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THE ADVENTURES OF BARON MUNCHAUSEN
To be fair, i don't remember how i heard of this movie, as i don't recall having seen it in a list of any kind or seen/heard anyone talk about it. I believe it might have been on my suggested titles on IMDb, but i can't really be sure. Regardless, the utter ludicrousness of the trailer had instantly grasped my attention. Now that i've seen it, i can say it is that same ludicrousness which made me fall in love with it, despite its many reasons why i shouldn't've.
PROS: THE SET DESIGN IS ABSOLUTELY AMAZING. The number of practical effects present in this film is ASTOUNDING and most certainly elevates the quality of the storytelling. The visual aspect is imperative to a movie of this scale's charm, and frankly, it wouldn't have half as much as it does if CGI took up a major portion of it (in the years of its production i doubt they had the necessary technology either way, but were it to be made in this day and age, i am convinced it wouldn't deliver as much as it did mainly because most of the effects would be made using CGI). Not to berate on the usage of CGI in general (as many people seem to be doing most gratuitously), but there is a genuine sense of grandeur caused by the scale of having things done practically. But i digress. Every aspect of this movie's visual style is flawless, as it should be due to the absurd nature of Baron Munchausen's adventures. If the visuals weren't as absurd as the story itself, it would cause a rift in immersion, but BECAUSE they are so flawlessly executed, i found myself not even questioning or remotely bothered by the utter lack of logic and disregard for realism. The costumes were outright magnificent, the cinematography mesmerizing and the makeup most fabulous. The score is TRIUMPHANT and is most certainly anything but forgettable or unremarkable. The acting itself was superb, everyone's game is just soooo exaggerated that it fits perfectly with what the movie is going for. The plot, while hysterically nonsensical, still manages to be easy to follow and is reminiscent of other fantasy adventures like The Neverending Story, or The Princess Bride, despite their differing levels of realism. Although the film presents itself as a purely fantastic escapade, i found myself pondering on the actual depth of the themes and other elements i was able to catch. To add to that pondering, i learned after my viewing that the director is none other than Terry Gilliam, which further makes me believe that there were aspects of the movie which were deliberately thought out in order to provoke deeper thinking and thematic scrutiny. Some of those elements were, inter alia,
Those elements alone are enough to warrant a second viewing with a keener eye for other potential interpretations, as there were other components which gave off a "deeper than it may seem" vibe.
CONS: Frankly, there isn't much for me to talk about in this section, as can be inferred from my nigh-unending praise for pretty much every aspect of this movie. I will say, however, that i found certain scenes to be poorly spliced together and, to my dismay, i found it unfortunate that there were some constituents which were either not sufficiently elaborated upon or dropped abruptly. They did not, by any means, hinder my enjoyment of the movie, but i would have loved to have spent more time on them.
Overall, this movie is a glorious, criminally underrated triumph with marvelous set pieces, breathtaking adventure and charmingly energetic characters, while also having enough heart to cause a deeper analysis. That being said, i cannot wait to rewatch this movie and find even more interesting interpretations. I give this movie a
To be fair, i don't remember how i heard of this movie, as i don't recall having seen it in a list of any kind or seen/heard anyone talk about it. I believe it might have been on my suggested titles on IMDb, but i can't really be sure. Regardless, the utter ludicrousness of the trailer had instantly grasped my attention. Now that i've seen it, i can say it is that same ludicrousness which made me fall in love with it, despite its many reasons why i shouldn't've.
PROS: THE SET DESIGN IS ABSOLUTELY AMAZING. The number of practical effects present in this film is ASTOUNDING and most certainly elevates the quality of the storytelling. The visual aspect is imperative to a movie of this scale's charm, and frankly, it wouldn't have half as much as it does if CGI took up a major portion of it (in the years of its production i doubt they had the necessary technology either way, but were it to be made in this day and age, i am convinced it wouldn't deliver as much as it did mainly because most of the effects would be made using CGI). Not to berate on the usage of CGI in general (as many people seem to be doing most gratuitously), but there is a genuine sense of grandeur caused by the scale of having things done practically. But i digress. Every aspect of this movie's visual style is flawless, as it should be due to the absurd nature of Baron Munchausen's adventures. If the visuals weren't as absurd as the story itself, it would cause a rift in immersion, but BECAUSE they are so flawlessly executed, i found myself not even questioning or remotely bothered by the utter lack of logic and disregard for realism. The costumes were outright magnificent, the cinematography mesmerizing and the makeup most fabulous. The score is TRIUMPHANT and is most certainly anything but forgettable or unremarkable. The acting itself was superb, everyone's game is just soooo exaggerated that it fits perfectly with what the movie is going for. The plot, while hysterically nonsensical, still manages to be easy to follow and is reminiscent of other fantasy adventures like The Neverending Story, or The Princess Bride, despite their differing levels of realism. Although the film presents itself as a purely fantastic escapade, i found myself pondering on the actual depth of the themes and other elements i was able to catch. To add to that pondering, i learned after my viewing that the director is none other than Terry Gilliam, which further makes me believe that there were aspects of the movie which were deliberately thought out in order to provoke deeper thinking and thematic scrutiny. Some of those elements were, inter alia,
WARNING: "THE ADVENTURES OF BARON MUNCHAUSEN" spoilers below
- the idea that the "people's elected representative" seems to be in cahoots with the Turks as to how the "war" is going and how it's going to end
- the idea that the populace is actually unaware of the reason for the conflict that's changing their very lives
- the fact that, even the elements which are closest to reality are actually nonsensical, like when the representative says to "throw out the actors and the Baron" because they're supposedly looking to escape. To me it felt like a jab at how it isn't the actions that cause problems but the perception of how it affects the state/country.
- the final sequence where the representative orders the soldiers to open fire a horde of civilians, which felt very Napoleon-esque
- the idea that stories/imagination/fantasy/belief can ultimately defeat the fears keeping the people prisoners in an authoritarian setting
- the idea that the populace is actually unaware of the reason for the conflict that's changing their very lives
- the fact that, even the elements which are closest to reality are actually nonsensical, like when the representative says to "throw out the actors and the Baron" because they're supposedly looking to escape. To me it felt like a jab at how it isn't the actions that cause problems but the perception of how it affects the state/country.
- the final sequence where the representative orders the soldiers to open fire a horde of civilians, which felt very Napoleon-esque
- the idea that stories/imagination/fantasy/belief can ultimately defeat the fears keeping the people prisoners in an authoritarian setting
Those elements alone are enough to warrant a second viewing with a keener eye for other potential interpretations, as there were other components which gave off a "deeper than it may seem" vibe.
CONS: Frankly, there isn't much for me to talk about in this section, as can be inferred from my nigh-unending praise for pretty much every aspect of this movie. I will say, however, that i found certain scenes to be poorly spliced together and, to my dismay, i found it unfortunate that there were some constituents which were either not sufficiently elaborated upon or dropped abruptly. They did not, by any means, hinder my enjoyment of the movie, but i would have loved to have spent more time on them.
Overall, this movie is a glorious, criminally underrated triumph with marvelous set pieces, breathtaking adventure and charmingly energetic characters, while also having enough heart to cause a deeper analysis. That being said, i cannot wait to rewatch this movie and find even more interesting interpretations. I give this movie a