Much as I dug Monty Python in my teens, I get nervous about checking out Terry Gilliam-directed movies. I liked Twelve Monkeys but found Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas unwatchable. This one, despite its so-so reception, intrigued me with the visual artistry shown in the preview; I could at least expect that much.
The titular object is a sort of magic mirror that allows you to step into a realm shaped by the imaginations of you and whoever else is there. Despite this fascinating quality, few modern Londoners show any interest in the old-fashioned carnival-style presentation by Dr. Parnassus (Christopher Plummer) and his comrades. Those who do enter tend to be given a choice between a tough self-improvement plan and the seductive path of sin...to death, which may explain why the police keep showing up. But these aren't the heaviest things weighing on Parnassus' mind: The devil (Tom Waits), going by "Mr. Nick," is about to call on him for an immortality fee, namely daughter Valentina (Lily Cole), because this is one of those stories where you can sell others' souls. Things start to look up when Mr. Nick offers a new wager: The first to draw five souls to the corresponding goal in the Imaginarium wins Valentina. And the souls start coming fast with an enigmatic new barker, Tony (Heath Ledger*).
*Due to Ledger's demise, other celebs had to fill out the role for him: Johnny Depp, Jude Law, and Colin Farrell. Fortunately, the Imaginarium provides a plausible excuse for the character's appearance slightly shifting, as he notices when he checks reflective surfaces. It's rather heartwarming that all three supplementary actors donated their related earnings to the Ledger estate. Still rather hard on grieving fans to see him in a noose, more than once.
Yeah, about that: Team Parnassus -- consisting of Valentina, Anton (Andrew Garfield), and Percy (Verne Troyer) -- rescue him from a homicide attempt, after which he appears to forget who he is for a while. Anton resents him as a rival for Valentina's love, even tho she's only about to turn 16. Tony wears a white suit all the time, because Gilliam likes medieval imagery such as a white knight, but his dark past threatens to catch up with him. Which side of him will prevail, the altruist or the charlatan?
I think philosophical confusion is the main reason for TIoDP getting middling ratings across the board. We ultimately can't tell whether to see Tony as the hero or a villain. The same could be said of Parnassus. Heck, none of the devil's enemies are angelic -- and it's not clear that any heavenly forces even exist in Gilliam's world.
The devil, meanwhile, follows the cinematic tradition (e.g., Heaven Can Wait, Bedazzled) of being not all bad. Generous to the point of self-defeat, really. Twice, Parnassus thinks he's already lost the bet, but Mr. Nick corrects him. Mr. Nick also claims to know little about dark magic. I take it that all he gave Parnassus, who had been a mystic before they properly met, was immortality.
I'm glad to learn that the movie received Oscar nods for art direction and costume design. Gilliam has never used state-of-the-art effects, but they come pretty close this time. Unsurprisingly, many scenes owe their inspiration to esteemed paintings -- but not Dali's, oddly enough. And it still leaves room for a few comical Pythonian touches.
If the last film I viewed exists only for realism's sake, then this one exists only for surrealism's sake. Gilliam succeeded at his goal of writing an original story, but I don't value originality as much as I used to. Some stories haven't been told before for a good reason. If you want something sensational yet different, feel free to check out TIoDP; just don't expect much in the way of morals.
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