It's difficult to separate the film from the circumstances surrounding it. This was and will always be known for being Health Ledger's last film before he died. The objective of the movie centered around joy and dreams and of course, good versus evil but it was anything but joy when Heath's death railroaded the film making. What I find extraordinary is how three A-list Hollywood actors jumped right in to turn the story in a way where Heath's fleeting presence was explainable and understandable. Johnny Depp, Jude Law and Colin Farrell shared the role, each taking turns but still maintaining enough believability for it to work.
The story is that of Dr. Parnassus (Christopher Plummer) and his traveling show, which includes his soon to turn sixteen year old daughter (Lily Cole) meet up with a bit of a grifter (Ledger, Depp, Farrell, Law) who disrupts the harmony of the existing show and the other participants. There's a bit of a "deal with the devil" (Tom Waits) which results in a showdown of the good versus evil type. It's whimsy and magical and the story is not as important as the way that it is told and the underlying themes. It is dark and mystical while also joyful and amazing. As with many other Gilliam films, I felt there was a lot I didn't understand, but it made for an entertaining vacation. The extras on the DVD are worth watching. It is interesting to note that Gilliam, rather than stating this was a "Terry Gilliam film" presented it as a film by "Heath and his friends" which in fact, it was. A film that shows a true testament to friendship when not even included in the storyline.
Bite: A Gilliam film, fun to watch, harder to understand all levels of meaning but entertaining.
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