12 Monkeys

Twelve Monkeys is typically Terry Gilliam, loaded with the director's trademark quirky visuals, and, as such, should get right up my nose (I'm not a huge fan of his hallucinatory, surreal style, to say the least). And yet I still love this unusual time travel tale: it's got great performances, with a particularly strong turn from the then up-and-coming Brad Pitt, and Gilliam's chaotic storytelling actually suits the inherent madness of the whole movie. The twisty-turny plot keeps the viewer on their toes throughout, and Gilliam pulls all the threads together neatly for the finale. The occasional moment of visual excess still niggles (the steampunk/trash-heap aesthetic of the future isn't my cup of tea), but on the whole this is definitely one of the director's best films.

Bruce Willis stars as James Cole, a convict from the future who is sent to the past to try and discover the origins of the virus that wiped out most of the world's human population. After a violent altercation with the police of 1990, Cole is sent to an asylum where he meets patient Jeffrey Goines (Pitt), son of a wealthy scientist (played by Christopher Plummer), and quite possibly plants the seeds of mankind's destruction in the lunatic's mind. Together with his psychiatrist Kathryn Railly (Madeleine Stowe), Cole tries to prevent the disaster from occurring.

At times, it seems as though Gilliam has only the slightest command of proceedings, and the film demands that the viewer puts in 100% concentration to avoid becoming as lost and confused as Cole himself, who becomes more and more unsure about what is reality and what isn't as the film progresses. Characters ramble, often seemingly incoherently, but what they are saying is, for the most part, intrinsic to the outcome, so pay attention (or have your finger on the rewind button). Those who make the effort will be rewarded by a film that is constantly inventive and frequently clever, and worth at least a few viewings to appreciate it to the fullest.

Carrying in each frame the chaotic and striking visual style of its director, "Twelve Monkeys" is an interesting science fiction, which also has inspired performances by its cast and a narrative that is at the same time complex and fascinating to conquer the viewer. Featuring a depressing environment in the future and another about to collapse in the past, Terry Gilliam's feature looks more like a nightmare, holding the viewer's attention not only for its look, but also for the clever way that its great premise is developed. Exploring time travel and temporal paradoxes, you are abducted into a confusing plot full of twists and turns. The most fascinating thing about this fantastic script is that, even with a huge knot in the head, it manages to close in a solid and at the same time questioning conclusion. At the end of the film, we come to an issue (no, I'll give spoilers here), something completely acceptable, and that doesn't leave us with the feeling of having been tricked by a script that didn't know how to close. Quite the contrary, the entire text was developed exactly to its conclusion.

Inspired by Chris Marker's film "La Jetée", David and Janet Peoples' intricate screenplay begins in 2035, when James Cole (Bruce Willis) is sent back to the past to gather information about a lethal virus that has decimated human beings. In 1996, killing an estimated five billion people. However, due to a mistake by the scientists, James returns to 1990 and ends up in a mental institution, where he meets the psychiatrist Kathryn (Madeleine Stowe) and the young Jeffrey Goines (Brad Pitt), son of Dr. Goines (Christopher Plummer) is likely responsible for the birth of the group known as the "army of Twelve Monkeys", which theoretically would have spread the lethal virus around the world.

Right in its first minutes, "Twelve Monkeys" demonstrates its dreamlike facet through the mysterious dream of its protagonist in an airport that, in fact, seems more like a tormenting and recurrent nightmare, appearing in several moments to terrify him. Then, James appears in a rather uncomfortable cell, talking to another prisoner in the underground world (where the few survivors of the virus try to survive) moments before being summoned for a mysterious mission. In this way, the director seeks to facilitate the spectator's identification with his protagonist, who appears vulnerable, in precarious conditions and about to be sent on an uncertain mission. With the help of editor Mick Audsley, Gilliam adds dynamism to the narrative, keeping it always intriguing precisely because he conducts it from the perspective of James, thus placing us in the same position as the protagonist, also succeeding in inserting time travel in an organic way. - with the exception of the first sharp jump from the present to 1990 in Baltimore.

Creating a dirty and abandoned world in the present and an unattractive one in the past, the director reflects on screen his protagonist's mental confusion. The chaotic place where James meets the scientists, for example, helps to create the troubled and anarchic atmosphere intended by the director. By the way, the scenes that take place in the present have such an exaggerated caricature tone that, sometimes, they end up making the audience laugh - which serves as comic relief in a narrative that demands a lot of attention. Already in the past, the peeling walls of the asylum make the environment quite realistic and help to illustrate the protagonist's disgust in that place. And if William Ladd Skinner's art direction is essential in this process, the interesting costumes by Julie Weiss not only reinforce this look but also distinguish each era well, such as the Second World War and the 90s.

The film's script, written by David Webb and Janet Peoples, manages to create an intriguing dubious perception in the viewer, who at a given moment in the work wonders if the character was hallucinating or if all that had really happened. For those who know La Jetée, this perception may be just a shadow or not even exist, but it is clear to identify the game of realities on the screen, questioning and playing with memory and even with History that can come literally (at this point, more subtly) or aesthetically (very strongly), with very special references to the films "Monkey Business" (1931), "Vertigo" (1958), One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest (1975) and Escape from New York (1981), cinematographic plurality which shows Terry Gilliam's predilection for great excesses and also his ability to work with them organically.

Even though the beginning of the film has a slower pace than it should and the first trip is abrupt and uninteresting, the audience quickly forgets about these flaws and focuses on the journey of Cole, who tries to fulfill a complex mission while having the "misfortune" of falling in love with a woman from his past, which will lead to more aggressive surveillance by the scientists who sent him and seal his fate at the airport. Gilliam's direction is realistic, even when the production design reaches baroque peaks in the mixture of technologies and inventions throughout the 2035 scenario, which bears many similarities with the environment of "Brazil" and "The Zero Theorem", similarities that ended up making some cinephiles consider the works part of a trilogy, although this has not been stated or thought by Gilliam. The public is thrown into two worlds that believe themselves, in some way, victorious, but are, each in their own way, decadent and share the same behavioral deviations, manipulation structures maintained by those who hold any kind of power (scientific, war , financial, etc.) and the struggle of some individuals to free themselves from the yoke of this manipulation and control, almost literally reintroducing to us the struggle of the characters in They Live, by John Carpenter: buy, watch TV, obey.

In the cast we have the always charismatic, Bruce Willis conquering the viewer with his vulnerable James Cole, taking the audience with him on that journey and convincing even when he begins to question his own sanity - special emphasis on two scenes, one in a hospital bed in front of the scientists and another in a hotel room with Kathryn. Exhibiting the anguish of someone who feels out of place and confused and the determination of someone who has a mission to accomplish, Willis creates a captivating and very human character. Brad Pitt, on the other hand, is sensational as the crazy Jeffrey Goines, with his tics, fast speech, the oscillation in the tone of voice and the constant movement in the eyes, which very well characterize a character that is simultaneously dangerous and fascinating. Together, they are responsible for the best moments of "Twelve Monkeys". However, there are other interesting moments, especially when they involve Madeleine Stowe's Kathryn, which conveys well the distress and confusion in the character's mind in the face of James and her statements. And we cannot fail to mention Christopher Plummer, who efficiently embodies Jeffrey's famous father, even though he appears rarely on the scene.

At a certain point in the plot, the viewer starts to share James' doubt and asks if all that doesn't really exist only in the protagonist's mind. But the complete turnaround happens when a boy is found in the barn (as he had said it would happen) and, added to a photograph of the first world war and the bullet removed from his leg, proves to Kathryn and the viewer that James was speaking the truth. And then the reference to the classic "A Falling Body" appears in Kathryn's disguise, in the images of Hitchcock's film inside a movie theater and even in the soundtrack, thematically tying the narrative and opening up the film's message: we will never be able to change the past. This message is confirmed in the emblematic final scene, where the "dream" is repeated. Kathryn's gaze at young James, accompanied by a slight smile, turns this painful scene into a beautiful moment, illustrating the moment in which she realizes that James would live forever in this cycle.

Mick Audsley's montage is also efficient and interesting rhymes are created: Cole being scared by a bear in the future to, later in the present, being scared by a stuffed bear are examples of this. And Gilliam, with Roger Pratt's photography, still creates visual anecdotes, such as when the protagonist tries to hide from the police by turning to a shop window only to realize he is on the same television, as it is one of those stores with TVs and cameras turned to the street. The incidental soundtrack is excellent and the imposing tango "Suite Punta Del Este" composed by Ástor Piazzolla, brings an unforgettable tone to the plot and has become his trademark, as well as the tracks What a Wonderful World, Blueberry Hill and Sleep Walk, that manage to illustrate the emotional charge of the various journeys throughout the film.

Time travel is nothing new in fiction, non-linear scripts too. Apocalyptic future even less. Still, "Twelve Monkeys" has an air of innovation. It adds to our lives. It has drama, humor, suspense, philosophy, romance, all wrapped up in a genius idea from a Frenchman who the American knew how to reconstruct with mastery. Interesting from a visual and technical point of view and with a thought-provoking plot, "Twelve Monkeys" is one of those films worth discussing in the midst of the current pandemic. Since it is a temporal paradox, if it depends on your characters and history, there is nothing we can do. Regardless of our actions, we are doomed to repeat the same mistakes over and over again.

"Twelve monkeys"'s got all the elements to become Terry Gilliam's masterpiece. An outstanding screenplay, a sustained rhythm, clever sometimes ironic dialogs. Moreover, he had a good nose about the cast. "Twelve monkeys" is also the first movie where Bruce Willis stands back from the kind of character he used to play in his previous movies. Here, a jaded and hopeless character which you could nickname a prisoner took over from a fearless and invincible hero (as it was the case in "Die hard"). No matter how he tries, he's a prisoner of the time. The movie contains a very thrilling end too. It's got a real dramatic power. But this terrific movie is also a reflection about man, the dangers he dreads (notably, the ones that could cause the end of the world and here, these are virus that can create illnesses). No matter how long it will take, "twelve monkeys" will be estimated at its true value: one of the masterpieces made in the nineties.

In 1996, a deadly virus is released by a terrorist group known as The Army of the Twelve Monkeys and wipes out 5 billion people from Earth and the survivors are forced to live underground.

In 2035, the prisoner James Cole (Bruce Willis) is forced to return to 1996 to find the original virus to help the scientists to research the cure to mankind. However, he is mistakenly sent to 1990 and locked up in a mental institution, where he meets the lunatic Jeffrey Goines (Brad Pitt). James Cole unsuccessfully tries to explain his assignment to the doctors, including the psychiatrist Kathryn Railly (Madeleine Stowe) that is responsible for his treatment, and then he tries to escape but is incarcerated in a cell. Out of the blue, he vanishes, in the beginning of the incredible journey of James Cole.

"Twelve Monkeys" (1995) is a sci-fi ahead of the time. The plot has many details that requires the viewer to watch this film more than once to fully understand the story. Watching "Twelve Monkeys" again in 2021 is particularly scary in times of the pandemic Covid. Hope that the history does not follow fiction. My vote is nine.

Title (Brazil): "Os 12 Macacos" ("The 12 Monkeys")

Note: On 24 February 2025, I saw this film again.

I grew up on Python and have followed Terry Gilliam's subsequent directorial career for more years than I care to remember. Half his output leaves me cold, the other half dazzle me beyond belief. 'Brazil' is his movie that I would rate the highest, but I've come to think that I have unfairly underrated 'Twelve Monkeys'. I have always enjoyed it, but I've only come to realize just how good a movie it really is. Sometimes I think it is even better than 'Brazil'. It's a close pick. Unlike 'Brazil' Gilliam didn't come up with the script. He basically was initially involved as a director for hire. Thankfully the script itself (by David and Janet Peoples) is first rate. On top of that Gilliam manages to stamp his own style and approach on to the material without sliding into complete self-indulgence as he sometimes does. The budget of this movie wasn't anywhere near as large as you would imagine from the impressive results on screen. It looks superb. Gilliam coaxes first rate performances out of Bruce Willis (quite a surprise) and Brad Pitt (not such a surprise, see also 'Johnny Suede' and 'Kalifornia'). Madeline Stowe is also very good, as is Christopher Plummer, and in a small but important role, David Morse. It's difficult to fault this movie. It is a joy to watch, and improves with each viewing. I also highly recommend Chris Marker's 'La Jetee', the short experimental film which inspired 'Twelve Monkeys'. It is also brilliant.