The Troubles with Terry: What the Career of An ‘Independent Auteur ’ Can Tell us About Creativity in the Filmmaking Industry

This critical essay overviews Gilliam‟s career, including an analysis of the stylistic and thematic patterns present in his films. In doing so, this essay will attempt to situate Gilliam within the larger film community/industry, addressing the question of whether or not he is in fact an “indie auteur. ” Finally, this essay will show that lessons learned from Terry‟s troubles include the problematic role of the creative process within the economically determined environment that is modern filmmaking, even “independent ” filmmaking. A Good Man in a Tight Corner? Terry Gilliam may be the quintessential independent film auteur. From writing, to casting, to art direction to editing, Gilliam exerts some degree of control over every aspect of his films. But the one element of the filmmaking process that Gilliam has had little control over, across his 30-year career, has been the financing. This is a problem for any director, but it is even more problematic for one who is not only a “visionary ” auteur but one whose visions tend toward complexity and expense while the industry tends toward efficiency and risk-aversion. So, considering Gilliam-as-auteur raises an issue with “auteur theory ” itself: one (auteur) cannot have it both ways: total creative freedom within a highly constrained economic system. Gilliam has faced this problem since he released his first solo-directed film in 1977: he wants “industrial ” (i.e. studio–scale) funds in order to realize his “independent ” vision as a filmmaker. Some “indie ” directors need only a few million dollars to make their films, which may involve few characters and simple locations. But Gilliam‟s films are typically elaborate by design, requiring tens of millions of dollars in order to accommodate ensemble casts working in extraordinary sets and locations. But Gilliam doesn‟t seem to see this as a ‟problem, ‟ at least not on his part. For him, any problems related to his films have more