The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus

"The man who tried to cheat the devil."

2009 2h 3m EN

😐

6.4

MID

★6.4TMDB · 2,966

AdventureFantasyMystery

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

After a carnival troupe saves his life, a man agrees to help its immortal leader collect five souls and win a bet with the devil.

“The man who tried to cheat the devil.”

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Where to watch · US

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Cast

Christopher Plummer
Doctor Parnassus
Lily Cole
Valentina
Heath Ledger
Tony
Andrew Garfield
Anton
Verne Troyer
Percy
Tom Waits
Devil
Johnny Depp
Imaginarium Tony 1
Jude Law
Imaginarium Tony 2

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Terry Gilliam
Writers: Terry Gilliam, Charles McKeown
Languages: English, Russian, French
Countries: Canada, France, United Kingdom

Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.

Did you know?

Fun facts 🍿

1 / 8

ERA

Did you know

Released 17 years ago.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 8

WORLD

Did you know

Dialogue crosses 3 languages: English, Russian, French.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 8

WORLD

Did you know

International production across 3 countries: Canada, France, United Kingdom.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by Terry Gilliam, shot by Nicola Pecorini. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Original score by Mychael Danna. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Editor Mick Audsley shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 8

CAST

Did you know

Christopher Plummer and Lily Cole and Heath Ledger carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

8 / 8

FACT

Did you know

Marketing tagline: "The man who tried to cheat the devil.".

MoodPlayr · trivia#08

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Terry Gilliam directs. Nicola Pecorini behind the camera. Mychael Danna scores. Mick Audsley cuts. Profitable at the box office. Produced in Canada, France, United Kingdom. Dialogue in English, Russian, French.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

1Released 17 years ago.
2Dialogue crosses 3 languages: English, Russian, French.
3International production across 3 countries: Canada, France, United Kingdom.
4Directed by Terry Gilliam, shot by Nicola Pecorini. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
5Original score by Mychael Danna. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
6Editor Mick Audsley shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
7Christopher Plummer and Lily Cole and Heath Ledger carry the top of the cast.
8Marketing tagline: "The man who tried to cheat the devil.".
9IMDB entry: tt1054606 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
10Released under 13 different titles around the world.

The technical file

Cinematography: Nicola Pecorini
Original score: Mychael Danna
Editing: Mick Audsley
Production design: Anastasia Masaro
Costume design: Monique Prudhomme
Makeup / hair: Krista Young
VFX supervisor: Richard Bain
Stunt coordinator: Mike Vézina
Runtime: 123 min · 2h 3m
Aspect ratio (typical): 1.37:1 (Academy)
Status: Released
Budget: $30,000,000
Box office: $64,352,607
Return: 215% of budget
Original language: EN
Certification (US): PG-13
IMDB: The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus (2009)

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Terry Gilliam

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What people are saying

Andre Wilfred Sanders2023-03-22
★ 7/10
The fantasy element was great. I wish I could live in this fantasy world. It was exceptional and very wonderful. I watched the movie twice. The first time, I didn't understand the movie well and didn't like it. I did not know whether I liked the movie or not, but when I watched it again, I was fascinated and inspired by the wide imagination element that exists within the scenario. The character of Lily Cole was amazing, she is incredibly beautiful and I have to show respect for Heath Ledger's performance and Tom Waits gave an amazing performance. Christopher Plummer stole the show with a controlled, professional performance The animation element wasn't well managed, it could have been shown better the way it was.

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