Jabberwocky – 1977 Gilliam - The Cinema Archives

This is Terry Gilliam’s first solo effort as director after co-directing Monty Python and the Holy Grail in 1975.
Based on a poem by Lewis Carroll -talk about a match for Gilliam’s world
Gilliam obviously takes the strategy laid out by Jaws just two years prior as they don’t show the titular beast/monster for much of the film. They even copy the music from John Williams a bit
A quick nod to The Marx Brothers and Duck Soup as the one of the announcements here is that they conquered “Freedonia”
Michael Palin here as Dennis Cooper- an everyman and reluctant (accidental) hero. This is just one of the many ways this is a rough draft (pretty rough) for Brazil. Life of Brian in 1979 is an everyman as well. It spoofs the medieval dungeons and dragons genre—it is about debunking these types of legends
A reverse point-of-view shot close-up of the face in the bloody attack opening

A reverse point-of-view shot close-up of the face in the bloody yet comic attack opening

Satirizing folklore and sacred texts—this could be shot at the same castle from Holy Grail in 1975. Garbage, dirt, clutter—a hoarder’s auteur in the busy mise-en-scene for Gilliam. Exaggerated costume working in the fantasy genre. Traits of his again and again.

Based on a poem by Lewis Carroll (talk about a match for Gilliam’s world)

Paraphrasing but the line was “he was so scared the Jabberwocky ‘turned his teeth snow white!”- haha as two guys with green/yellow/brown teeth grin at each other
Mead, fog, jousting, lute playing—even has flagellates like Seventh Seal and the same joke in Holy Grail
A strong landscape shot at the 82 minute mark- the silhouette of a massive, and beautiful tree on a till
The battle at the climax of the film again is Gilliam sketching the surrealism battles in Brazil