Terry Gilliam is a very ambitious director. His
insistence to go beyond the norm, even if he has to go over-budget and battle
the studio system, is absolutely staggering. He is one of the greatest fantasy
filmmakers of all time, and such methods have made him so. And that’s also the
reason why he hasn’t found as much success as he should. In due honesty, such
boundless ambition, imagination and perfectionism hasn’t always paid off. And
one of the best examples of this is his 1988 flop, The Adventures of Baron Munchausen.
In
the late 80’s, Terry Gilliam set off to do an adaptation of the classic German
novel about the fictional Baron Munchausen. However, the production seemed
doomed from the start. Not only was it difficult to secure financing for the
picture, but within the first three weeks the shooting ran out of money. Three
weeks! The movie went over-budget, against the wishes of the distributor,
Columbia Pictures. It was also filmed in Italy, and while shooting in said
country proved to be cost-effective, Gilliam and the English crew had
difficulties working alongside the Italian talent behind the film. When the
film was finally released, it received glowing reviews, but it was a financial
failure.
Despite all of this, Gilliam has stated that, while
the experience of shooting the movie was absolutely disastrous, the film itself
has a magical, joyful quality to it. And he is right about that. Even though I
haven’t acquainted myself with all of Gilliam’s filmography, I can safely say
it’s one of his best films.
The
movie starts with an army of Turks invading a town (apparently the town is set
in Italy, though it’s never confirmed). Baron Munchausen comes to explain that
the Turks are looking for him since he stole their king’s gold after a bet he
made. And so, it’s up to the baron to save the day. He leaves the town, looking
for his comrades from past adventures, accompanied by a little girl.
The producer of the film has stated that every single
penny of the budget can be seen invested in the film. And he’s right. As stated
previously, I haven’t seen Gilliam’s entire filmography, but so far, I can
safely state that The Adventures of Baron
Munchausen is his most impressive-looking film. The sets, the costumes, the
special effects, everything is so organic, so imaginative, so beautiful, so surreal;
it really is a visual wonder. It’s reminiscent of an era long past when
everything didn’t have to be done by computers. It’s sort of a play put into
film, just like other cinematic fantasies like The Wizard of Oz and The
Thief of Bagdad. It’s like seeing the works of surreal painters such as
Salvador Dali come to the screen. The film was nominated for four Oscars: Best
Art Direction, Best Costume Design, Best Visual Effects, and Best Makeup and
Hairstyling. I’m not acquainted with the films that beat it at the Oscars, but
their production value better be impeccable to top The Adventures of Baron Munchausen.
The story is simplistic in nature, but it works. Gilliam’s
films are an experience. They might not always have the deepest stories or the
most clever dialogue, but the simple fact of watching so much lunacy and
imagination on display is enough. But, after all, a story doesn’t need
complexity in order to dazzle. The plot takes us through so many imaginative
adventures. The battle with the Turks. The trip to the moon. Being swallowed by
a giant fish. All these sequences are absolutely wonderful.
The characters are fun to
watch as well. Robin Williams plays a mad king who can separate his head from
his body, and he’s a lot of fun to watch. There is a Grim Reaper trying to get
at the baron throughout the film, and it’s a pretty memorable creation. The
comrades have their own separate abilities and it brings so much joy to watch
them work together. Even the king of the Turks is pretty funny.
However, as wonderful and silly as the story is, there are a few plot holes and inconsistencies. I’m not quite sure how the comrades of the baron got old so quickly. There’s a scene where the baron flies above the Turks but they never try to shoot him down. And the way in which the baron just accidentally stumbles into his comrades as he goes from one adventure to the next is just way too convenient. However, you could say that is just part of the spirit of the film. The films of Gilliam are absurd by nature, so don’t try to use too much logic when watching them.
A missed opportunity is the
message of the story. With a conflict ignited by the fact that the baron stole
the treasure of a king, you would think that the movie would have a moral about
the dangers of greed. However, such moral is never to be found. But there does
seem to be a moral, a moral about the beauty and power of imagination. All
throughout the film, the baron makes multiple statements about how people have
forgotten about fantasy and adventure. It’s a film that takes us into a
wonderful experience, an experience that makes us reflect about how much color
a little bit of fantasy and imagination can bring to our lives.
Another complaint would have
to be the ending. The ending will leave you scratching your head, literally.
Was it all a dream? Was it all just a tale? Was there time travel involved? Who
knows. Perhaps there’s a little detail hidden within the film that explains the
meaning behind the ending. But I didn’t catch it.
The Adventures of Baron Munchausen is another marvelous film from the grand mind of this visionary filmmaker. It’s adventurous, it’s funny, it’s imaginative, it’s gorgeous to look at, it’s just one of those films that will bring a big smile to your face.
My Rating: 4
out of 5 Stars
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