Les aventures du baron de Munchausen

The Adventures of Baron Munchausen_720p(480P)

source: The Adventures of Baron Munchausen

While this film WAS directed by the ex-Monty Pythoner, Terry Gilliam (who was most famous for his cartoons and co-directing their films), you cannot look at it as a "Python" film--if you do, you'll be very disappointed. Despite Eric Idle playing Munchausen't fleet-footed friend, the film is less a comedy and more a piece of bizarre escapist fantasy. If you judge it as fantasy ALONE, it is amazing and fun to watch--and extremely captivating as well as far less surreal and dark as his other famous escapist film, BRAZIL (which is definitely NOT to everyone's taste). I must admit that when I first saw it, I only thought it was an average film--probably because of my false expectations. But, when I saw it again recently, I realized that it was a dandy tale with dandy acting. Well, with the acting there was the exception of Robin Williams as the Man in the Moon--as usual, he tended to dominate the scenes too much with his mugging and silliness. I really felt that Munchausen, as the hero, SHOULD have remained the focus but the few scenes with Williams were so talky and weird that Munchausen seemed a bit lost. However, this is only a minor problem and certainly NOT one that should interfere with enjoying the movie. I also just watched the German version of the life of Munchausen (Munchausen, 1943). While for 1943 this was a fine film and I loved how they linked Munchausen to the present, the film really suffered because special effects of the day cannot keep up with the weirdness and over-the-top aspects of the film. As a result, you really come to appreciate Terry Gilliam's version even more--as the bizarreness looked so real and contributed to making it a wonderful escapist film. Apparently, this 1988 version cost a fortune to make, but in hindsight there probably was no other way to make this film and make it right. I strongly recommend you see both films, but if you must see only one, then the Gilliam version seems to be the definitive one and can't be beat for entertainment and fun.

Fantastic film based on classic film from German Film studio UFA titled Baron Munchausen (1943) by Josef Von Baky with Hans Alberts. It contains stunning visuals - it's a feast for the eyes- , imagination and strange roles . The tall Baron Munchausen (John Neville), each time united his horse Bucefalo , undertakers several adventures and feats . He's a tale-teller who is accompanied by his faithful companions , a group formed by odd and riveting characters as a little girl (Sarah Polley) , an idiot (Eric Idle) whose feet run faster than sound , a giant man and a dwarf . Munchausen assured that he has visited the Moon and meets the king (Robin Williams) , Venus (Valentina Cortese) , visited inside of the volcano of the Gods (Oliver Reed) and fallen for Venus . Later on , being swallowed into the belly of a gigantic wale . All of this stories are woven into the movie's axis tale , the siege of a European town , Vienna, by a Turkish army whose caliph (Peter Jeffreys) is after Munchausen's head . This is an imaginative , glamorous , chaotic fantasy based on the wonderful trips carried out by Munchausen , though a little bit tedium too and paced in fits and starts . Marvelous special effects are visually stunning and magnificently realized with no computer generator . Slick narrative but often confused , proceeded in a circular pace by means of flashbacks that flow into the present from past time and never quite what they seem . Starring a considerable cast of top-names performers as John Neville , Jonathan Pryce ,Eric Idle , Sting and Uma Thurman and Sarah Polley , both of then practically unknown and nowadays prestigious actresses . Impressive sets and breathtaking production design , being filmed in Belchite (Spain) location where took place several hard combats during Spanish Civil War .This big-budgeted , under-appreciated film was a flop at the box office and panned by the critics ; however , today is best considered . Colorful and glimmer cinematography by Giuseppe Rotunno, Fellini's usual, and evocative musical score by Michael Kamen . The motion picture is imaginatively directed by Terry Gilliam , an expert on wonderful , surreal atmospheres ( Time bandits , Brazil , Fisher king , Doctor Parnasus). The film might be described as an extraordinary fantasy full of imagination and color . Rating : Good , better than average . Worthwhile watching .

And all the other fantasy market driven flicks to come out in recent years at the time of this writing, there was Gilliam's take on Munchausen. Though the miniature effects by today's standards might seem rather primitive, the scope and scale of the film, combined with some exceptional and exquisite art direction and acting, create an incredible visual tapestry. Unknown to much of the audience at the time, Gilliam's film was to be the future of movies in terms of genre and character exposition. I and an acquaintance of mine at the time were hopeful that "The Adventures of Baron Munchausen" would succeed, because then it would open the doors for other "superhero" films, and push story telling to its limits. But, that was back in 1989, and the boom that we anticipated took some fifteen years to take off. Well, at least our careers weren't riding on that hedge... but I digress. The other aspect of this film, as I was reminded of on the IMDb BBS, is that the story itself is a blend of both an old Russian tale, "The Fool of the World and the Flying Ship", and Rupert Raspe's take on Baron Munchausen's tall tales. In short, without divulging facts of either sets of fables, the Baron, as originally portrayed, was just a little too robust, and the Russian tale offers a chance to splinter the Baron's self aggrandizement. Some facts you won't find in the film; Baron Munchausen was a real man, and liked to "brag" about himself (to put it mildly). He actually fought for the Turks, being a German mercenary for hire. He claimed to have all kinds of amazing abilities with a gentleman's character (even having visited Royalty as well as the U.S. and the president in the white-house), but was more or less simply a soldier of fortune. Gilliam's film, in this vein, pays homage to Munchausen, real and fictional alike by playing fast and loose with the "facts" of his dual existence. In this way it's a pleasant ride, and the sets and locations are incredible to look at. Critiques; there's a couple of miniature shots that bug me--in particular the ballroom dancing sequence. I'm sure it was a difficult shot to get, but some articulation of the models was really a must to sell this sequence. Using a process shot for the closeups kind of added to the destruction of the illusion. Putting the actors on a scissor's life, and shooting them against the actual set would've served the production better, and probably saved money (a must for this production). Also, it's a tragedy the moon sequence, as originally envisioned, wasn't realized. Were left with two actors to carry that sequence, instead of the highly populated kingdom as described in the actual tales. The new DVD is a blessing. The colors and details of the film are far richer than the original DVD release. The colors are vibrant and rich in luminosity. They accentuate the late 18th century visual thrust that this film is attempting to deliver. On top of that the overall level of visual information has been enhanced from both initial DVD and VHS releases. One can almost feel the texture of the clothes and clouds as they scroll and undulate across the screen. A definite plus. A very fine film that predates superhero and fantasy genres by almost a couple of decades. As I stated earlier, some of the SFX may not hold, but the overall scope of the film should prove more than a counterweight to this, and give to the viewer an emotional and visual effulgent experience. WARNING; it's not a film for everyone. As a family film it skirts the edges of PG and PG-13 territory, and the far-out nature of the film may be a bit too existential for some adults to absorb. Still, I liked it very much. Enjoy :-)

This Terry Gilliam directed movie is a visual masterpiece. With stunning cinematography, costumes and make-up, together with great casting for cameos, such as Robin Williams as The King of the Moon, and Uma Thurman as The Goddess Venus, this is a visually pleasing and well acted movie. The only place where this movie really falls down is in the script, it attempts to be a comedy, but there are few laugh out loud moments, it attempts to be an adventure, but there are few truly exciting incidents. Nevertheless, the acting, special effects, and costumes easily manage to keep this movie from drowning. A pleasure for the eyes, if not for the pulse.

In 1988 after a showing of "The Adventures of Baron Munchausen", a child complained "That was the worst movie I ever saw". My eight year old daughter's reaction was "What the hell happened to that child's childhood? She has no sense of awe or imagination!" I agreed. I saw the film again yesterday. I agree more than ever. Gilliam's film is a hymn to the power of imagination and its power to triumph. Contrary to what the Right Ordinary Horatio Jackson (not to be confused with America's Munchausen like hero, Horatio N. Jackson), we can go to the moon; we can challenge death. Without imagination, we would have accomplished none of those things. With all the rubbish that is passed off as truth by the popular press, politicians and their spin doctors, this film is a necessary reminder that we do not have to give such lies a moments thought. The Turks were turned back when they came to Vienna. Only hope could accomplish that. Whatever the Jacksons of this world may do to us to force us to follow their mediocre lead, our minds are free. Most Rev. Maelruain K. Dowling

In the late Eighteenth Century, a European town is under siege of the Turkish army. Meanwhile, the theater company owned by Henry Salt (Bill Paterson) entertains the dwellers with the production of "The Adventures of Baron Munchausen". Out of the blue, an old man interrupts the presentation claiming that he is Hieronymus Karl Frederick Baron von Munchausen (John Neville) and he tells that he is the one to be blamed by the Turkish attack. The Baron Munchausen tells how he had won a bet against the Sultan (Petter Jeffrey) with the abilities of his servants Berthold (Eric Idle); Adolphus (Charles McKeown}; Albrecht (Winston Dennis); and Gustavus (Jack Purvis) and earned his treasure. Further, he offers to help the locals against the Turks and builds a balloon to seek out his missing servants. During his journey, he finds the girl Sally (Sarah Polley) hidden in the balloon and they travel to the moon, where they meet the deranged King of the Moon Roger (Robin Williams) with his detachable head, and his wife, the Queen of the Moon Ariadne (Valentina Cortese) that has a crush on the Baron. They are arrested by the jealous Roger and find Berthold in the cage, but Ariadne releases them. When they escape from the moon, they meet Adolphus working to Vulcan (Oliver Reed) inside a volcano. The Baron Munchausen seduces the gorgeous Vulcan's wife Venus (Uma Thurman) and the jealous god throws them in a whirlpool. They are swallowed by a monster and they meet Albrecht and Gustavus in a ship inside the monster. They escape and return to the town to help the people against the invaders. But they are very old and their abilities are gone. "The Adventures of Baron Munchausen" is one of the most delightful, non- sense and visually stunning fantasies of cinema history. "The Adventures of Baron Munchausen" is also among my favorite books of my childhood and I first saw this film in the late 80's and then on VHS. I have just bought the imported DVD that surprisingly has Portuguese subtitles and today I have seen this film again. Terry Gilliam directs with his peculiar surrealistic and ironic style and uses magnificent special effects for a 1988 film. It is amazing to realize that twenty-three years have passed since this film was released. The sweet Sarah Polley shows her talent with a great performance in one lead role. Uma Thurman is in the top of her eternal beauty. Robin Williams is an unknown actor and uncredited in the role of Roger, The King of the Moon. My vote is nine. Title (Brazil): "As Aventuras do Barão de Münchausen" ("The Adventures of Baron Munchausen")

This has to be one of my favourite films ever, I'll admit it's not the greatest work of art ever made and to be honest it never tries to be. I get very annoyed with these armchair film experts who think just because they've sat on their backsides for twenty years, neglecting everything except their expanding waist lines feel they have a god given right to pass judgement on a great film maker's hard work. I've made films and let me tell you EXPERTS out their it's the hardest thing you could ever undertake, harder even than getting off your butts and getting some exercise. Baron Munchausen is in my opinion a visionary masterpiece, like Brazil and Time Bandits its pure escapism, but intelligent python-Esq escapism. I sat down recently and watched all three films with my girlfriend, (not in one night) and was dismayed when she started yawning and checking her watch every five minutes. I think I've come to a conclusion why...... Munchausen is a film that people with an imagination will enjoy, but if sadly your a member of the Ally Mcbeal, lets go shopping watch American Pie and wear what every other moron wears generation, you won't get this film. Mainly because Gilliam is far more intelligent than you, both in his use of visual metaphors and sexual innuendo but also in the fact as a director he thinks of things even Tim Burton would be jealous of. Okay the film tales off towards the end, but after to been subjected to such a rich bombardment of visual genius can you blame Terry for being tired. 9 out of 10 And my favourite bit is when Eric Idle chases the bullet!!!!! GENIUS!!!

I went to see this film in a bargain theater in 1988 after its disastrous release. I fell asleep and missed virtually the entire film. So after 22 years, I watched it on cable and realized that I probably was better off having a nap than sitting through this bloated, self-indulgent Gilliam extravaganza. Gilliam obviously has a wonderful visual sense, but his need to always go over the top has doomed many of his film projects. He tries to blame the failure of MUNCHAUSEN on Dawn Steel, and he certainly did get a bad deal from Sony, but this movie would never have been a hit even with major PR behind it. It's too confusing and dark for kids, and too boring for adults. There's no linear sense, just set pieces strung together. The truly inspired bits would take about 20 minutes to watch. I'm surprised that any studios ever green-light a Gilliam project, with his history of spending enormous sums with little return on investment. As far as I can tell, the last Gilliam movie that made any money was the excellent TWELVE MONKEYS in 1995. If you want to watch some films by a director with a knack for engaging visuals, but who also knows how to make a plot work, try Jean-Pierre Jeunet.