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Gilliam on Gilliam is part of Faber and Faber's directors series, other notable reads including works on Hitchcock and Fellini. Each takes the form of a series of interviews, in the present case conducted by Ian Christie, (also responsible for Scorcese on Scorcese), whose incisive questioning frequently brings rewarding responses from his subject, whether dealing with Gilliam's early years ("I certainly didn't want to work my way up!") or seeking details of the processes and inspirations behind his films. One highlight is provided by the conversations surrounding Brazil, commonly considered Gilliam's masterpiece, where the director's frankness in dealing with everything from casting, troublesome shoots and frequent confrontations proves refreshingly honest. Impressive, too, is the discussion of Baron Munchausen, the over-ambitious flop which saw Gilliam briefly derided as "out of control" by Hollywood's money men.
Overall, the ex-Python consistently proves articulate, amusing and inspiring in the face of Christie's enjoyable brand of Spanish Inquisition. His next challenging project should be awaited with interest. --Steve Price
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It is, truly, Gilliam on Gilliam, with the book in total an interview with the filmmaker. Gilliam talks about the battle for Brazil, his frustrations in the early Python films (was was stigmatized as the arty image guy), and his intricate intentions in later films.
Most interesting to me, other than how it reminded me of how much of his films, sadly, I had forgotten, was how much visual work he puts into his films. That is relatively clear from screen, but even more apparent after you read through this book.
Equally interesting to the biz geek in me was reading Terry's pitched battle for budget credibility. After having budget troubles on two films (Brazil and Baron Munchausen), Gilliam had a financial scarlet letter to sport and it has been tough for him to convince the studios that he is not a risky budgetary bet. Hard to believe that such a prolific and successful filmmaker could still be auditioning, but there it is.
Anyway, an interesting and informative book. Not for those who are mildly interested, but a treat for Gilliam geeks who want the inside skinny on everything from De Niro's bizarre behavior in Brazil, to the casting of Jon Pryce, to underlying mythic chain operating in The Fisher King.
Reading these interviews puts you inside the creative mind of a filmmaking genius (yes, I dare say that). There's a reason for everything that's on the screen, and one understands that Gilliam's knack for weirdness is a little more than that... there's more to his filmmaking virtuosism (wild camera angles and moves) than there is when they make it in your average Nike comercial. If you wanna know what I mean, well, read the book.
Also, I don't recommend this much to Python fans. Certainly, a good part of it talks about the Python days, but it doesn't talk about their creative process much - it's more about the making of the films and Gilliam's animations.
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