~ finding the right voice ~
It began life in 1977 when Gilliam was working on the Jabberwocky. He had had in his mind for years an image of a totalitarian state, an image of a superficial society where dreams have become scarce. He retired to a cottage in Wales for a month with Jabberwocky screenwriter Charles Alverson and created a 150 page screenplay which, eight years later he and Tom Stoppard used as the blueprint for the final film. This screenplay is significantly different to that filmed featuring numerous previously undisclosed fantasy sequences, plot lines and characters. The original script is wonderfully biting. It also has some of the most eccentric characters in all of cinematic history. With its huge cult appeal this is a fascinating insight into the evolution of a modern movie classic.