I’m 50/50 on Terry Gilliam and I’d actually expect most film fans are, largely because he’s one of our most imaginative filmmakers, making it nearly impossible to like everything he makes. I suspect, however, there’s a level of respect we all have for Gilliam that we don’t reserve for other filmmakers, which is why we remain interested in whatever he has coming next, no matter how much we loved or hated what came before it.
With his next film, The Zero Theorum, arriving in the UK this March (a U.S. release is still pending), Jessica Kiang at The Playlist had a chance to talk to the writer/director about the films that have influenced him and as well as a few he couldn’t quite bear and it’s an and enlightening enjoyable read.
I’m going to suggest you click here to read his thoughts, but here’s the list with a couple quotes before you go:
- Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs – “Fantastic, Disney in the glory days.”
- The Thief of Baghdad (1940) – “I had nightmares about it as a child. Terrified.”
- One Eyed Jacks – “I love the characters, the situation, the whole story and I forgive it all the things are wrong with it.”
- Paths of Glory – “[H]ere was technology that I’d never been aware of, the tracking shots through the trenches which of course I copied in Brazil.
- Seven Samurai – “You suddenly saw the way [Akira Kurosawa] used the camera, slow motion, the fights suddenly going into slow motion.”
- Fellini’s Casanova – “I think there are three moments in there that make it all worthwhile.”
- Eureka – “I walked out of that.”
- In Praise of Love – “[Jean-Luc Godard] made brilliant films, he made great films, but this is not one of them. This is crap!”
The one film on that list that I haven’t seen but have been meaning to is Marlon Brando‘s One Eyed Jacks. I’ve read so many differing opinions on it and it’s a movie that continually seems to be mentioned when the talk of films in the ealry ’60s are brought up that I need to see what it’s all about. It used to be on Netflix Instant, but I missed it when it was. I’ll catch up with it soon enough.
But like I said, click here and read the rest of Gilliam’s comments.
