Watch He Dreams of Giants

He Dreams of Giants is a 2019 documentary film about the legendary film director Terry Gilliam and his 30-year struggle to make his passion project, The Man Who Killed Don Quixote. The movie documents the final stages of production of the film, which became a legendary ordeal for the cast and crew as they completed it over the course of decades.

Directed by Keith Fulton and Louis Pepe, the documentary focuses on Gilliam's relentless artistic vision and his unrelenting desire to make his dream project a reality. The film is a compilation of behind-the-scenes footage, interviews with the cast and crew, and candid moments with Gilliam himself.

The documentary begins with Gilliam dealing with the aftermath of a catastrophic failed attempt at making The Man Who Killed Don Quixote in 2000, which was supposed to be a passion project for the director. The filming of the original production was plagued with issues ranging from scheduling, financing, weather and health problems. The footage from the production, which stars Adam Driver and Jonathan Pryce, shows the obstacles, frustrations, and eventual collapse of the original attempt to make the film. Gilliam can be seen suffering bruises after a terrible accident on set, and later on, we see him react emotionally in real-time as he's faced with the realization that the film is no longer going to happen.

Despite the failure, Gilliam refused to give up on his dream, and he started the process all over again, again with Pryce and Driver returning for a second attempt at bringing the character of Quixote to the screen. This included revisiting several of the original locations and sets that were used in the 2000 production.

Throughout the documentary, Gilliam is seen struggling to get the film to his desired level of perfection. The film documents his stubbornness and his willingness to go to great lengths to make his vision a reality, often putting himself under a great deal of stress and even hospitalization. Despite the difficulties, his unrelenting passion for his art never wavers.

Along with documenting the technical side of the filmmaking process, He Dreams of Giants provides an insight into the creative process of filmmaking as a whole. We see Gilliam's complex creative ideas and understand the depth of the themes he is trying to express. His relationship with his actors and the cast and crew's unwavering dedication to the project is also revealed in the documentary.

Adam Driver, one of the stars of The Man Who Killed Don Quixote, is interviewed in the documentary, as well as producer Jeremy Thomas, who has been working on the project with Gilliam from the beginning.

In conclusion, He Dreams of Giants is a fascinating and inspiring documentary about Terry Gilliam's relentless quest to create his masterpiece: The Man Who Killed Don Quixote. The film gives audiences an appreciation for the challenges and incredible tenacity that goes into filmmaking, and Gilliam's determination and unyielding spirit will be an inspiration to artists everywhere.

He Dreams of Giants is a 2022 documentary with a runtime of 1 hour and 23 minutes. It has received mostly positive reviews from critics and viewers, who have given it an IMDb score of 7.0.