Repost: "Time Thief": God's silly joke

Kirstin 2022-09-30 17:04:49


Tubingen Carpenter Released on: 2007-10-06 14:49

Title: Time Bandits
Director: Terry Gilliam, Terry Gilliam
Starring: Craig Warnock, Craig Warnock, Sean Connery Connery
David Warner David Warner Ralph Richardson Year
: 1981
Country: American
Genre: Black/Fantasy
Guide: If "Rock" is used as an adjective, then this film can definitely be called a human The most "rock" movie in movie history.

Away
if someone tells you "time thieves" is not worth a look, then he must be a fool; if someone tells you "time thieves" should also be read again later to see it again, then he must be a madman - unfortunately, my own Belongs to one of these lunatics, although I insist that "Time Bandit" is a rare and hearty movie in the history of film that is smashing, smashing, smashing, and smashing to the end. Looking back afterwards will ruin the film to convey to us. The original and simple impact that came out, but in order to better introduce this wonderful work to my friends, I still watched the whole film more than once.
The film has a vivid color of Terry Gilliam. Almost from the tenth minute, I understand that only Terry can do it-let a warrior ride a white horse and wear a silver helmet from the closet in Kevin’s bedroom. I rushed out, then screamed and rushed to the distance... I am not saying that there is no such whimsical idea in other movies, but Terry Gilliam’s unique expression: the kind of mixed industrial temperament and poetry Romantic images, and then abruptly silent, so that the whole story is permeated with some unknowable mystery and temptation from the moment it is told.
I’m almost certain that Kevin is the epitome of Terry Gilliam’s own childhood memories. This ordinary American boy had to endure the nagging of his parents and the harassment of boring TV shows day and night, and the rapid advancement of computer technology It has permeated every corner of people's lives-toasters, rice cookers and long-distance phones are all using them, even in the dark corners of the kitchen and bathroom, the shadow of high-tech is still lingering. Please note that I have used the word "shadow". Of course I know the irreplaceable huge role of science and technology in human life and its obvious impetus in the process of conquering the world, but the duality of technology is almost associated with it. The convenience of coming is just as obvious. In human history, there have always been a group of people who have always questioned the power of science and technology: science and technology are getting more and more advanced, and mankind is becoming more and more dependent on technology. This kind of thing does not look like a TV lottery game. It can end in a comedy. Therefore, Terry Gilliam built a ubiquitous cage for his master Kevin, and we can equate the spatial attributes of this cage with Kevin's home. Technology has become the first barrier in the cage that confines Kevin. Kevin’s home is full of novelties of technological advancement, but Kevin can’t feel the slightest warmth from these things. His parents just repeat mechanically. With regard to Kevin’s work and rest time requirements-perhaps just to make the family seem more harmonious on the surface-Terry Gilliam's ingenious portrayal made it easy for the audience to understand that the pervasiveness of technology makes family relationships become Unprecedented alienation, with too many automatic machines to do it for you, the family does not even need to cook together, such a family actually has its own picture. Therefore, Kevin lives in a cage called "home". Although he is young, his loneliness and numbness are increasing day by day.
Fortunately, Terry gave us an unexpected hope: after the white horse and silver helmet warrior, six dwarves turned out, and they took little Kevin to set foot on a path that only crazy guys like Terry Gilliam can do. A weird journey that can be imagined, and from this moment on, no one realizes: the legendary great savior-God-has quietly appeared.
On the road
Napoleon, Robin Hood, King Agamemnon, Titanic, ogres, giants of the sea... If a computer integrates these unrelated elements, the machine will crash in all likelihood, but Terry Gilliam geniusly straightened out the relationship between these elements, and paved a wonderful path for little Kevin with the shuttle of time and space as the clue. In fact, the passage of time and space in sci-fi movies is not a new thing, but the sci-fi color is not deliberately emphasized in this film-in fact, I always think that Terry is a technology critic, and this film is outstanding Shows his critical consciousness, so the time travel here is actually anti-sci-fi: the six dwarfs are God’s wage earners. They are tired of the boring working life, so they steal a map of God to travel through. Time and space-the universe created by God is not perfect, leaving a lot of time for black holes to shuttle, which is exactly what this map records. I think everyone will be amused by Terry's cold humor. Whether you are a Christian or not, it is a pleasant thing for God to be so humane by Terry anyway.
But those famous big figures in history have been completely overturned by Terry: Napoleon is a low-taste short, Robin Hood is ignorant and addicted to robbery, even the ogre is a cute and ignorant who has been tortured by back pain. Poor worm, this kind of technique is common in today's movies. Veteran scholars often call it "parody" and describe it as the so-called "postmodern". If we are a little bit more educated, Terry Ji Liem is definitely a director of postmodern film patriarchal level-in this sense, even the star must be thankful to him-but this kind of plot also contains other criticisms of Terry Gilliam. One direction-popular culture. In fact, historical figures can also be regarded as a product of popular culture. Just as the Italian historical philosopher Croce said: "All history is contemporary history." It’s shaped by popular culture, so the historical figures that Kevin sees are very different from our usual understanding. Of course, Terry Gilliam is not here to do historical criticism and textual research. He just wants to tickle us. The general public, numb by popular culture, will let you realize something after you laugh. This tendency runs through the film. At the beginning, Kevin's parents sat in front of the TV and watched intently. The couple obviously spent more time and affection on the black box than the son. As we all know, television is the most prominent and typical representative of contemporary mass culture. Using this object, Terry Gilliam cleverly conveyed his own critical thoughts in a quiet manner. The critical daggers and guns lasted until the last moment. When the demon-made parental illusion appeared in the "Fortress of Extreme Darkness", the two couples showed themselves in the face of the host of a TV lottery show, and they used to seduce the dwarfs. The artifacts are also the prizes of the TV Awards. It is estimated that people on the TV station will grit their teeth with hatred for Terry, but you have to admit that Terry is shrewd. He expresses his critical thoughts in a way of mocking and self-ridicule, but he did not take up his face to teach. Anyone, if you hit your vitals, you can only say that you are not arrogant.
go home
The only exception among those big figures is King Agamemnon. Sean Connery played the heroic, unrestrained, king-like character that appeared on the screen. Of course, Agamemnon also relied on the help of Kevin who fell from the sky. He did not kill the Minotaur very gloriously, but he himself did not shy away from it. For the hero who slayers demons and slayers, achieving the goal is the first thing. As for the choice of means, it doesn’t matter-as long as It's good not to touch the bottom line of morality and law. King Agamemnon met little Kevin at first sight, he not only brought Kevin back to the city, but even made him his heir. But Agamemnon himself is obviously not happy. His queen has coveted the rulership for a long time, so Agamemnon and Kevin actually have the same illness. Although they are separated by thousands of years, they do not have a warm, indifferent, and separated life. But the state is exactly the same. For poor Agamemnon, the palace is no less than his luxurious prison.
Therefore, when the dwarf appeared, Kevin was immediately taken away by them-willingly, because Kevin was already homesick at this moment. But the devil has created many things to lead the seven of them to the "extremely dark fortress" where they are located-the method used is nothing more than exploiting the greed and weakness of human nature, and only Kevin has always been a sober role throughout the journey. Appeared, it was precisely because the idea of ​​going home was always burning in his chest. With this unwavering goal, Kevin could naturally resist the temptation of the devil.
The next plot enters the "Legendary Time". The appearance of the ogre and the giant in the sea suddenly raises the viewability of the whole film, especially the appearance of the giant in the sea who wears a wooden boat on his head as a hat. Said to be a classic fantasy passage in movie history. And the confrontation with the devil in "The Fortress of Extreme Darkness" fits perfectly with the model of the final battle between good and evil in commercial movies. It seems that our critic of science and technology and the critic of popular culture, director Terry Gilliam, is not critical. The commercial nature of the movie, the plot experienced a roller coaster-like turn at the end—seeing tanks, airplanes, archers, and western cowboys, all rescuers who had been moved from all ages were defeated by demons, and God appeared at the last moment. It ended all of this. Because God is omnipotent, and even demons were created by him. If he wants to, what can't it?
After Kevin returned home, Agamemnon was reincarnated as a firefighter, but Kevin's parents and family disappeared in a loud noise. It seems that Kevin's hopes for his parents finally came to nothing, and the reappearance of Sean Connery may mean: What Kevin needs is an excellent parent like King Agamemnon.
After watching the movie, I always feel a little ridiculous. It seems that the whole movie looks like a cold joke from God, but I feel it cold, but I can’t laugh at it.
Kevin is home, but is he back?


Published in "Window of the World Cinema" August 2007

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Extended Reading

Time Bandits quotes

  • Napoleon: They are all freaks! Not one of them under five foot six. What kind of theater is this?

  • Neguy: You are not small at all, Commander.

    Lucien: Not by any means. Five foot one is not small.

    Napoleon: Five foot one and conqueror of Italy, not bad huh?