Guillermo del Toro names the two “most important movies of my life”
There’s a real sense of magic to the movies of Guillermo del Toro, which often revitalise the modern spectrum of cinema with the classic nature of fairy tales. While on the one hand, he may seem like a lover of the softer side of the movie-making business, on the other hand, del Toro also appears fascinated with horror. However, he often explores it through a unique lens which aims to find the beauty within the ugly — the mankind in the monstrous.
It’s also not quite as simple as that. His films such as The Devil’s Backbone, Pan’s Labyrinth, Hellboy, The Shape of Water and Pinocchio all deliver the previous motif but also use the religious imagery of Catholicism and aim to examine the impact of fascist governments. Quite simply, del Toro is a one-of-a-kind director who fully deserves the acclaim that has come his way throughout his career.
Over the years, del Toro’s movies have brought so much joy and wonderment into the hearts and minds of several cinema fans across the world, and it largely stems from his deep fascination and love for the medium. The legendary filmmaker once named his favourite movies of all time and drew particular attention to two that he hold closest to his heart.
They both come from the mind of Monty Python’s Terry Gilliam. Del Toro told Criterion: “Terry Gilliam is a living treasure, and we are squandering him foolishly with every film of his that remains unmade. Proof that our world is the poorer for this can be found in two of his masterpieces. Gilliam is a fabulist pregnant with images—exploding with them, actually—and fierce, untamed imagination.”
He added: “He understands that ‘bad taste’ is the ultimate declaration of independence from the discreet charm of the bourgeoisie. He jumps with no safety net and drags us with him into a world made coherent only by his undying faith in the tale he is telling.” The director then pointed out the movies he admires the most in Gilliam’s filmography.
The first is his 1981 fantasy adventure film Time Bandits, which tells of a young boy who is taken on a journey through the past ages with a group of thieves who steal treasure from various historical times. “Time Bandits is a Roald Dahl–ian landmark to all fantasy films,” Gilliam said. “Seeing Time Bandits with my youngest daughter just two weeks ago, I was delighted when she laughed and rejoiced at the moment when Kevin’s parents exploded into a cloud of smoke.”
Gilliam then followed up by naming Gilliam’s science fiction dystopian comedy Brazil as his other “most important” movie in his life. It’s a satire of technology and the kind of bureaucracy explored in George Orwell’s novel 1984. It tells of a lowly worker who tries to find a woman who keeps appearing in his dreams while he works a job of true tedium. “Brazil remains one of the most important films of my life,” he said.
While there are few straight lines to be drawn between del Toro’s work and that of any other filmmaker, it is easy to see how the influence of Gillam’s two classic movies can be found in the glittering fantasy of his work.
