THE ADVENTURES OF BARON MUNCHAUSEN (Terry Gilliam, 1989, UK) The film begins in the late 18th century…on a Wednesday. A film that I appreciate more upon repeated viewings! Terry Gilliam takes us on the fantastical Grimm’s fairy tale-like exploits of tall-tale extraordinaire Baron Munchausen as he tries to save a city from the invading Turks and prove that, in the age of science and reason, imagination is still important. The Baron’s adventures are preposterous and stretch credibility well beyond the breaking point…but he never lies. He is blessed with a child-like innocence and imagination that blurs the line between his fiction and the world around him until we, the viewer, can make neither heads nor tails of the Truth. Gilliam’s attention to detail is spectacular with his beautiful set designs and costumes and some neat special effects before the days of ubiquitous CGI. Though not as competent a film as BRAZIL or TIME BANDITS, MUNCHAUSEN is still worth your time. The Blu-ray looks spectacular and does the film justice with its strong colors and crisp anamorphic transfer. The soundtrack utilizes all speakers and is extremely well mixed for a 20 year old film: recommended viewing in High-Definition! (B)
It's funny how the colors of the real world only seem really real when you viddy them on the screen.
Friday, December 5, 2008
THE ADVENTURES OF BARON MUNCHAUSEN (Terry Gilliam, 1989, UK) The film begins in the late 18th century…on a Wednesday. A film that I appreciate more upon repeated viewings! Terry Gilliam takes us on the fantastical Grimm’s fairy tale-like exploits of tall-tale extraordinaire Baron Munchausen as he tries to save a city from the invading Turks and prove that, in the age of science and reason, imagination is still important. The Baron’s adventures are preposterous and stretch credibility well beyond the breaking point…but he never lies. He is blessed with a child-like innocence and imagination that blurs the line between his fiction and the world around him until we, the viewer, can make neither heads nor tails of the Truth. Gilliam’s attention to detail is spectacular with his beautiful set designs and costumes and some neat special effects before the days of ubiquitous CGI. Though not as competent a film as BRAZIL or TIME BANDITS, MUNCHAUSEN is still worth your time. The Blu-ray looks spectacular and does the film justice with its strong colors and crisp anamorphic transfer. The soundtrack utilizes all speakers and is extremely well mixed for a 20 year old film: recommended viewing in High-Definition! (B)
