The Adventures of Baron Munchausen – 1989
Stop! Stop that! It’s SILLY! It’s very silly indeed! Yes, this Terry Gilliam film was incredibly silly, but what do you expect from the Monty Python alum? But despite its ridiculous nature, the visual effects, as is also typical of Gilliam’s work, were creative, incredibly detailed, and ultimately stunning.
This movie was packed full of special effects, from the terribly destructive siege of a city in the Napoleonic age to representations of Roman gods and goddesses, from a giant sea monster to the horrifying specter of death, itself. The plot, and thus its special effects came in two phases. There was the town that was being sacked by the Turks, in which we see constant explosions, smoke, fire, crumbling buildings, and dying people. And then there was the fantasy element, as Baron Munchausen recants the seemingly tall tales of his adventures.
When it came to the scenes of war and destruction, there was a realism about the effects that was rather impressive. There was a grittiness, a griminess, and yet an unfabricated quality about those scenes that created a wonderful illusion. I understand that this might be one of those cases where production design overlaps with the special effects, but the filmmakers made those sequences very effectively.
But it was the fantasy sequences that were flashier, more memorable. First the Baron and Sally fly a hot air balloon to the moon where a King and Queen are able to detach their heads and telepathically alter reality. Upon their escape, they visit Vulcan, the Roman god of the forge, and his wife Venus, goddess of love and beauty. This was my favorite sequence of the film because of the amazing visuals. Great costumes, great makeup, and great sets, and both Oliver Reed and Uma Thurman gave fantastic performances.
But it was the flying dance between Venus and the Baron that offered the most magical imagery. Apparently, during the close-up shots, the floating dancers were the actual actors. But in the wide angled shots, they were animated mannequins held up by wires, and because they were constantly floating around the room and there are several magnificent water fountains and waterfalls to distract the eye, you only notice the differences if you make an effort to see them. The beautiful imagery of the dancers floating among the clouds with winged cherubs fluttering about them, holding a long pink ribbon between them was exquisite. It was as if a romantic Renaissance painting had come to life.
Next there were the Baron’s servants and friends, each of whom had supernatural powers. One had super speed, another super sight, another super strength, and another super hearing and super strong breathing. The varied depictions of these powers were very well created and fun to watch. Top it all off with the moving specter of death constantly trying to take the Baron, and you have a cavalcade of fantasy effects that were beautifully made, despite the silliness of the over-plot, all of which masked the extremely introspective and serious nature of the under-plot.