Terry Gilliam: Ranking His Films From Worst To Best
6. The Imaginarium Of Doctor Parnassus
If the lead actor tragically dies mid-production, most films end up being shelved, so when Heath Ledger tragically died a third of the way through the filming of The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus it was assumed by many that the film would become yet another Gilliam project cut short. The fact that it wasn't and the fact that it was salvaged in such an ingenious manner with little detriment to the final product is noteworthy in itself. The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus is a traveling street theatre troupe led by the eponymous Doctor (Christopher Plummer), who made a bet with the Devil many centuries ago (known as Mr. Nick and wonderfully portrayed by Tom Waits), and leads members of the audience through a mirror which serves as a portal between reality and their subconscious. Inside, they must choose between the arduous ascent to spiritual enlightenment or indulging in their basest of pleasures, as represented by a seedy, neon-lit bar. One evening, as the troupe cross a bridge, they come across a man called Tony (Heath Ledger) hanging underneath. After rescuing him he joins them on their travels, until Mr. Nick arrives once again and challenges Parnassus to a game in which he must seduce five souls or lose his daughter Valentina (Lily Cole). Transforming the character of Tony into the various forms of actors Johnny Depp, Jude Law and Colin Farrell not only saved the movie from the scrapheap, it also fits perfectly into the idea of the magical subconscious realms within which portions of the film are set. The fact that all three actors were friends of Ledger seemed to make the decision a fitting tribute to the deceased star, and the film - at least as far as audiences were aware - didn't suffer noticeably from the changes: The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus remains an intriguing morality tale injected brought to life with Gilliam's trademark eye for visual flair; a near-mythical representation of the epic battle between the forces of good and evil, virtue and vice. Gilliam often includes scenes which allude to themes of spiritual and esoteric motifs and symbolism and The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus is perhaps his most occult movie to date, with the strange fantastical realms behind Parnassus's mirror reflecting the idea of psychological transformation and the spiritual aspect of alchemical purification. Not surprisingly, movie conspiracy theorists had a great deal of fun analyzing the imagery of Heath Ledger hanging from beneath the bridge, suggesting that it foreshadowed his own real-life death.
