It’s been nearly five years since we’ve seen a new movie from legendary filmmaker Terry Gilliam. However, the only American Monty Python member is set to debut his latest work, ‘The Zero Theorem’, at this year’s Venice International Film Festival this week. While the crowds at the festival prepare for the curtain to rise on the latest project from the man who brought us ‘Time Bandits’ and ‘Fear and Loathing In Las Vegas’, the rest of us can check out the first official clip from the film.
Collider exclusively released the clip and a new image from the movie featuring Christoph Waltz as Qohen Leth, an eccentric computer hacker who is looking for the meaning of life, but is distracted by an Orwellian corporation and their representative known as Management. You can explore Qohen’s world from ‘The Zero Theorem’ in the clip below, followed by the film’s full synopsis:
Qohen Leth is an eccentric and reclusive computer genius who lives in an Orwellian corporate world and suffers from existential angst. Under the instruction of a shadowy figure known only as “Management”, Qohen works to solve the “Zero Theorem” – a mathematical formula which will finally determine whether life has any meaning. Qohen’s work in the burnt-out chapel that serves as his home is interrupted by visits from Bainsley, a seductive woman, and Bob, the teenage son of Management.
Along with the clip and the image, the report also includes a statement from the director in which he explains what audiences can expect from the film once it finally hits theaters:
When I made Brazil in 1984, I was trying to paint a picture of the world I thought we were living in then. The Zero Theorem is a glimpse of the world I think we are living in now.
Pat Rushin’s script intrigued me with the many pertinent questions raised in his funny, philosophic, and touching tale.
For example: What gives meaning to our lives, brings us happiness? Can we ever find solitude in an increasingly connected, constricted world? Is that world under control or simply chaotic?
We’ve tried to make a film that is honest, funny, beautiful, smart and surprising; a simple film about a complex modern man waiting for a call to give meaning to his life; about inescapable relationships and the longing for love; peopled with captivating characters, mouthfuls of wise and witty dialogue; raising questions without offering easy answers. Hopefully, it’s unlike any film you have seen recently; no zombies, no caped crusaders, no aliens or gigantic explosions. Actually, I might have lied about that last item.
Having not worked with a budget this small for several decades, I was forced to work fast and instinctively, pressured only by the lack of time and money. We relied on the freedom to spin on a dime, to make outrageous creative leaps. The results surprised even me. I’m proud to have been part of ‘The Zero Theorem’.
Terry Gilliam
In classic Gilliam fashion, I’m not really sure what to think about this movie yet, but I sure am excited to see if it measures up to some of his better works or falls flat like ‘The Brothers Grimm’. Either way, it’s good to see him working again and I’m remaining optimistic about the movie.
Do you consider yourself a fan of Terry Gilliam’s work? Are you excited to see ‘The Zero Theorem’? What are some of your favorite works by the filmmaker? Let us know in the comments.
‘The Zero Theorem’ starring Christoph Waltz, Matt Damon, David Thewlis, Tilda Swinton, Melanie Thierry, Lucas Hedges, Ben Whishaw, and Peter Stormare is scheduled to hit theaters in 2014.
