The Film
Heath Ledger's unfortunate death during the filming of The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus, a movie about immortality was particularly poignant. The title character, Doctor Parnassus (Christopher Plummer), long ago became immortal and gained the ability to make people's imagination come true. He leads a small theatre troupe operating on the fringe of society from a horse-drawn trailer. We soon learn of Doctor Parnassus' deal with the devil "Mr. Nick" (Tom Waits) and Mr. Nick's claim to Parnassus' daughter on her upcoming sixteenth birthday. Things get more twisted when the group rescues Tony (Ledger), who is found hanging from a bridge and wakes with amnesia. He becomes a pawn in the struggle between Mr. Nick and Parnassus, and begins a journey behind the mirror where dreams come to life.
Friends of Heath Ledger, Johnny Depp; Jude Law and Colin Farrell, stepped in to play Tony in his three trips through the imaginarium mirror. The effect was clever, though often criticized for being confusing. The visuals of this Terry Gilliam creation were stronger than the story, and the shift in actors made the most of an impossible situation.
For another look through the mirror check out The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus review by David Kempler.
The Picture
Set in modern day, the film still has an antique, dreamy look. The color in this 1.85:1 transfer is as rich as the tale itself. Nighttime scenes are dark, and with excellent black levels that bring out the colors of the carnival. The daytime has a constant overcast look to it, but the picture is so clear you can almost feel the chill in the air. Scenes in the imaginarium are also vivid with rich colors at times that emphasize the dreamlike nature of this mysterious realm. All this makes for an interesting film to view, but is never exactly "lifelike."
The Sound
From the sounds of the carnival sideshow to the streets of London during the day, this one immerses you into the environment. The DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 channel track bombards the viewer with nearly nonstop sounds from all directions, but the center channel is never overwhelmed. Imaginarium is backed with a very original musical score that accompanies the action nicely.
The Extras
The film was released by Terry Gilliam as "a film by Heath Ledger and friends" but gets a nice treatment and tribute to Ledger in the form of numerous extras. The Blu-ray has a memorial from the cast and crew, along with several behind-the-scenes and making of features. For such an imaginative movie, it's nice to see it supported by what went into the creation and all the work that went on behind the camera.
Final Thoughts
The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus is a wild two hours and requires not just a suspension of disbelief but a suspension of any grounding in reality. This is, of course, typical of Terry Gilliam productions such as Brazil, The Adventures of Baron Munchausen, and several Monty Python films. But it is one for the imagination.
Product Details
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