The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus [Blu-ray]

The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus 

Studio: Sony Pictures Classics

Year: 2010

Rated: PG-13

Program Length: 122 minutes

Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1 1080p

Languages: English, Portuguese 5.1 DTS-HD MA; Spanish 5.1 Dolby Digital

Subtitles: English SDH, English, Portuguese, Spanish, Danish, Finnish, Norwegian, Swedish 

The Program 

This film means a lot to me, and I’m not sure what all those things are, because it’s been so complex, so emotional, so nightmarish, so wonderful, so beautiful, so horrible, so everything. – Terry Gilliam 

Whether you love or hate his movies, few would deny that Terry Gilliam is one of the most original and inventive directors currently making feature films. In his introduction to The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus, Gilliam explains that he had reached a point in his career where he wanted to make a film which was totally original but also represented “a compendium of the things that had always been either in my films or films that I wanted to make…Something more playful.” He and co-writer Charles McKeown (who had worked with Gilliam on Brazil and The Adventures of Baron Munchausen) came up with a yarn about a traveling sideshow headed up by Doctor Parnussus (Christopher Plummer). Parnassus is said to be a thousand years old and the possessor of mystical powers. The other members of his troupe include his 15-year-old daughter, Valentina (Lily Cole), a young man named Anton (Andrew Caldwell), and Percy (Verne Troyer), a wise but curmudgeonly dwarf. They travel the streets of London in a horse-drawn contraption which serves as their home and which unfolds into a stage for their shows. They put on their productions outside of pubs, and for their efforts they often are rewarded with more derision than cash. 

Forced to flee from the site of one of their shows after a brawl breaks out, they stop on a bridge when Valentina and Anton spot a man (Heath Ledger, in his last acting role) hanging from a noose. They manage to save his life, and they later learn that his name is Tony. Tony has a dark secret and was left to die by some very dangerous men, but he also has undeniable charm and immediately comes up with ideas to make the show more successful. It turns out that Doctor Parnassus has a dark secret of his own. He is being pursued by the devil, in the form of Mr. Nick (Tom Waits), who is determined to collect on an old debt. Many years ago Doctor Parnassus made a pact with Mr. Nick, whereby he received immortality and fantastic powers in exchange for handing over his first-born child to the devil when that child reached the age of 16. Valentina’s 16^th birthday is just a few days off.  

What follows is a wild, fantastic, unpredictable and totally implausible series of events, some of which are supposed to be real and some of which are flights of surreal imagination. However, the implausibility scarcely matters, because Gilliam has designed images which are so spectacular and breathtaking that suspension of disbelief is automatic. Along the way there are appearances by Johnny Depp, Jude Law and Colin Farrell, but to explain how they fit into the story would be to give away too much of the plot.  

Plummer, who has been a reliable and admired actor for nearly sixty years, is perfect as the mysterious and deeply troubled Parnassus. Heath Ledger tragically died during a break in filming while the production was being shifted from London to Vancouver, British Columbia. Gilliam fortunately came up with a clever approach which allowed him to finish the film with the Ledger footage which had already been filmed. Tom Waits is excellent as Mr. Nick, a Satan who is more reasonable and likeable than one would expect. Lily Cole is just beginning her career, and she has a screen presence which leads me to believe that we will be seeing much more of her in the future. 

Roger Ebert has written that when he saw The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus at Cannes he was baffled, but he enjoyed it anyway. I suppose that is due to the fact that with Terry Gilliam’s films the ride is always more important than the story, and this ride is an entertaining and exciting one. 

The Video 

This is a typically superb 1.85:1 1080p Blu-ray transfer from Sony. Within the doctor’s imaginarium we see bright and intense primary colors, and also a sense of depth which is almost three-dimensional. The street scenes in London mostly occur at night, and they are enhanced by deep and solid black levels and very good shadow detail. The image is consistently sharp and is a pleasure to view. The framing appears to be accurate. The CGI and animation are seamlessly integrated with the live action. I saw no evidence of digital artifacts, excessive DNR, edge enhancement or other anomalies, and the overall appearance is satisfyingly film-like. 

The Audio 

The lossless DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 soundtrack is excellent. There are enough explosions and other loud noises to keep the subwoofer busy, and the surround channels are used effectively to convey ambient sounds and provide a sense of immediacy. The film includes an excellent and evocative musical soundtrack which is played by The Budapest Film Orchestra, and it is given a pleasing and expansive soundstage. The dialog is most confined to the center channel and is clear and understandable. For those who need them, the white subtitles are easy to read. 

The Supplements 

There are a number of entertaining and informative extras on this Blu-ray disc. 

In addition to the introduction by Terry Gilliam which is referred to above, the director also recorded a commentary track which provides many insights into the production of the film. He also discusses the changes which had to be made in order to complete the film after the death of Heath Ledger. 

Also included is one deleted scene which can be viewed with our without commentary by the director. The scene was eliminated very early on and the CGI is very much unfinished. 

“Behind the Mirror” is a short featurette in which Terry Gilliam talks about the genesis of the story. Christopher Plummer, Lily Cole, Tom Waits and Andrew Garfield have an opportunity to discuss their characters, and co-producer Amy Gilliam (Terry’s daughter) talks about how gratifying it was to complete what was a very difficult production. 

“The Imaginarium of Terry Gilliam” goes into more detail about the director’s vision for the film. Co-producer Samuel Hadida talks about how well Gilliam works with his actors and how much they enjoy making his films. The principal actors (Ledger excepted, of course) give Gilliam praise for allowing them to try different things. Also included are insights from the visual effects supervisor, the costume designer and other members of the technical team. This featurette has a running time of 6 ½ minutes.

“Building the Monastery” is a look at the design of the most elaborate set made for the film, from the original conception to the finished product. It provides interesting details about how the set was created and runs for about 7 minutes. 

Also included is a multi-angle progression sequence of a scene which allows the viewer to toggle between storyboards, blue screen footage, visual effects and the final product.   

“Heath Ledger and Friends” is a touching tribute to the late actor. Gilliam, the producers, Christopher Plummer, Johnny Depp, Jude Law, Tom Waits, Lily Cole, Andrew Garfield and Verne Troyer all talk about their respect and admiration for Ledger. 

“Heath Ledger Wardrobe Test” is two minutes of dialog-free footage of the actor trying on various costumes. It can be played with optional commentary by Gilliam. 

Another featurette consists of segments from a 2007 interview with Heath Ledger which was done for a radio program several weeks prior to the beginning of the filming of The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus. 

“Doctor Parnassus Around the World” includes footage of the film’s premiere at Cannes, in London, in Rome, and extended footage of the Tokyo premiere. 

“Cast and Crew Presentation on Stage” is a featurette in which most of the principal cast and crew appear on stage at the London premiere. It has a running time of approximately 8 minutes. 

“The Artwork of Doctor Parnassus” is a 4-minute discussion by Terry Gilliam about how he drew storyboards as he and his co-writer came up with ideas for the film. 

Finally, Sony has included the original theatrical trailer and previews for the following films: Dear John, Not the Messiah, The Young Victoria, Nine, Extraordinary Measures, Hachi: A Dog’s Tale, An Education, It Might Get Loud, Whatever Works, Coco Before Chanel, Soul Power, The Adventures of Baron Munchausen, Labyrinth, The Dark Crystal, A Single Man, The Road, and Chloe. 

The supplements are in high definition and English stereo (with subtitles in English, Spanish and Portuguese). Movie IQ and BD-Live features will be available on the release date. 

The Packaging 

The single disc comes in a standard Blu-ray keep case. 

The Final Analysis 

The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus is a typically idiosyncratic Terry Gilliam film, with a somewhat convoluted and non-linear plot, but also featuring superb acting and extraordinary images which really come alive on Blu-ray. Sadly, it also features the final performance in the acting career of Heath Ledger. It also has the potential for (and may even demand) repeat viewing. For fans of Gilliam and the actors, it is highly recommended. Those who are usually put off by Gilliam’s filmmaking may want to consider giving it a rental.

Equipment used for this review:

Panasonic DMP-BD50 Blu-ray player

Panasonic Viera TC-P46G15 Plasma display, calibrated to THX specification by Gregg Loewen

Yamaha HTR-5890 THX Surround Receiver

BIC Acoustech speakers

Interconnects: Monster Cable 

Release Date: April 27, 2010