The Man Who Killed Don Quixote (Sydney Film Festival Review)

A director’s job is ordinarily to provide escapism, not deny it. Except that is what Terry Gilliam does with this long-gestating project. Before the opening title card, the film’s meta self-awareness is present with the title card “25 years in the making and unmaking”. This could simply be a joke put in but it foreshadows the tone of the film. It’s also the first subtle reminder that artists are often consumed by their work and their struggle with sanity.

Toby Grisoni played by Adam Driver, who seems to be playing an angry parody of Driver, is struggling to direct an ad in Spain as he lacks inspiration. He comes across his student film based on Don Quixote thanks to a mysterious gypsy, who pops up throughout the film. Driver notices the town he shot his film it isn’t far away so he makes the trip. He discovers the man who played Don Quixote just outside of town, held against his will in a trailer as an interactive experience of sorts. The two soon part ways as the encounter escalates but quickly run into each other again and seamlessly travel back in time.

At times it often feels like Gilliam is pulling a prank on us. The plot goes nowhere and simultaneously everywhere. Everyone from the present shows up as characters from the exploits of Don Quixote. Are they making an ad or film in secret? Is this someone's imagination? The last film that provoked the same kind of baffling amazement from me was Aronofsky’s mother! last year. Both films take bigger and bigger left-hand terms of plotting. They both go so far down the rabbit hole that they become the hole itself.

As I was watching this film I felt that it was disjointed structurally and at points lacked cohesion in what it was trying to get across. Sleeping on it however, made me question the role of the artist in this film. Is the movie autobiographical in more than just a bio-imaging way? There is a great film in Don Quixote. It doesn’t need another cut but there’s a way to interpret it as an epic with the twist of Gilliam’s visceral style. If I saw it again I might see this version clearer and this might be a figment of my imagination just like the persona of Don Quixote.

Gilliam’s innate visceral style that he has developed over his career is present. There are plenty of wide angle lenses and dutch tilts to be found. The scale of the film naturally grows because of it. One shot features Don Quixote getting off a horse and at first, it’s a dutch tilt. The camera pans down with him to become level. Of course, the elaborate and detailed sets help but at times it feels like a byproduct of the story. It's Gilliam's vision that is the true awe-inspiring vision here. The climax of the film takes place in a large castle and we’re never given a strong sense of direction when people travel throughout the castle. As this act reaches its heights it only becomes more head scratching.

Is it a film about an artist going through the same struggles as Gilliam? Does the story consume Gilliam or vice versa? What is the role of the artist in this film? Before seeing the film it was clear that Gilliam had been consumed by this project. As Toby Grisoni falls into this rabbit hole you can’t help but think Gilliam has done this all before, perhaps as a coping mechanism for other projects. Days before the world premiere Gilliam had a heart attack as who owned the film rights was being battled in court.

SPOILER ON END OF FILM

I wonder if Gilliam has seen himself as Sancho (the character Quixote mistakes Driver for), following around Quixote (the end goal for his eternal vision) determined to get the job done. Then at the end, himself turned into Quixote with people following and trying to control him. With the film’s production history it could be plausible, even if Gilliam doesn’t see it himself’.

END OF SPOILER

Terry Gilliam is perhaps most well known for his work with the comedy group Monty Python. He did the animations that tie skits in the TV show and scenes in the movies together. He’s a visual comedian and that certainly feeds into this film. There a few moments of slapstick and humour. Whether or not they fit the film I’m not sure about. There’s a lot going on in the film and the humour often felt like a distraction.

While an enjoyable experience, especially in a full cinema, Gilliam didn’t quite manage to get the layered narrative to gel together. I am curious to see if the film will be interpreted differently was more people see it and for when I revisit it. For now, it was some silly fun that mostly works but thankfully Adam Driver is always a pleasure to watch.

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Overall Score: 6/10

Don Quixote has no Australian release date yet. What do you think of this film?

Director: Terry Gilliam

Writer: Terry Gilliam and Tony Grisoni

Starring: Adam Driver, Stellan Skarsgård, Joana Ribeiro, Olga Kurylenko and Jonathan Pryce

Cinematography: Nicola Pecorini

Editors: Teresa Font & Lesley Walker

Music: Roque Baños