Heath Ledger’s requiem

Here is a film so passionate about fantastic imagination that it will leave you wondering where realism begins and magic ends. Its title, with a concocted word and a name that means the center of artistic activity, attests to the nature of the film.

Dr. Parnassus (Christopher Plummer) leads a traveling circus sideshow in which guests can venture into an alternate world and experience their unfettered imagination. Parnassus, after winning a bet with Satan (Tom Waits), might lose his daughter (Lily Cole) to the devil over another wager.

Enter Tony (Heath Ledger), who is first seen hanging from a noose. Amnesic, he joins the group and markets the imaginarium into a hit.

Director Terry Gilliam creates a beautiful dream theater in which anything goes and nothing has to make sense. His story is unapparent, but his film is astounding in and of itself.