Speaking of a real feast after reading the death autobiography of Terry Gilliam called “Gilliamesque” co-founder of the Flying Circus group Monty Python, cartoonist, comic book Creator, film Director, theater, Opera house, it’s just to say about the snack, constantly in front of you the main course. Gifted, sensitive, with an incredible imagination and sense of humor, also drawn, despite the lack of TV in the house has grown to a well-known, respected independent Director and screenwriter.
We would say a poor, modest childhood, in a house without a TV
In a country where the motto was “from puzibut to a millionaire:” it’s probably some crypto-Communists? But under this tynkturą hides a vulnerable guy who reads the tales of the brothers Grimm, the authorized Bible of king James, and on TV, walks into a friend, absorbing parodies of the first television comedians Ernie Kovacsa and Sid Caesera, which surreal humor will be for him later, pure inspiration.
Gilliam tries to tell his life briefly, but accurately distributes the emphasis of what was important to him, interesting and inspiring. He grew up in a Protestant family who, with respect for hard work, sought his place on the US map. In the fifties travel to Sunny California and settle in the Valley of San Fernando bravery. Like in the movie anger. To live next to footage used in the dry cowboy movies there, meant nothing else, as inevitably closer to his destiny. As a young eleven-year-old boy did not understand the case yet, but when I got the piano, and then participated in the drama club and reception in the dynamic world of comics, like most of his peers slowly became Terry Gilliamem, restless spirit, using its inherent advantages-autoironię, sarcasm, satirical punch and original mottos.
The author grew up on cult modern comics like “Mad”, “Superman” or “Batman” could count in the realization of their then stage ideas for parents. This is important when you have more than one opponent in front of you: the school system, scouts, charity or Church wheels of readers. Thanks to prezbiteriańskiemu scholarship, after graduating from high school he entered a good University Occidental College, where, as he writes,”he entered her doorsteps as a capable and outstanding student, and came out as worthless, slacker, without a life goal, with moderate grades in the index”.
But it already happens that the acquired freedom and independence, as a rule, is the result of a collision with zabetonowanym education system, and University relations. So formatted Gilliam went into adulthood and became what, I don’t know if it was worth dreaming about, but certainly realized his komiksowo-film ” the way of life rich in various more or less funny moments. One thing definitely fell on the people who sooner or later they learned in it, his abilities, as during the first job in new York, Harvey Kurtzman “Help” when his personal RESUME was a student magazine “Fang”, which carried out with przedmontypythonowską team.
The years of hippie counterculture coincided with the Vietnam war
The anti-war riots At the University of century city, then gunshots and the murder of students on the campus of the University of Kent, the murder of pastor Luther king. Embodied in the National Guard Gilliam painted and was constantly on vacation. When you go to Canada for Expo 67 stopped in one of the small towns of Wyoming attacked their locals, according to “krąglolicy inbreeding product” overflowed.
All this together inspired the sensitive Gilliam, who at the same time met johnny Cleese, Graham Chapman, and we will fall in love, like everyone else in the Beatles music, to leave free censorship America in the UK. There his career was like a stone in the hands of Sisyphus, but not uphill, only from above. When you record subsequent episodes of Monty Python developed their talent to draw, but exercising, played a cameo role, Director. All this later led to the classic films like “Jabberwocky”, “Expedition after the Grail or”Brian’s Life”.
All previous professional practice, skills and talent were identified in each of these works separately. Distinctive cinematic collages from ideas like comics complemented the ideas of Python buddies, but also allowed to illustrate something that would require tons of work and expensive special effects on set. The experience gained in collaboration with the Flying circus came true in his first “fantasy Trilogy” about human life, that is “bandits in time”, “Brazil” and “the adventures of Baron Munchausen”. Crazy action, ideas, special effects, selection of actors, Gilliamesque by Terry Gilliam, review: ‘A handsome memoir’. What could dream of, every Director. The importance of Gilliam grew, he could have almost any box office performer the fact did not work with Brando, but I think his specific imagination and understanding of cinema did not go hand in hand with the energy of the godfather.”
The life of the Director, is work
Work and more work on the script, the work of the label, producers, actors, crew plans, test shots. This whole play, stretched out in time. Sometimes continues like his last movie “the Man who killed don Quixote” nearly twenty years. How it affects the psyche, life, family life, social, promotion of their films, presence at festivals, read about it yourself. But one thing you I’d say, had reliance in his family. Adult daughters helped him to finish “Parnassus”and” Las Vegas Paramo”.
The book is so full of different thoughts, anecdotes, meetings with people of art, actors, Directors, producers, like George Harrison, who accidentally saved one of his most eternal films that would be enough for the entire book trilogy. Gilliam fit on less than three hundred sides. All that he thought in his creative life for the main thing gave us, accompanied by his recognizable worldwide drawings. How many Golden thoughts, tips, who generously handed out, it is difficult to count.
This on its own is generous, although living on man, upload date modestly, to destroy your ego, intends selfishness. He acts as a good friend next door, from the same street. And this is the undeniable advantage of his autobiography, written as he sarcastically noted in the subtitle “before-posthumously”, that is, speaking colloquially at the same time. Between one movie, a second script, a jury at festivals, finding sponsors and money; how to complete “Parnassus” or “the man who killed don Quixote.”
Surely, whether he wants it or not, entered the history of cinema and cinema. Met great actors: Jeff small bridges, Robin Williams, Robert de Niro, brad pitt, Hit Will, [ … ] the image of rounded Thurman, producer and music by George Harrison. And his almost brothers “circus Monty Python”: John Cleese, Eric Idle, Terry Jones, Michael Palin, Graham Chapman. Which played great, but studied. It was with them raised the bar and English humor, as well as Beatles entertaining music of high art rank. Art that has lost nothing of its artistry and transmission unites generations. Becoming a bridge, after which, as after the film will be the next new young viewers to confirm that a well-told story, the wheel rolls…and comes back to us.
