The Brothers Grimm (2005)

Director:

Terry Gilliam

Writer (WGA):

Ehren Kruger (written by)

Release Date:

26 August 2005 (USA)

Genre:

Adventure | Comedy | Fantasy | Thriller

Tagline:

Eliminating Evil Since 1812

Plot:

Will and Jake Grimm are travelling con-artists who encounter a genuine fairy-tale curse which requires genuine courage instead of their usual bogus exorcisms.

Plot Keywords:

Village | Curse | Forest | Con Artist | Creature

Awards:

1 win & 1 nomination

Cast

Petr Ratimec	...	Young Will
Barbora Lukesová	...	Mother Grimm (as Barbara Lukesova)
Anna Rust	...	Sister Grimm
Jeremy Robson	...	Young Jacob
Matt Damon	...	Wilhelm Grimm
Heath Ledger	...	Jacob Grimm
Radim Kalvoda	...	Gendarme
Martin Hofmann	...	Gendarme
Josef Pepa Nos	...	German War Veteran
Harry Gilliam	...	Stable Boy
Miroslav Táborský	...	Old Miller
Roger Ashton-Griffiths	...	Mayor
Marika Sarah Procházková	...	Miller's Daughter (as Marika Prochazkova)
Mackenzie Crook	...	Hidlick
Richard Ridings	...	Bunst

MPAA:

Rated PG-13 for violence, frightening sequences and brief suggestive material.

Runtime:

118 min

Country:

UK | Czech Republic | USA

Language:

English | French | German | Italian

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

DTS | Dolby Digital | SDDS

Certification:

Netherlands:12 | Canada:G (Quebec) | Canada:PG (Ontario) | Australia:M | Hong Kong:IIB | Finland:K-11 | Canada:14A (Alberta/British Columbia/Manitoba/Nova Scotia) | UK:12A | Ireland:12A | Switzerland:12 (canton of Geneva) | Switzerland:12 (canton of Vaud) | Philippines:PG-13 | Norway:11 | Brazil:14 | Germany:12 | Sweden:11 | Belgium:KT | Slovakia:12 | Switzerland:12 (canton of Zurich) | Argentina:13 | Malaysia:U | Hungary:16 | Iceland:12 | South Korea:15 | Portugal:M/12 | Czech Republic:12 | USA:PG-13 | Singapore:PG

Filming Locations:

Ledec nad Sázavou, Czech Republic

Company:

Dimension Films

Trivia:

Goran Bregovic was Terry Gilliam's original choice for composer. When Gilliam decided to go with a more traditional score, Bregovic was replaced by Dario Marianelli.

Goofs:

Anachronisms: Through out the movie Brahms’ Lullaby can be heard, both whistled by the characters and in the soundtrack. However Brahms was not born until 1833, decades after the time-frame of the movie.

Quotes:

[first lines]
Sister Grimm: Mama, it's so cold.
Mother Grimm: It's very, very cold. Will. Put another log on the fire, lad.
Young Will: There isn't any more firewood, mama.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in What the Pythons Did Next... (2007) (TV)

Soundtrack:

Happy Ending

So there is a use to enchantment!

I don't think myself overly literary for reading Bruno Bettelheim's "The Uses of Enchantment," but forgive me for being obscure. In his book, Bettelheim analyzes common fairy tales for their underlying psychological and cultural meanings. He makes a great argument for the telling of fairy tales, even if they are slightly (or more than slightly) graphic, which is why I am partly able to explain my fascination with this film.

It's not really overly good really, as you've probably seen more of a seven out of ten, but yet it fascinates me. Perhaps it's the psychological element between the two brothers (which is done quite well) about the importance/existence of magic, or the surreal score peppered with Brahms and Dario Marianelli originals. (I have no idea who this guy is, but the soundtrack is so weird that I want it.) Perhaps it's the horror invoked by the fairy tale images of our childhood, brought horribly to life in the (thankfully) twisted mind of Terry Gilliam.

Oh, a little note about Terry Gilliam. You're going to have to forgive him because his pace can be a little bit feverish, and he tends to lose the viewer that's not paying attention. (He did make "Time Bandits" and "Monty Python and the Holy Grail," and you know how much of THAT made sense.) Do not question how the Grimm boys get from one end of Germany to another so quickly. Your head will explode.

Basically, this film makes me happy for a couple of reasons: one, the dialogue. It's strangely antiquated one minute, then purely Hollywood the next. (Don't worry about the anachronisms they're supposed to be there, they're funny.) Two, his name starts with Heath and ends with Ledger. Now, I didn't used to like this guy. I thought he was just a deep throated Aussie, but the boy's got range. I didn't know he could lack confidence so well. (Now I'm teasing, but really, he's quite good.) Damon was wonderful as always, proving over and over again that he may not be the prettier, but he's the smarter half of "Ben-att". Three, they're fairy tales in their ghoulish, bloody glory. Wait till you see both Little Red Riding Hood scenes, you'll totally freak out. It's nightmarish in such a way that you can't take your eyes off it. It's not morbid fascination, like a car accident, but something deeper, the sense of childlike wonder that make kids watch the most disgusting thing (like insects or TOADS) for hours.

What is the point? You might ask. Why should I see this piece of rubbish instead of "The 40 Year Old Virgin" for the 6th time? Or, in the long run, rent "The Princess Bride"? (You should rent both by the way, it'd make a lovely double feature.) Well, I still can't watch the waxing scene, but here's the real point: Fairy tales have a purpose. They give us comfort when we are in crises, and delight and frighten us when we need to have fun. What we see in Ledger's character (Jacob) is the child who shelters himself with fairy tales. What we see in Damon's (the older, Will) is the adult who wants to take him away from him. And as Bettelheim says, fantasy is not nearly as cruelly unforgiving as reality, so let him keep them. I still need a little Sleeping Beauty now and then. There's something strangely comforting about waking to true love's kiss.