Hollywood studios have long used focus groups as a way to determine if audiences like a film. And, for just as long as they’ve been around, there have been complaints about them: ‘Who are the people who comprise the focus groups?’, ‘Do they have any insider movie knowledge?’, ‘Why are they more knowledgeable than the screenwriters and directors who have made the film?’, “Why are studios changing the ending of a movie just because a few random people disliked it?’. A few years back, the Academy Award’s writers perhaps best satirized the focus group in a sketch (check it out here if you’re interested: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eh6mCImeylE). One of the best stories I have ever heard about a focus group that actually worked in the director’s favour is in relation to the 1981 movie Time Bandits. Terry Gilliam explained that the focus group screening in Fresno was a disaster, as the sound did not function properly for a good portion of the film. By the time it was fixed, a large number of the audience had departed. The motion picture has a rather controversial finale, yet the movie watchers that remained sardonically claimed that the ending was their favourite part (simply because the nightmarish experience was over). When the higher-ups received the breakdown of the cards filled out from the previous day, they witnessed what they thought was an off-the-charts appreciation for the ending – which Gilliam claims aided Time Bandits in keeping the original conclusion.
Time Bandits was recommended to me by actor/director G.J. Echternkamp. He has appeared in an episode of How I Met Your Mother, as well as in films like Hard Candy and Extraordinary Measures. He has also directed the award winning 2007 documentary Frank and Cindy, as well as the 2015 feature film of the same name. He is currently working on the newest Death Race film, Death Race 2050 starring Manu Bennett and Malcolm McDowell. When I spoke to him about his favourite film on the closing night of the inaugural St. Lawrence International Film Festival, he promptly highlighted Time Bandits as his top pick. Check out the interview below to hear a great explanation as to why it is his selection, as well as a rendition of an iconic quotation from his film Frank and Cindy.
Written by Monty Python alumni Michael Palin and the film’s director Terry Gilliam, the story follows a young boy named Kevin (Craig Warnock) as he is swept up by a group of disgruntled dwarves (who are tired of working for the Supreme Being – so they have stolen his map that shows the space/time breaks in the fabric of the universe) and taken on a journey through time as they attempt to rob some of the richest people in the world’s legendary history.
Their first stop takes them to France, where they meet the irascible Napoleon Bonaparte (Ian Holm), who is more interested in observing short people perform for him (or reciting famed historic figures of short stature) than in strategizing about the war that he is in the middle of. Kevin and the team of dwarves, which include Randall (David Rappaport), Fidgit (Kenny Baker – R2-D2 from Star Wars), Strutter (Malcolm Dixon), Og (Mike Edmonds), Wally (Jack Purvis) and Vermin (Tiny Ross), are hired as generals by the French leader following a chaotically violent rendition of ‘Me and My Shadow’ (that Napoleon loves). They rob the man blind and escape to the Middle Ages, where they meet a jovial Robin Hood (John Cleese), who is full of handshakes and generic questions. He mistakenly interprets that the dwarves are gifting the treasure they’ve just stolen to him in order to help the poor (who he says the dwarves will really like).
It is at this point that we learn that Evil (David Warner), a Satan stand-in, is watching the bandits. When he and his dim-witted dysfunctional team discover that the dwarves have the powerful map, he hatches a plan that will lead them on a wild goose chase towards fake riches (it will actually bring them to his black fortress). The villainous mastermind soon realizes that Kevin is his biggest threat and makes sure that the youngster gets separated from his allies. He falls into ancient Greece, where he aids the duelling King Agamemnon (Sean Connery), who takes him home and adopts him as his son and heir (a more fitting guardian than his unobservant parents who are always watching tv and obsessed with making their kitchen more futuristic). The dwarves eventually track Kevin down and grab him, against his will, as they continue on their misguided adventure.
After a short stay on the Titanic, they find themselves battling an ogre with back problems named Winston (Peter Vaughan) as well as his wife (Katherine Helmond). After some nifty tomfoolery, they outsmart the couple and steal their ship (which just happens to be the hat of a gargantuan giant). They eventually make their way to the ominous fortress and are captured by Evil. The team craftily escapes and Kevin formulates a plan that has a number of the dwarves delving into different eras to retrieve aid. Will the unorthodox group of misfits be able to best Evil itself, or will the powerfully villainous trickster hold the upper hand?
One of the truly amazing things about Time Bandits is that all of the effects are practical. You are not seeing any CGI, each scene is done on camera (be it by way of hand crafted model or impressive camera trick). The fantastical yet dark family film may remind some of a movie that was released a few years later: The NeverEnding Story.
Gilliam’s direction also deserves credit. His low angle shots place us directly in the middle of the action along with Kevin and the dwarves, making us feel as if we are with the child and also experiencing this bizarre trip through time.
Time Bandits is a creative adventure that mixes together a wide array of themes. It obviously contains a family fantasy element, but also carries great humour (with numerous moments feeling like a classic Monty Python sketch – i.e. the Robin Hood scene), quite a bit of action as well as a solid amount of drama.
There are also some scenes with Michael Palin and Shelley Duvall, who play two different dysfunctional couples (one can be found in the Middles Ages, while the other is located on the RMS Titanic).
Some may not know that George Harrison actually played a role in getting this film made. The former Beatle helped back the project, making him an executive producer. He also wrote and performed “Dream Away” especially for this motion picture, a song that can be found during the end credits.
Time Bandits is a truly unique vision from the ever-creative mind of Terry Gilliam. It takes us to a peculiar place, with each historic or fantasy locale feeling both realistic as well as caricatured. Each character has an authentic and very different vibe, creating a wide array of performances to analyse. So, take a step away from your futuristic kitchen and watch this quirky motion picture; it will make you burst with excitement.