Time Bandits
by Terry Gilliam
by Terry Gilliam
While Time Bandits isn't nearly as disturbing or intentionally thought provoking as Brazil, even when Gilliam's just having fun he can't seem to help himself. I think what I found most intriguing while viewing last night was just how much really good (and downright Orthodox) theology was woven throughout this film. In fact... I don't think this film would have been nearly as funny or effective had Gilliam not had a pretty good command of Christian Orthodoxy.
The scene that brought this to mind most was when Evil's minion points out that "even the Supreme Being can't be all bad since one of his creations was the dark lord himself" (my paraphrase). Followed up by one of my favorite lines concerning digital watches. And of course there is Kevin's question at the end when he ask's God why he allowed for evil in the first place, and God answers "freewill".
I'm not suggesting that Gilliam subscribes to Orthodox Theology, but he is certainly aware of it and at times the jabs he takes at it are very funny ;"the universe is a bit of a botch job.... we only had seven days to finish it." I wonder if most viewers (believers or not) appreciate the depth that this kind of comedy is rooted in.
Another film that comes to mind is the original "Bedazzled" Starring the 60's Comedy team Dudley Moore and Peter Cook (I have no idea if the remake is aware of any actual theology. The trailer I saw suggests not). Based on the classic story of "Faust", Dudley Moore is a looser fry cook who is offered the fultiment of his wildest dreams by Peter Cook, who plays Bealzabub himself. The only thing Dudley really wants is a relationship with a girl who visits the diner daily. So Dudley sells his soul... but he never seems to get the girl. As you can imagine the Devil is completely without scruples and so much smarter than Dudley. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jr-Vxu_4ckA He's constantly twisting Dudley's requests to get the better of him. Did I mention Racquel Welsh plays "Lust" ?
Like "TimeBandits", "Bedazzled"uses comedy to weigh all sorts of heady Theological issues in the balance (and to take a poke or two at Christian belief).
I supposed I could be offended by these films but in a way I find them comforting. In a world where even many Christians don't know their doctrinal heritage these films seem like old friends (with a wicked sense of humor). I find that they both sharpen and challenge my beliefs. They may cause me to question why I believe them in the first place. Over the years I've found some things that I've believed have fallen to the wayside, some things I'm still working out... but the most important things have always held true. This sifting process is part of a growing faith.
A faith that can take (and even enjoys a good challenge) and not simply a list of beleifs that I take for granted and ocationally shore up to keep from getting flabby.
posted by Sleeper at 2:49 PM
3 Comments:
Alright, professor. You caught my attention during class this morning promoting the video link on your post of Time Bandits. I'm seeing why you like Terry Gilliam so much. In that little 2 minute film clip from the Bedazzled movie, it was full of theology. and there are quite a few jabs at Christianity. It gets us thinking and laughing at the same time, which I think is very effective. If Gilliam had just said "God just wants everybody to give Him thank you's so He can feel good" really blandly, I'm not so sure I would get what he was saying. having one guy sit high up Indian-style and the other one dancing around him was very funny and very effective. and i got a good chuckle at the part where the one guy threw away the "wet paint" sign and then proceed to burn the trash, and even make an old lady's groceries fall. How did that film turn into the more recent remake? They seem very different to me, at least from the 2 minute clip I saw of this one and the commercials for the remake.
I guess you just have to like midgits.
"image v. picture.
alright explain this to me a little more...so what on earth IS image? is image the theme of a story, or what? i'm only recieving ambiguous symbols here..."
Well let's see... Image is something that imprints itself on the imagination of the viewer. It is more than a picture..and it is as easily done through the written word(John Stienbeck talked about "the smell of gasoline" as a way to imprint the image of an archetypal gas station on the imagination of his readers) or even music.
It's as if images themselves already exist in psychi of the viewer and it is up to the filmmaker/author/painter to tap into that image and bring it to the surface of our consciousness. So the audience brings with them the power that is provoked by the artist. What the artist paints merely provokes what we already (subconsciously)know to be true.
Does this help?
We talk a lot about this in the Storyboard class. Christianity (and the world's religions) are loaded with imagery, much of which late twentieth century Evangelicals have managed to scrub from their liturgy. What we are left with (more often than not) is lifted from the films we see at the Cineplex. It's not that these are bad images necessarily, it's just that they lack the depth of resonance that stirs the soul (instead of just the emotions).
As far as story is concerned; it's my experience that images come already loaded with story... and since there is only one Story (that would be a whole nother blog) in the narrative arts it's a matter of the right image showing up at the right time.
I have to stop now on account of my brain is starting to hurt. :)
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