The Man Who Killed Don Quixote (Terry Gilliam, 2018) was, up until last year when it was released in Ireland, one of the most famous films that had never been made. The brainchild of Monty Python’s Terry Gilliam, it was a film that had been in the works for seventeen years, and had seen a carousel of actors in rotation for the roles – Johnny Depp, Ewan MacGregor and Robert Duvall to name just a few. Prior to its newest iteration (with Adam Driver and Jonathan Pryce as the two leads), Gilliam’s furthest record for this troubled production was a measly seven days on set.
He Dreams of Giants (2019) is a documentary directed by Keith Fulton and Louis Pepe, and is actually a sequel to their previous documentary Lost in La Mancha, which charted the first iteration of Gilliam’s short-lived shoot in 2003. He Dreams of Giants follows Gilliam as he finally begins in earnest to shoot his passion project of over twenty years. What’s interesting, however, is how little He Dreams of Giants cares about the actual film. Instead, Fulton and Pepe find a much more interesting subject – Gilliam himself.
Obsession is a funny thing. It’s at the heart of any creative endeavour and is the fire-in-the-belly of any artist worth their salt. But where is the line between obsession that inspires and obsession that destroys? That’s the conflict at the heart of He Dreams of Giants. As Gilliam himself gripes at the very beginning as he flicks through a much-loved copy of Don Quixote “Why does anyone create? Because we have to […] The idea that it should be fun – who the fuck invented that story?” Snatches of conversations with producers and financiers see Gilliam talk about how his film comes before his wife, his children, anything and everything he could sacrifice to see his vision fulfilled – he would. Archival footage dating back to 1989 shows Gilliam discussing The Man Who Killed Don Quixote and all the various hills and valleys he’s had to overcome time and time again to see his film come to fruition.
Of course, there’s a ghost haunting this film: the fact that The Man Who Killed Don Quixote simply isn’t very good. It’s absolutely absurd, and whacky to the extreme, but that’s not quite enough to execute such a sprawling and indulgent film. The final product ends up being far more foolish than heroic, but then again, isn’t that what obsession is all about? It’s hard to watch a documentary about a film literally laced with blood, sweat and tears for a payoff that is so minimal. Sure, Gilliam got a standing ovation at Cannes – but was that for him, or his film? My money is on the former, and that’s not exactly a criticism. Instead, it adds to the poignancy of Fulton and Pepe’s documentary, and the personal, instead of economical, triumph at the heart of Gilliam’s artistic odyssey.
Blue Finch Film Releasing presents He Dreams of Giants on digital platforms 29 March 2021.
