Lost in La Mancha (2002)
"We like to see it as our own little
version of 'Don Quixote."
"Doing a film about Terry Gilliam,
you're bound to get drama"
- The directors of "Lost in La Mancha"
during a Q&A at the Austin Film Festival 2002
Terry Gilliam is by far one of the
most original and fascinating directors working in
cinema today. The former member of Monty Python, who
did most of the group's animated sequences, has forged
into feature films with a vengeance and established
himself as a sort of Quixotic character all his own.
His films like "12 Monkeys," "Fear and Loathing in
Las Vegas" and "Fisher King" have not only made him
a critical favorite, but a viable director in the
cinematic marketplace as well.
Gilliam's pet project for longer
than 10 years now has been a version of "Don Quixote"
that has a modern man travelling mysteriously through
time to meet up with him. The man is mistakenly thought,
by Quixote, to be Sancho Panza. Gilliam, in 2000,
secured 32 million dollars of European money to film
the epic. It was the largest budget ever gathered
for a film totally from European funds. No American
money was used. Directors Keith Fulton and Louis Pepe
had made a film called "Hamster Factor" about Gilliam's
making of "12 Monkeys" and asked if they could film
him working on this new project. The director agreed.
By now, the story of Gilliam's failed
attempt to bring "Quixote" to the screen is a legend
among cinephiles, but even if you've never heard the
story before (and I knew very little about it myself),
you will find the story told here fascinating. If
you are into film at all, this film will captivate
you. If you know a young person who wants to make
films, especially if you want to deter them from it,
this is a film they should watch. "Lost in La Mancha"
is nothing short of a case study of how to fail at
making a film. Knowing ahead of time that the plug
gets pulled on Gilliam's project does not take away
one iota from the film. It's still a remarkable piece
of work.
We begin watching the precedings
2 or 3 months before filming is scheduled to start.
Right away there are problems but we see that Gilliam
is an imaginative and ingenious filmmaker who has
a remarkable vision. His determination and his problem
solving skills are evident at almost every turn in
the pre-production stage of the film. If "Quixote"
had actually been made and had been released, this
documentary would still be an amazing testament to
Gilliam's skill and tenacity.
When the film (within the film) finally
gets started and shooting is finally underway, we
see how money is spent hand-over-fist. We begin to
see what it takes to make a film. Gilliam's 32 million
dollar budget seems far too little to make his vision
come to (celluloid and) light. There are so many problems
here and naming them only begins to scratch the surface
of exactly all that goes on. There is, I swear to
God, a flood, numerous Jet Bombers, a dozen or so
investors, and an ill lead actor to contend with.
Watching the film, with all the looming disaster,
we simply sit in awe and wonder when exactly when
the house of cards is actually going to come crashing
down. We wait, wondering who will pull the plug and
when. It is amazing.
Fulton and Pepe get a real insider's
look at the proceedings here. What is truly amazing
is Gilliam's honesty, candor and accessibility. He
allows the filmmakers of the documentary to film him
when he is angry, befuddled and even at a loss for
words and, according to the duo, never once asks them
to edit the film to make him appear in any other light
other than an honest one. That the cast and crew,
including actor Johnny Depp and First AD of "Quixote"
Phil Patterson, follow suit is also amazing. This
is one of the most honest and realistic looks at filmmaking
in the new millennium that you will ever see. It's
riveting. It really makes you respect the art and
craft of making films.
But what is most interesting about
this film is that it shows Gilliam and his story to
bring "Don Quixote" to the screen to be almost a modern-day
retelling of "Quixote." Gilliam is up against massive
odds, some of them ambiguous and enigmatic, and he
fights valiantly to the death to try and keep his
vision alive. When reality sets in, and Gilliam realizes
the film will be stopped, he, like Quixote, faces
reality, accepts it, and becomes a tragic figure.
Just as we don't want Quixote to face reality, and
in effect die, we don't want Gilliam to stop struggling
to bring his vision to the screen.
The true beauty of "Lost in La Mancha"
is that even if Gilliam never gets the film started
again, it doesn't matter, we've see his vision in
this film. Through storyboards, and some of the film
that was shot, we see what Gilliam might have done.
There are also numerous looks at costumes and props
and several of the ideas about to be used in the film
are test-shot and screened for us. The scenes involving
the "Giants" are particularly vivid and magical. We
see Gilliam's vision when we watch the film and it
does satisfy us to get this glimpse of what might
of been. This film saves Gilliam's "Don Quixote" from
complete oblivion, unadulterated obscurity. But it
also whets our appetites and makes us dream that one
day the film will be completed. If it is, there is
no doubt, that like "Lost in La Mancha," it will be
a masterpiece of subtlety and amazing insight.
Note:
In English as well as in French
and Spanish with subtitles.
Narrated by Jeff Bridges, star of
Gilliam's "Fisher King." Ray Cooper, long time Gilliam
collaborator and also Elton John's longtime percussionist,
is interviewed briefly. Stars of "Quixote" who appear
in this film include Depp, Jean Rochefort, and Vanessa
Parasdis.
The Giants reappear after the end
credits.
Much of the film deals with the Insurance
company and Completion Bond issuers who have dealt
with the failure of the film. It is said that over
15 million dollars in insurance money has been claimed
on the film, almost half its budget. A final title
card says that Gilliam is working to get investors
to buy back the film from the insurance companies.
