the Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus

from the opening sequence:

Jellyfish, representing souls, carrying off the deads’ minds into space, ie. heaven.


Mr. Nick’s lounge bar, shaped like a derby ala Magritte, represents meaninglessness.

Still being caught in depression over the disruption of his last self-written project, The Man Who Killed Don Quixote, his constant struggle with the established studio system, as well as becoming aware of his progressing age, worried that he was going nowhere with his latest projects and that he might not have much time left, Gilliam put a number of references to sudden, tragic, and premature death into his script before the loss of Ledger became a reality. In fact, Gilliam felt compelled to emphasize time and again that upon the film's release many things might be mistaken as references to Ledger's fate but that the script wasn't changed apart from re-casting Tony with Depp, Farrell, and Law.

- source: en.wikipedia.org...

The tableauts of Parnassus and Mr. Nick’s bet to raise 12 disciples:

The first page is of the Inquisition and plague, with Mr. Nick as the Pope.


The second page shows Parnassus as Krishna, accompanied by a small cherub.


The third tableaut shows Mr. Nick tempting three boys in blue away from Parnassus.

Gilliam felt that "[I] didn't make this film. Forces from above and below made it. It made itself. I don't worry anymore. It's got its own relentless momentum. It just needed some human sacrifice." "It's made itself - I was just one pair of hands and there were many hands." "Don't get me into my mystical mode ... but the film made itself and it was co-directed by Heath Ledger!" "The irony is that the choices that were forced upon us improved the movie, so it was as if Heath co-directed the movie, even co-wrote it."

- source: en.wikipedia.org...

From the scene of Mr. Nick’s temptation of Parnassus:

The old Doctor, symbolizing God, trying to throw himself off Mt. Parnassus.


Like Sisyphus, we see the plight of immortality as punishment.

Gilliam said in retrospect about the first transition from Ledger to Depp in the film:

"He's extraordinary. That's why I put Johnny in first position [of the three new Tonys], because number one, he was going to be the most difficult to get any time with, and number two, I just thought if it works with the transition to Johnny and if the audience goes for it, they'll follow the next two. And that's exactly how it works. [...] That's what's funny, when Johnny appears so many people think it's Heath! And it's a trick: Johnny's not doing anything. He looks like Johnny. [...]

"[During the initial shoot] Heath was on stage and the Russians are appearing, and he was behaving in a very funny way, he was moving around, and I said, 'Heath, I know what you're doing.' He said, 'What are you talking about?' 'You're doing Johnny Depp, aren't you?' And can you believe, that helps this transition [when Ledger enters the mirror and becomes Depp]. This was not intended!"

- source: en.wikipedia.org...

From the other side of the Mirror:

The judgment depicted as a bridge over the Styx, with Mr. Nick on the dark side. This shot is from Mr. Nick’s perspective, as a giant cobra, formed from the river itself. Note the pyramid in the desert is, itself, entirely black, symbolising the source of the river of death, and separating the sky between day on the left and night on the right.


Floating down the river Styx with the head of Anubis at the helm.


The character of Tony, played like Errol Flynn, by Ledger, Depp, Law and Ferrell.

Gilliam and McKeown based the character of Tony on former British prime minister Tony Blair, who "would say the most insane things and probably he'd believe them himself".

- source: en.wikipedia.org...


The pillars of Dr. Parnassus (left) and Mr. Nick (right). The film is dedicated to a dead man.

Initially, Tom Cruise expressed interest in being involved as another actor to replace Ledger, but Gilliam turned him down because Cruise had never been a close friend of Ledger.

- source: en.wikipedia.org...

to read the script, visit:
www.script-o-rama.com...

Well,Gilliam always makes some entertaining and interesting movies that is for sure.

I found the ending a little weird.Because of the lead actors death he used 3 actors to represent the lead actor.When someone encountered the new actor on the other side the first two had to prove it was still them because they looked different.

The third actor seemed to be recognized without question by the boy who followed him through the mirror.He never said "who are you"?

Sorry I can't tell you their names because, I am One old dude. :shk:

[edit on 7-3-2010 by Oneolddude]