Jabberwocky (film)
| Jabberwocky | |
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Theatrical re-release poster
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| Directed by | Terry Gilliam |
| Produced by |
Sanford Lieberson John Goldstone Julian Doyle |
| Screenplay by |
Charles Alverson Terry Gilliam |
| Based on | "Jabberwocky" by Lewis Carroll |
| Starring |
Michael Palin Harry H. Corbett John Le Mesurier Warren Mitchell |
| Music by |
Modest Mussorgsky Hector Berlioz Rimsky Korsakov Jacques Ibert |
| Cinematography | Terry Bedford |
| Edited by | Michael Bradsell |
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Production
company |
Python Films
Umbrella Films |
| Distributed by | Columbia-Warner Distributors (UK) Cinema 5 (US) |
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Release date
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Running time
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105 minutes |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Language | English |
Jabberwocky is a 1977 British fantasy film co-written and directed by Terry Gilliam. It stars Michael Palin as a young cooper who is forced through clumsy, often slapstick misfortunes to hunt a terrible dragon after the death of his father. The film's title is taken from the nonsense poem "Jabberwocky" from Lewis Carroll's Through the Looking-Glass (1871).
The film, Gilliam's first as a solo director, received a mixed response from critics and audiences.
After the death of his father, a young peasant named Dennis Cooper (Michael Palin) goes to a town where he has several adventures. Eventually Cooper accidentally kills a horrible monster called the "Jabberwock" threatening the kingdom, and marries a Princess (Deborah Fallender).
The film was shot on location in Wales. There are two castles in the film: Pembroke Castle and Chepstow Castle. The Jabberwocky battle scenes were filmed in an old Pembroke stone quarry.
The film is close in setting and comic style to Monty Python and the Holy Grail, on which Gilliam had worked. As well as Palin, Python Terry Jones and Python contributor Neil Innes appeared in Jabberwocky, giving it a Python-esque feel, with many scenes (such as the "hide and seek" jousting tournament) reminiscent of Holy Grail. For its American premiere the film was advertised as Monty Python's Jabberwocky despite protests from Gilliam.
The Jabberwock is a man in costume similar to the classic Japanese Godzilla film effects. To recreate the illustrated monster of the 19th century storybook, the costume is designed to be worn by a man walking backwards. Hip and knee joints are reversed giving it a bird-like gait. The actor's head is hidden within the monster's torso — the large marionette head on a serpentine neck is controlled by an offscreen pole and lines, which are fortunately visible on the print. Long bird-like claws extend out of his shoe heels and his arms become the Jabberwock's wings. Film speed is altered in some scenes to slow the monster's movements and camera angles manipulate perspective in scenes with live actors to depict the monster's immense size. Director Terry Gilliam, during the DVD commentary, stated that the Jabberwock's 'Death Fall' came about accidentally when the actor tripped during filming but because the fall was so natural it was used in the final print.
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