Hidden Treasures - Jabberwocky

Obviously, I don’t think you can count the Lewis Carroll poem as a hidden treasure; it’s very much a treasure that is clearly right out on display in the open and people rightly now (it’s one of the only poem’s that I used to know off by heart; much as I enjoy this whole writing lark, I struggle with a lot of poetry if I’m honest). Nope, while it may have its roots and influences in the work of the Reverend Dodgson*, it’s a very different work that I’m on about today.

Jabberwocky (1977)
Dir. Terry Gilliam  / Dur. 105 mins
Why Is Is Any Good? For me, this is a film that can be seen as the best of both worlds. It’s a transition out of the world of Monty Python (while still keeping some of the trappings) and a move into Terry Gilliam’s own skewed and twisted visions. It still has a lot of the feel of something like The Holy Grail (the authentically grubby medieval setting, the presence of fellow Pythons Michael Palin [starring] and Terry Jones and Gilliam himself[cameoing]) but it’s starting to introduce more of the themes that will become prevalent in later works (the ludicrousness of the minutiae of everyday bureaucracy, an everyday person being caught up in events beyond their control, the clash of the weirdly fantastic alongside the mundanity of everyday life). It’s also a bit of a who’s who of classic British comedians and comic actors with Max Wall, Warren Mitchell, John Le Mesurier, Harry H Corbett and Bernard Bresslaw to name but a few of those appearing. It has some gloriously silly moments too - the king and his daughter and major domo discussing alternatives to a jousting tournament while being increasing soaked with blood spatter only to settle on a hide and seek tournament as the best option being one of the highlights.
It may not be the best of Gilliam's film (for me, Brazil and Time Bandits are his best) but there's so much going on in this film, in both the foreground and the background, that it'll sweep you along for the ride anyway. For a debut solo feature, it's also remarkably confident in its look and feel.

Where Can I Find It? Criterion have released a 4K restoration of the film on BluRay (completed with the participation of the BFI) which looks great. Currently, it doesn’t seem to streaming anywhere in the UK. If you like Monty Python or Terry Gilliam or both and haven’t managed to catch this one then the chances are you’ll enjoy it. If you haven’t seen any of those but fancy a slightly silly medieval comedy about a monster then this will fill that weirdly specific film need.

* Yes, I am pretentious enough to obliquely reference Lewis Carroll’s real name in the hope of seeming slightly more literate than I am, well spotted.