Some people might be confused as to what actually happened in The Adventures of Baron Munchausen. Let me explain:
SPOILER!
The city was being heavily rationed by The Right Ordinary Horatio Jackson, hoarding supplies for himself while convincing the city folk that they were still under attack by the Turks. Baron Munchausen enters the city, knowing full well that there is no attack.
He proceeds to tell them a fantastic, fanciful tale to entrance them, using them as characters in the story (ie. Rose as Venus, Jackson as the villian as himself, etc.). The story is successfully able to liven their spirits, andis then able to lead a revolt, to open the gates and reveal there was no enemy - they had been lied to.
END OF SPOILER.
Of course, Terry Gilliam would get on my case for using Reason, and not accepting the events at face value.
As for the film itself, it's a wonderful trestise on being old. Munchausen ages and gets younger as befits his mood. He romanticizes not only figuratively, but literally. To him, fantasies are reality - and you know what? He's right - perception is reality in many cases. When you're older, you CAN only look back, for the most part - and why not enjoy the past as well as your fantasies?
SPOILER!
The city was being heavily rationed by The Right Ordinary Horatio Jackson, hoarding supplies for himself while convincing the city folk that they were still under attack by the Turks. Baron Munchausen enters the city, knowing full well that there is no attack.
He proceeds to tell them a fantastic, fanciful tale to entrance them, using them as characters in the story (ie. Rose as Venus, Jackson as the villian as himself, etc.). The story is successfully able to liven their spirits, andis then able to lead a revolt, to open the gates and reveal there was no enemy - they had been lied to.
END OF SPOILER.
Of course, Terry Gilliam would get on my case for using Reason, and not accepting the events at face value.
As for the film itself, it's a wonderful trestise on being old. Munchausen ages and gets younger as befits his mood. He romanticizes not only figuratively, but literally. To him, fantasies are reality - and you know what? He's right - perception is reality in many cases. When you're older, you CAN only look back, for the most part - and why not enjoy the past as well as your fantasies?