Terry Gilliam’s raw but brilliant beginnings shine in this latest Criterion release
After bizarre, and beloved, beginnings as one sixth of the Monty Python team, Terry Gilliam has made his mark as one of America’s most distinct filmmakers, with features such as Brazil, 12 Monkeys, and Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas. He first stepped behind the camera in 1975 alongside fellow Python Terry Jones for Monty Python and the Holy Grail, a film that thematically set him right up for his first solo directorial venture, and now latest addition to the Criterion Collection, Jabberwocky.
Synopsis:
Amid the filth and muck of England in the Dark Ages, a fearsome dragon stalks the land, casting a shadow of terror upon the kingdom of Bruno the Questionable. Who should emerge as the only possible savior but Dennis Cooper (Michael Palin), an endearingly witless bumpkin who stumbles onto the scene and is flung into the role of brave knight? Terry Gilliam’s first outing as a solo director — inspired by Lewis Carroll’s poem “Jabberwocky” and made following Gilliam’s success as a member of the iconic comedy troupe Monty Python — showcases his delight in comic nonsense, with a cast chock-full of beloved British character actors. A giddy romp through blood and excrement, Jabberwocky remains one of the filmmaker’s most uproarious visions of society gone berserk.
Loosely based on Lewis Caroll’s poem, Jabberwocky is Gilliam’s take on a mythical epic. The kingdom of Bruno the Questionable is plagued by a monster, one so terrifying the sight of it once turned a peasant’s teeth white. Yes, it’s that kind of film. A grim, medieval tale, with as many fantastical elements as there are farcical. It’s the type of setting Gilliam has dipped his toes into time and time again, first with Holy Grail, and also with Time Bandits, Baron Munchausen, and Brothers Grimm. While entertaining, there is a grim bleakness to the tale and indeed this world. Gilliam slathers on violence and some surprising shocks, many of them sordid indeed.
At its core, it’s a familiar tale of a lowly commoner undertaking a journey to slay the beast, save the kingdom, and gain the hand of a fair princess in marriage. Our unsuspecting hero, Dennis, played by the always affable Michael Palin. A lovable nit at the center of the film, he balances out a lot of the misery. How utterly he is out of his depth, coupled with his mild idiocy, is also the prime source. His quest means learning about himself, as well as those he encounters, a supporting cast played by a veritable “who’s who” of ‘70s British comedic and character actors. No exaggeration, every 10 minutes you’ll spot someone that looks familiar for some reason.
While some comedy stems from mistaken identity, a hapless cooper’s son recruited as a dragonslayer, Gilliam laces the film with visual sense of humor as well as a sharp wit, and even the grim and gruesome happenings often draw a wry smile. Underneath it all, there’s a pretty withering damnation of bureaucracy and capitalism. People in this land are being taken advantage of, or being handicapped in their ability to respond properly to the threat of this menace by those who exploit it.
As stated, it all feels very “Gilliam-esque,” albeit in a more raw form than his later works. Sometimes the marriage of comedy and more serious material is a little uneven. Budgetary issues are sometimes apparent, but production values are largely authentic, atmospheric, and shortcomings are made up for by the sheer gusto of the filmmaker and people on screen. The story and its characters upend genre conventions in a number of ways too, making for an brilliantly unpredictable tale, one with a distinct streak of weird humor and darkness running through it.
The Package
Criterion delivers a mammoth step-up in quality, especially in comparison to images online and my memories of catching the film on TV and DVD. This new 4K restoration, courtesy of the BFI, comes from a scan of the 35mm original negative, using Terry Gilliam’s preferred cut, that being the uncut UK release, but with the American introduction. The image is free of noticeable defects and damage, and grain is present and natural, although it does vary in parts. Blacks are deep, but other colors can seem a little muted or tinted yellow at times. It’s a mucky film, but it’s never looked better. Special features include:
- 2001 audio commentary featuring Gilliam and actor Michael Palin: An utter delight. The pair sparkle and offer both frank insights as well as plenty of amusing anecdotes. The comments about on set issues, both technical and financial, are particularly revealing.
- New documentary on the making of the film, featuring Gilliam, Palin, producer Sandy Lieberson, and actor Annette Badland: Entitled Jabberwocky: Good Nonsense, and running just over 40-minutes. Lieberson and Gilliam discuss working together and how the former prompted the latter to pursue his dream project instead. Those involved share some personal insights on their role on the film, technical details that fixate on the film’s aesthetic and production. Nice, but would have been more revealing had the people been reunited and interviewed together, rather than separately.
- New interview with Valerie Charlton, designer of the film’s creature, the Jabberwocky, featuring her collection of rare behind-the-scenes photographs: Entitled The Making of a Monster, it’s a short but rather absorbing watch. Not just from the technical design and execution of the titular creature, but also how Charlton came to be involved in the project, how she left it, and how she came back again.
- Audio interview with cinematographer Terry Bedford from 1998: A chat between the DP and writer David Morgan that dips into Bedford’s work on Jabberwocky, but leans more toward Holy Grail overall. There are some interesting comparisons made between the two features as well as the directorial partnership of Gilliam and Terry Jones, and the former striking out solo on Jabberwocky.
- Selection of Gilliam’s storyboards and sketches: A short series of sequences juxtaposing Gilliam’s original sketches with the final product.
- Original UK opening sequence: The one replaced by the US version in this director-approved release.
- Trailer
- A reading of Lewis Carroll’s Jabberwocky: Featuring actors Michael Palin and Annette Badland.
- PLUS: An essay by critic Scott Tobias: Presented in a liner booklet, which also showcases stills from the film and details on the film’s 4K restoration.
The Bottom Line
Jabberwocky is a smart subversion of the fantasy genre. A medieval, mystical epic, fused with a Python sensibility. It’s a little rough around the edges, but that only adds to its charm, one strengthened as it delivers many of the little touches that later become Gilliam trademarks. The release is an example of how a Criterion release can truly endear you to a film. Well worth a wallow in the muck.
Jabberwocky is available via Criterion from November 21st.
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