The Fisher King
Directed by Terry Gilliam
- comedy
- drama
The story
Two troubled men face their terrible destinies and events of their past as they join together on a mission to find the Holy Grail and thus to save themselves.
What it’s like
Sun-washed Manhattan streets and grimy subway platforms give way to the saturated, almost fairy-tale fantasies of Terry Gilliam's visual imagination: a knight in gleaming armour seen through a haze of red-gold light, a crowd of commuters frozen in a dreamlike sequence, and sudden bursts of color against otherwise drab urban grey. The camera moves with restless energy, swooping and tilting, while the score swells with lush orchestral romance that shifts abruptly into jarring, tonal whiplash. The vibe is bittersweet and frantic, a comedy with a wounded heart, its moods swinging between wry cynicism and tender hope. It suits a rainy weekend afternoon or a late-night rewatch when you want something warm but not saccharine. Violence arrives in a sudden, startling gun rampage that is brief but shocking, and grief and suicidal despair surface in quieter scenes, so the film is not fully gentle. Its pacing is brisk and often chaotic, and its arcs follow two broken men slowly and clumsily learning to reach toward each other. It is for viewers who enjoy whimsical, emotionally raw films with a strong sense of style.
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