This review may contain spoilers. I can handle the truth.
Toshiro McWeeny’s review published on Letterboxd:
This review may contain spoilers.
The Fisher King
This movie really stuck with me. This is the film that stuck to me the most after the first viewing. I was blown away. I told my dad that I needed to sit on it before I could talk to him about it. I still haven't really talked to him about it. I love this film. It is beautiful and perfect. I love the characters, Jack Lucas and Parry. Watching them interact was amazing. It was funny, it was sad, it was powerful. We find out what connects them and it makes you anxious because you would think there would be resentment or bad blood. In reality, Parry doesn't feel any of that. It really is strange to me at first. I question why he isn't angry. But the more we get to know Parry we see why he is the way he is. It is sad. He just can't deal with it. It breaks him. His wife was his everything. Losing someone like that is the worst. Being homeless and searching for the grail is his coping mechanism. That is where Jack comes in. I love watching a broken Jack. I love watching him fall to earth. At the beginning of the film, he thinks he is hot shit, the king of the world. His reaction to the shooting is very human, and I love it. Instead of brushing it off and denying it is his fault, he is broken and slips into depression and excessive drinking. It shows his humanity and the emotions that fill him. In my opinion, for most of the film, Jack Lucas is a dick. He is self-centered and only gives a shit about himself. It isn't till his fall from fame and power and his meeting with Parry that he changes. One of this movie's main plot points is the search for the Holy Grail. The holy cup of god that heals anything. In this movie, we are introduced to many characters that all need something like that. Jack is depressed and needs it to rebuild himself and his career, Parry to rebuild his sanity and heal his deep wound, Lydia to give her confidence and make her happy and confident. Even Anne, the homeless singer, and even the owner of the physical "grail" all need healing in their own ways. I think the Holy Grail is symbolic. It makes the movie even better to me, that this made-up thing is the key to all their problems. The performances in this movie were legendary and amazing. Williams and Bridges together was a work of art. Bridges' coolness and Williams' "bigness" complemented each other well. Bridges plays it like he doesn't want to be there while Williams delivers a very passionate, and heartfelt performance. Now, I am not saying Bridges didn't try. His performance is fantastic. That is just the character choice. A good one at that. This film is so deep and the messages it conveys are powerful. The Grand Central scene is evidence of that. That scene is my favorite scene in the whole film. It invoked strong feelings within me. That scene was beautiful and magical. It was one of the best things I have ever seen in a movie. That scene is a very beautiful message though. It is a grand metaphor for the feeling of love. When you are with the one you love or like or around them you have butterflies in your stomach. Or at least that's how I feel. When Parry sees Lydia the dance number and the lights and the whole spectacle starts. In his heart and mind, this is what he is feeling. I love that. My dad talked about it. It captures the feeling of love. That really spoke to me. I love the date scene. It is funny and sad. Lydia and Parry were so great to watch. I love the character of Lydia. Probably my favorite character in the film. She is so shy and she has zero confidence. Yet when she meets Parry, she changes. That is what I love about the character Parry. He is the grail for some people. He can, in his own way, "fix" other people. He helps Lydia and Jack become better people. He helps Jack to care about something other than himself. He helps Lydia be happy and have something to enjoy in her life. Lydia was scared of life and meeting Parry pits her against someone who is living life fully, despite his deep scars. Their conversation outside her home was great. I loved the motion they displayed and the topics brought up. Lydia is scared and believes she can be happy. She tell herself that, making up a scenario in her head that wasn't true. Parry sees this and lets her know that she is crazy. He He truly loves her and wants to be with her. She's just never had that before and doesn't know what it is like. Parry is there to give that to her. And then the worst happens. Parry getting his memories back and falling into a coma was super sad. He was finally getting progressing. He made a new friend, he met a lovely girl, thinks were finally looking good. Then his memories come swarming back and it is too overwhelming. It breaks him. It is like that day 3 years ago. He just falls back into state he was in before he was searching for the grail. He just cracked. He became non-responsive. It's really sad. I thought the movie was going to end that way and I didn't want it to. I wanted Parry to win. I wanted Parry to find happiness and to start living a better life. The tragedy in his life had taken too strong a hold and I wanted t see him move on and be free of it. I thought Lydia could help with that. When he went crazy after Lydia went inside I got scared. Then when the kids showed up I was terrified. I didn't want anything bad to happen to Parry. As the film went on I was just hoping that he would be alright. Then the final part of the film starts. The ending to this film is great too. I feel like a lot of movies force the redemption of the characters looking for it. I feel like with Jack it isn't forced. Jack rises to fame again and reverts to his old self. This time it's different. At the beginning of the film when he encounters a homeless person he doesn't even look at them. When the singer walks up to him asking for help he does the same thing. This time though, he thinks about what he did. He regrets it. He runs back outside to look for him but doesn't find him. Jack is thinking differently. I think what truly breaks him out of his douchebag way is Parry and the quest for the Holy Grail. Snapping Parry out of the comma he falls into is the climax of Jack's journey. The whole reason to help Parry was to redeem himself. To get back on top of the world. He thinks he does it when he gets him the date. He gets his job back and he feels good about himself. That is not when he gets his redemption though. For me, it's when he steals the "Holy Grail" and wakes Parry up from his coma. That is when he completes his goal, that's when Jack is liberated. I feel like Jack finds himself here more than ever. He cares for something else, something other than himself. I think this film ends perfectly. One of the best endings to a film I have ever seen. With this film Gilliam climbs my list of favorite directors. His touch on this film make sit even better. I love the Gilliam vibe and look this film has. The same way with Brazil. Gilliam is a filmmaking genius and this film helps his case for that tittle. I just loved this movie way more than I thought. I was blown away. It's safe to say that this is my new favorite film. I DEFINITELY recommend it.