

Time Bandits

Directed by Terry Gilliam and written by Gilliam and Michael Palin, Time Bandits is the story of a boy who goes on an adventure with a group of time-traveling dwarves where he travels to different periods in time. The film is an exploration into the world of fantasy and man trying to fight the impossible as it is the first part of a trilogy of films about dreamers. Starring John Cleese, Sean Connery, Michael Palin, Shelley Duvall, Ralph Richardson, Ian Holm, Katherine Helmond, Peter Vaughn, and David Warner. Time Bandits is a funny yet enjoyable fantasy film from Terry Gilliam.

A young boy named Kevin (Craig Warnock) enjoys reading adventures about all sorts of things while his parents (David Daker and Sheila Fearn) are more obsessed with household appliances and TV shows. One day, a gang of time traveling dwarf bandits come out of his closet looking for a time hole as they carry a map that get them through each time hole in order to steal riches from different periods of time. Leading the pack is Randall (David Rappaport) as he admits to stealing the map from the Supreme Being (Ralph Richardson and the voice of Tony Jay) as Kevin finds himself being part of the adventure. There, Kevin and the bandits land in the Napoleonic wars where the bandits find themselves having to entertain Napoleon Bonaparte (Ian Holm) where they successfully steal some treasure.

After finding themselves in the Middle Ages where they meet Robin Hood (John Cleese) where they end up having their take being given to the poor, Randall and the bandits ponder where to go next. Unaware that a sorcerer known as Evil (David Warner) is watching them, the bandits continue their journey where they’re being chased by the Supreme Being as Kevin finds himself in Mycenaean Greece where he saved the life of King Agamemnon (Sean Connery). Being happy around King Agamemnon, Kevin hopes to stay there until the bandits finally appear to steal more riches and take Kevin where they find themselves in the 20th Century on a ship. Randall believes that through the map that there’s a place into the unknown that can lead them to something that is considered to be the most fantastic object of the world. Kevin reluctantly joins them where they encounter more trouble where Kevin realizes what is going on forcing he and the bandits to fight Evil.

The film is essentially the story about a young boy who joins a group of time-traveling dwarves into an adventure into different periods of time where they steal riches while going after something that is to be even better than riches unaware that they’re watched by an evil sorcerer. That’s pretty much what the story is about though it is a film that is about a boy trying to find a place where he belongs as he feels out of place with the modern world as his parents are just obsessed with the technologies of the times. Throughout this adventure with this gang of dwarves that likes to steal and do things, this young boy would encounter worlds that are very different from the modern world as he feels like he belongs there.

The screenplay by Terry Gilliam and his Monty Python cohort Michael Palin does have a traditional structure into the motivations of how young Kevin sees things throughout his journey. Notably as the journeys he takes would play into his development and understanding of the world itself. He enjoys going back in time but he doesn’t like what the dwarves do as things get more complicated in the third act when the dwarves begin to doubt Randall over his obsession with going into this mysterious world. Particularly as they’re all unaware that they’re being watched by this evil sorcerer who wants the map they can carry to spread evil into the world. While the script is essentially a fantasy story, it’s also very comical since a lot of the situations are absurd and things do very silly such as the fact that the characters often drop in on a couple (Michael Palin and Shelley Duvall) and ruining their moment.

Terry Gilliam’s direction is definitely big in terms of its presentation where it is all about these elaborate set pieces, different locations, and all sorts of hi-jinks the characters encounter. Through some amazing compositions where Gilliam puts a lot into the frame in order to establish the world the characters encounter. He also makes sure that it’s about this group of dwarves and this young boy while he does take his time to establish what the evil sorcerer wants to do. The direction also includes some vast wide shots of some of these elaborate set pieces where things often feel offbeat such as the climatic world in the third act. Still, Gilliam manages to find a way to keep things offbeat in its humor and intentions while creating something that can appeal to a young audience. Overall, Gilliam creates a fantastic film that plays up to world of imagination and the yearn to escape from the doldrums of the modern world.

Cinematographer Peter Bizou does excellent work with the film’s cinematography from the very sunny and vast look of the King Agamemnon sequence to the more dreary look of the dark world that the sorcerer lives in. Editor Julian Doyle does wonderful work with the editing by creating some unique rhythms for the film’s action scenes along with some stylish slow-motion cuts for some of its intense moments. Production designer Milly Burns and art director Norman Garwood do amazing work with the vast set design that is created from the look of King Agamemnon’s palace, the castle where Napoleon is being entertained, and the dark underworld where the sorcerer lives in.

Costume designer James Acheson, with additional work from Hazel Cote, does terrific work with the costumes to capture the many different periods from the robes of King Agamemnon, the look of Robin Hood, and uniform worn by Napoleon. Hair and makeup work by Maggie Weston and Elaine Carew is superb for the look of some of the characters including the evil sorcerer that is over the top. The sound work of Allen Hurd is very good for the atmosphere that is created in parts of the films including the party scene at King Agamemnon’s hall. The music by Mike Moran is a delight to hear not just for its bombastic orchestral score but also for its playfulness as it serves as a great accompaniment to the film’s humorous moments. The music also includes a song by one of the film’s executives producers in George Harrison that plays up to the film’s whimsical charm.

The film’s cast is incredible for the ensemble that is created as it features some noteworthy small roles from Jim Broadbent as a game show host, Peter Vaughn as an ogre named Winston, Katherine Helmond as the ogre’s wife, David Daker and Sheila Fearn as Kevin’s parents, and Michael Palin and Shelley Duvall as a loving couple often interrupted by the appearances of the dwarves. Other appearances that are definitely played for laughs include Ian Holm as Napoleon Bonaparte and John Cleese as a somewhat dim-witted Robin Hood. Sean Connery is superb as King Agamemnon where he displays a great sense of prestige in his role. David Warner is terrific as the sorcerer Evil who is very over-the-top while Ralph Richardson is wonderful as the very witty Supreme Being.

The performances by the dwarves in Tiny Ross, Mike Edmonds, Jack Purvis, Malcolm Dixon, and Kenny Baker are definitely amazing to watch as well as Jack Rappaport as the conniving leader of the gang in Randall. Finally, there’s Craig Warnock in a marvelous performance as Kevin who is intrigued by the world of adventure and imagination as he deals with his journey as well as the evil forces that he later has to fight.

Time Bandits is an extraordinary yet witty film from Terry Gilliam. Armed with a great ensemble cast and amazing set pieces, the film is definitely among one of Gilliam’s best films. Notably as it’s also a very accessible film that offers something more to a wide audience including children. In the end, Time Bandits is a whimsical yet adventurous film from Terry Gilliam.

Terry Gilliam Films: Jabberwocky - Brazil - The Adventures of Baron Munchausen - The Fisher King - 12 Monkeys - Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas - The Brothers Grimm - Tideland - The Imaginarium of Dr. Parnassus - The Zero Theorem - The Auteurs #38: Terry Gilliam

© thevoid99 2013