Tony, Tony, Tony, Tony
The story of the film revolves around the devil (played by Tom Waits) betting with Doctor Parnassus (played by Christopher Plummer) in a game of chance and choices. The devil grants immortality to Doctor Parnassus in exchange for any child of Parnassus’ when they turn 16 years of age. When Parnassus’ daughter Valentina is approaching the age where she is given to the devil, the Devil makes a new bet with him. If Parnassus has five souls make the right choice, in his Imaginarium, then the devil will release the original deal he made with the good doctor. With the help of a newly acquired friend named Tony, Parnassus does what he can to make sure that his daughter isn’t snatched up by the devil.
There are two ways I look at The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus: A. As a film and B. How the film ended up
As strictly viewing this as a film without issues, I think Gilliam has done it again. He put together a magical, secluded world and made it pretty, painful and triumphant. His focus on developing the characters in the movie is so definitive that you are drawn to their colorful personalities so quickly. Plummer’s Parnassus is quite possibly one of the more entertaining roles that Gilliam created and developed onscreen. He couldn’t have picked a more perfect person to play Parnassus. Plummer’s old/tired act is convincing at every level. You will be completely convinced that this man is immortal and is worn down heavily by the burden the world as brought on him. Parnassus’ desperation and even submission to the devil (played by Tom Waits, who is just devilishly fiendish) is both sad and impressive.
The simple setup of the movie is deep. As human beings we make choices daily. One choice determines how another choice unfolds. It’s like if you buy a car you might feel great about driving the car, but now you’ve hooked yourself into various other issues that you didn’t think about (like car insurance, state fees, a down payment, repair bills). Gilliam takes this concept and applies it to the movie’s main plot point: You might like immortality, but the cost can be greater than the reward.
The cost in the film is a great burden, especially once you see the connection between Valentina (played by the beautiful Lily Cole) and her father Parnassus. The one big chance/gamble and the change of fortune comes through the character of Tony (played by Heath Ledger, Johnny Depp, Jude Law and Colin Farrell). Tony’s character is a mixture of both Parnassus and the devil as he is a smart man that has not-so-great intentions. While certainly it can be said that Tony has to help Parnassus make five souls find the right path, the movie surrounds redemption for Tony’s character for something awful he’s done in the past.
Again, it’s simple, but at the same time it’s made so beautifully complicated that you won’t be able to turn away from the screen. This is typically the motif for Gilliam films and the very reason why they are so brilliant.
With all of this said, if you were living under a rock or just simply didn’t know, The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus was Heath Ledger’s final film. He got part ways through filming before passing away. Gilliam’s story was flexible enough where he could manipulate some elements and still maintain the message he wanted to convey. More importantly, he could do this manipulation and change without taking any credit away from Ledger’s performance. When you see the transition between Ledger, Depp, Law and Farrell you’re simply going to be astounded. I know I was a bit scared going in thinking how dreadfully disjointed the final print might turn out, but Gilliam pulled it off and did it with flying colors.
Is the movie perfect though? Well, it certainly can’t compete with The Fisher King or 12 Monkeys, but it stands alone when it comes to imagination, character development and simple storytelling.
It’s a great film; very Gilliam.
As for the Blu-ray portion of the movie, you could not have picked a better movie for HD. Colorful, strong imagery benefits from the HD upgrade. Seeing the dark parts of the film, when Parnassus is in the real world is enhanced greatly and helps the viewer understand the difference between the dreary real world and the beautiful imaginarium. Such visual upgrades add to the story and will draw you in further. There is virtually no graininess in the picture, which is a great thing when it comes to film to HD transferring. As for the audio, you get it in DTS-HD and is led by a beautiful musical composition from composers Mychael and Jeff Danna. I consider the audio far more important in terms of Blu-ray enhancement than the picture, but that’s just me. Either way, you won’t be disappointed with the Blu-ray version of the film. It simply belongs.
As for features, here’s what you get:
(both DVD and Blu-ray)
· Deleted Scene with Optional Commentary
· Heath Ledger Wardrobe Test with Optional Commentary by Terry Gilliam
· Introduction & Commentary by Director Terry Gilliam
· Interview with Heath Ledger
· Behind the Mirror
· Building the Monastery
· The Artwork of Doctor Parnassus
· Doctor Parnassus Around the World
· Cast & Crew Presentation on Stage
(exclusive to Blu-ray)
· The Imaginarium of Terry Gilliam (Fine piece here. It reminds me of the 12 Monkeys featurette)
· Heath Ledger and Friends – Cast & Crew remember their friend (good stuff)
· “The Drunk” Multi-Angle Progression Sequence
· MovieIQ – I find this feature fascinating. BD-Live has come such a long way that this actually enhances the experience. I’m a nut for trivia and interesting material that accompanies a film. If you’ve never tried this option then you should start with this film.