Gilliam Loses Financing for Don Quixote Again, Seems Even More Similar to Title Character

terry gilliam body photo.jpgThe parallels between Terry Gilliam's failed attempts to make The Man Who Killed Don Quixote and the hopeless quests of Quioxte himself keep piling up. Gilliam announced that financiers have pulled out, leaving him again without resources to complete the film that he has been trying to get off the ground for 10 years.

This news comes after struggles to cast the film, legal battles with insurers, and of course the floods, injuries, schedule and budget problems that plagued his original attempt, which are documented in Keith Fulton and Louis Pepe's Lost in La Mancha. In the interview, Gilliam remains extremely optimistic about the film, which begs the question as to whether he's read Cervantes' story to its tragic end lately.

My heart goes out to Gilliam. His recent films have ranged from fascinating failures (The Imaginarium of Dr. Parnassus) to unwatchable failures (Tideland, The Brothers Grimm), but they certainly don't lack for audacity, which is rare these days. And it's hard to root against such relentless conviction. But Apocalypse Now and Titanic notwithstanding, it's going to be tough for the film itself to live up to the legend at this point. Perhaps he can wrangle some extra money doing more webcasts for huge indie rock concerts?

· Gilliam's Quixote problems continue [Variety]



Comments