Terry Gilliam
When one of the six members of the Monty Python comedy troupe starts writing movies outside of the Monty Python world, you can guarantee they will be distinctive. But, great though the works of Cleese, Palin, Idle, Jones and Chapman are, it is the on-going output of the group’s animator-in-chief that has become one of the most distinctive voices in cinema. Having honed his skills in-house, with 1975’s Monty Python And The Holy Grail, Terry Gilliam delivered Jabberwocky in 1977 – a dark and satirical adaptation of Lewis Carroll’s poem from Through The Looking-Glass – immediately establishing his singular writing style.
Known and widely respected for his determination to avoid compromising on a script, Gilliam’s trademark is the inclusion of fantastical elements in his stories – whatever the setting may be. Residing firmly outside the box, any screenplay from the pen of Terry Gilliam promises a wild ride indeed. While his work rarely generates box office heat, his releases almost always achieve cult-classic status within a very short space of time. Time Bandits, Brazil, The Adventures Of Baron Munchausen, Fear And Loathing In Las Vegas, Tideland and The Imaginarium Of Doctor Parnassus – scripts that constitute a masterclass in the written communication of an artistic vision.
Thirty seven years after the joyous Jabberwocky was unleashed, we may finally get to experience Gilliam’s disaster-plagued and long-gestating The Man Who Killed Don Quixote, as it is rumoured to be in pre-production once again. If the much-anticipated production crosses the finish line at last, this could just be the most distinctive example of this incredible screenwriter’s voice yet.