“The Time Bandits” A heartwarming human drama in which the genius Terry Gilliam challenges traditional techniques.

Gilliam's new world opened up by outstanding actors

There was a reason why the producers entrusted Gilliam with the script. He had a strong desire to cast Robin Williams in the lead role, and thought that Gilliam, who was close friends with him, might be able to come up with the idea. Therefore, Gilliam's first job was to woo Williams, who was in his prime.

If you master this well, the next step is to become a radio DJ. This was the difficult question. What kind of actor can successfully stand up to Williams' brilliance and give off a presence that rivals him?

Robin Williams is an incredible actor. When he gets into his groove, he displays explosive power. However, once things go in the wrong direction, the work itself can be seriously tilted. In this work, which deals with sensitive subject matter, the amount of detail is extremely important. You don't want it to become too sentimental, but you don't want it to turn into a silly comedy. The partner role needs to be someone who has a strong center of gravity and who can hold the reins of the entire work without getting carried away by Williams.

  "The Time Bandits" (c)Photofest / Getty Images

Gilliam was worried. After looking at the list of candidates and thinking about it for a long time, the best answer suddenly came to me on the Flight from LA to New York. Gilliam saw `` The Fabulous Baker Boys '' (1989) at an in-flight screening and fell in love with Jeff Bridges, who starred in it, and was convinced that ``he's the only one!''

This is how the two travel companions were decided. With the addition of the excellent actresses Amanda Plummer and Mercedes Ruhl, an impregnable quartet was born.

The four actors combined their well-honed tones to create exquisite harmony. Each person plays the character written in the script. Despite that, they gave their roles soul, creating a unique atmosphere. This was Gilliam's first experience in making a movie that focused on the actors' performances without special effects or art sets.

Usually Gilliam would lead the team with his amazing charisma, but in this film it was more like the actors were guiding him, exchanging a wealth of ideas as time passed calmly. The important thing is that if you feel that their performance is going well, never interfere with it. In this way, one of the most organic and human works in Gilliam's history slowly and carefully took shape.

A lot of attention in the award race including the Academy Awards