【电影简介】

几世纪前，帕纳索斯博士（Christopher Plummer 饰）还是一名德高望重的僧侣，他在与世隔绝的荒山野岭中讲述永恒的故事。某天，魔鬼尼克（Tom Waits 饰）不请自来。在他的引诱下，帕纳索斯与魔鬼作赌注，最终如愿得到永恒的生命。

时间到了现在，博士带着由女儿瓦莲蒂娜（莉莉·科尔 Lily Cole 饰）、青年安东（Andrew Garfield 饰）、侏儒波西（Verne Troyer 饰）组成的奇幻马戏团周游各地。就在女儿将满16岁时，尼克再次出现。原来，博士曾爱上一个女子（Lily Cole 饰），但永恒的生命却没有永恒的青春，为了和爱人厮守，他又和魔鬼作了一次愚蠢的赌注，而他恢复青春的代价就是要将第一个孩子献给魔鬼。践约的日子越来越近，烦恼的博士再与魔鬼作赌，只要他最先收集到5个灵魂便可保住女儿。这时，落魄的东尼（希斯·莱杰 Heath Ledger 饰）适时出现……

【音频文本】

Two years ago, director Terry Gilliam's production of the movie "The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus" nearly went up in smoke. The filming was disrupted by the death of lead actor Heath Ledger, until Johnny Depp,Colin Farrell and Jude Law came to the rescue and took up the recasting of Ledger's role. But even this powerful line-up falls short of saving the film from becoming a difficult one for viewers.

With a fondness for magic realism, Terry Gilliam is known for an overdose of imaginative fantasies in his films. If there is ever a way to make one of his films more illusive than what it already is, he will not hesitate to do so. Some critics say the director is represented in this film by Doctor Parnassus the magician, who appeals to his audience by channeling their imagination. But I would add that you might also finda hint of Gilliam in the treacherous devil Nick who laughs at and makes fun of the rigid and boring DoctorParnassus. The doctor, a duty-bound monk that has survived millenniums, has no clue about how to attract his audience, while the devil could easily seduce the mortals. Talk about Gilliam's confidence in his skills.

Another thing that spoils the film is the repeated reference to Heath Ledger. As the actor's final work, "The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus" is dedicated to him. You would think that Ledger's first appearance in the film as a hanging man pays enough tribute, but no, the director decides to hang him once again. A tolerant viewer may swallow this up, but to me, this looked like an attempt to profit on Ledger's death, anda failed one at that.

The last straw that breaks a careful viewer's back has to do with Ledger's death. In his absence, three ofhis friends come in to fill his place. Johnny Depp, Colin Farrell and Jude Law may be excellent actors in other films individually, but squeezed into one piece, they pose a challenge to the director. Unfortunately, Gilliam is not able to connect each of the segments played by the different actors, so the film practically staggers to the end.

A Terry Gilliam film like this could be a difficult one even if Ledger had lived long enough to finish it. Ledger's untimely death just made things worse. But worst of all was Gilliam's decision to go on with the movie. Let's just say he has too much confidence in his own skills but lacks the ability to save the sinking ship. On a scale from one to ten, I give this one a five.

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