Gilliam also depicts a past that looks just as dilapidated as the future, and makes references to Hitchcock's 'Vertigo', which also involves questions of time and memory. On television, cartoons and animal testing are shown in the asylum and the Woody Woodpecker "time tunnel" episode comes on in the motel. Cole is kept at a distance from them, always reminded of being the "other", whether criminally or mentally divergent. While the methods of communication have become more perverse in the future, their disciplinary effects remain the same. Look at how the scientists of Cole's present time are contrasted with scenes of him in the past interrogated by psychologists at the institution. Typical of his other work, ideas are expressed visually, taking a straightforward plot and turning it into a more fantastical, cryptic, and maddening exploration into the relationship of power and the individual. With so many deep underlying questions on the bleak outcomes of our technological advancements, Gilliam does an impressive job of keeping it all together in an entertaining and coherent manner. But Cole is already questioning his sanity at this point and must try to figure out if the real world is a product of his imagination. In a race against time, he and a now-convinced Kathryn try to stop the revolutionists. Eventually returning to his present time, Cole is given another chance to locate the terrorist group and the virus in its pure form. Kathryn Railly (Madeleine Stowe) and fellow inmate Jeffrey Goines (Brad Pitt), and shares many of his warnings about the future. Arriving at the wrong time, Cole is imprisoned and institutionalized. His mission is to gather information about the origins of the lethal virus and a group known as "The Army of the 12 Monkeys" believed to be responsible for its release. In 2035, the convict James Cole (Bruce Willis) becomes a reluctant volunteer for an experiment to travel back in time. In 1996, a deadly epidemic kills 99% of the human population, forcing the remaining one percent to take refuge underground. It's a grim and chaotic vision exploring a fine line between madness and sanity, determinism, self-destruction, and the lack of communication. This a surreal and inspired film that makes intelligent use of the time travel theme to comment on modernity - a feverishly rambling tale about consumerism and technology. Outside of the Monty Python films and 'Time Bandits', '12 Monkeys,' his sci-fi thriller about a future dystopia, is his most easily recognized commercial success (and not by much). Although his wildly inventive imagination has produced extraordinary pieces of cinema ('Brazil'), most, if not all, of his films are a bit tough for general public consumption. He's a true visionary, often limited by Hollywood-budget constraints imposed by executives who fail to see or admire his daring delusions turned into reality (I'm thinking here of 'Lost In La Mancha'). In my humble estimation, Terry Gilliam is one of the most misunderstood directors of our time.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |