Gilliam was born in the heart of America, in the capital of its "corn belt" of Minneapolis, which is boring, they say, there is nothing in the world. The family had three children, where
Terry was a senior, which means - fewer rights and more responsibilities. As a child he liked to draw, on paper depicting the heroes of his favorite films - "The Thief of Bagdad", "20 Thousand Leagues Under the Sea", "Treasure Island".
After school,
Gilliam comes to West College in Los Angeles, where after receiving a diploma political scientist. In the mid-60's at the invitation of Harvey Kurtzman, editor of youth magazine "Help!", He moved to New York, where for three years working as illustrator, hoping to repeat the career of Federico Fellini. There he meets a British journalist John Cleese - as will be later, the meeting was fateful for both of them. After serving in the National Guard, U.S.
Gilliam goes to Europe
. In London, with the assistance Cleese
Gilliam arranged a scriptwriter on the TV show, . where he met with Eric Idle, . Mike Palin, . Graham Chapman and
Terry Jones, and already in October 1969 on the screen appears "Monty Python's Flying Circus" makes young people is the most popular comedians Britain,
. A lot of black humor and pitiless parodies of the everyday way of life becomes a kind of calling card TV show.
In 1975, the screens directorial debut tape
Gilliam's "Monty Python and the Holy Grail" tells the story of the Knights of King Arthur's go searching for the Holy Grail. When a modern scholar - historian mused aloud about the Knights of the Round Table, . Companions of King Arthur, . and about, . as to the relationship between a fiction and reality in the legends of their campaign for the holy grail, . galloped past him one of these knights polosnuv historian with a sword on the neck,
. Luxury episode, which may serve as a key to the perception of co-creation "Monty Python" in many respects anticipated parody the style of Mel Brooks and the Zucker brothers.
. In 1977,
Gilliam takes a screen version of Carroll's "Dzheberouki", filling the film plenty of gags and psevdostilizatsy, still working in the "coordinates" defined television project attempting to bring into the picture something of their own
. Then there were the "Time Bandits" - a fantastic story about fun, dangerous and amazing journey in time and space with the help of a magic card. Rather, it was a tribute to childhood, his favorite films, rather than attempt to finally get away from parody of aesthetics and positioning itself as an independent director.
. This happened in 1985, when the audience saw "Brazil" - one of the films stileobrazuyuschih 80-ies
. Director draws tragicomic picture of a totalitarian future - something in between "1984" and "A Clockwork Orange". The protagonist, a humble clerk, immersed in a world of their own dreams and ideals, accidentally gets caught up in a kind of conspiracy, the purpose of which - the overthrow of the bureaucratic regime. "Brazil" - opus, sustained in a grotesque, almost Kafkaesque style, with images etched in my memory, surprising richness of visual textures, thoughtful and witty dramatic moves
. The ensuing "The Adventures of Baron Munchausen" in all interpretational innovations of classical works Raspe and the number of stars (Oliver Reed, . Valentina Cortese, . Jonathan Pryce, . Robin Uillms, . Sting, . Uma Thurman) looks stressed statically giving the coldness of the director's intent,
.
In 1991,
Gilliam attempted to put the vision of today's world with all its hardships and suffering in the mouth of Jack Lucas and philosophizing tramp Parry, the heroes of his new film "King - Fisherman. Online reviews of this sad story with a Christmas finale was mixed. Director, has already proved its steadfastness and willingness to go through with the fight for grim finale "Brazil" offered viewers the urban tragicomedy which is not enough. , This fact, and caused the greatest amount of misunderstanding among critics.
Gilliam soon realized it himself: in response to the award to him of Toronto Festival Award for the most audience-friendly film director sent a telegram saying: "Thanks for what you have documented my decision to sell".
After a five year hiatus
Gilliam returns with another, after the "Brazil", dystopia. "12 Monkeys" - a world destroyed by a deadly virus, a world where no place for beauty, the world of decay and decomposition. The film became a box-office hit, Pitt was nominated for an Oscar for supporting actress, Willis showed himself as an actor who can think in the frame. "Universal" forgetting old grudges,
Gilliam gives a complete carte blanche in the selection of actors and the script for the next tape.
Next film screening is one of the most scandalous book 70, the Bible, gonzo journalism, a novel by Hunter P. Thompson's "Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas. "This film - says
Gilliam, - a few years followed me everywhere. Ten years ago, started the script, and then I wondered: would be interested in the early nineties with this picture, but while I was busy with something else, and the project has remained on paper. In the eighties I strongly feel that we went through a time of constant infringement of expression, when all bore the stamp of depression. Roman Hunter is like a war correspondent reporting from the front. But it was not just bombing, but samobombardirovka: it was as if throwing a drug, like shells, and the battlefield was his brain. And this book is written as if he really was in the thick of battle. The novel has already expressed himself. Now is our turn ".
Premiere of the film, which in turn refused Scorsese and Nicholson, held May 16, 1998 at the Cannes Film Festival. Reviewers gleefully expressed concern about the future career of creative director after this film.
Gilliam wanted, wanted his picture was the most improper, and he has this happened. Can long harangue about the hidden drug propaganda, . which has repeatedly criticized the tape, . but we can not overlook fabulous actor of Depp and Del Toro, and boundless imagination of director, . who had helped him to film one of the "prohibitive" literary monuments of the XX century.,
.
Gilliam - one of the few directors who from the film in the film continue to create our own mythology, not in life, on screen
. Director, who worked with the best representatives of the acting school of Great Britain and the U.S.. Director, makes the viewer through her laughter is very funny to think about the problems of modern society.
Terry Gilliam: Unofficial site director 
