The Fisher King (1991): Before We Watch
Robin Williams was always amazing.
I’ve seen this week’s film more times than I can count. It’s unconventional, supremely well-acted, funny, moving, and low-key profound.
So, that’s my take on it. I hope you enjoy as well!
Anyway, hello, welcome, and thank you for stopping by. For new visitors, here’s what this situation is all about:
With Savor the View, we’ll watch, think, and talk about movies and the things that matter. A special welcome and thanks to our regular crew!
Each Monday, I share brief, spoiler-free remarks and questions to frame viewing a movie on our own.
Each Thursday, I share post-viewing questions to poke at the issues, ideas, quandaries, inspirations...whatever...that movie might have summoned (spoilers, ahoy!).
Paid subscribers can talk it all out in a weekly Discussion Thread.
Overview
The Fisher King (1991): Terry Gilliam, originally of Monty Python fame, directed this film (written by Richard LaGravenese), one of his many successfully offbeat features. From Monty Python and the Holy Grail to Twelve Monkeys to Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, Gilliam always has something unique up his sleeve.
2022 was quite a year for movies. The Silence of the Lambs, Terminator 2: Judgment Day, Thelma and Louise, Boyz n the Hood, JFK, My Own Private Idaho, Barton Fink, and more. I mean, there was something for everyone. The Fisher King might not have had the same broad attention or impact of some of its cohort releases, but it shared with them a relative adventurousness we don’t always see.
When the movie came out, strangers shooting strangers amid toxic public discourse was relatively new, but not unfamiliar, to viewing audiences. When I first saw the film, I remember thinking how isolated to specific irresponsible or careless people – rather than ambient in larger swaths of culture – this scenario seemed to be.
The universal/general
Starting with the title, this movie explicitly draws on the legends of King Arthur to inform its premise and its themes. While watching, consider whether and how such references shape your experience of the story.
What is “healing?” What does it look like, who needs it, and how does it happen?
The specific/unique
How are we introduced to Jack Lucas (Jeff Bridges) – what do elements such as sound, setting, framed shots, and dialogue tell us about this person?
Characters have Big Feelings. Who tends to exhibit which kinds of feelings – from self-pity to selflessness, from selfishness to love?
What twists and turns does Jack’s character trajectory take as the story unfolds?
The viewer is always present
Consider while watching whether the “quest,” as characters describe their own trajectories, might also be for us as viewers?
Why subscribe?
Paid subscribers can gather round their screens and share their thoughts on each week's Discussion Thread and get full access to the publication archives.
Subscribe any which way to get full access to the newsletter.