Time Bandits

1981, Terry Gilliam, UK, 113 min.

Introduced by neuroscientist Jozsef Meszaros.

Imaginative, eleven-year-old Kevin loves history, but is trapped in a dull, suburban life of his parents’ making. That is, until an armoured knight and a gang of dwarves emerge from his wardrobe and carry him off on a journey through space and time. Following a map which charts all of the holes in the fabric of time, they gleefully embark on a madcap treasure hunt, crossing paths with Napoleon Bonaparte (Ian Holm), Robin Hood (John Cleese), and King Agamemnon (Sean Connery) along the way.

“Time Bandits has as its basis nothing less than the Greatest Mystery Story Ever Told—the creation of the universe….The physical production is elaborate and lush, and the special effects are marvelously well done. It’s played with fine comic style by everyone from Sir Ralph [Richardson], Mr. [Sean] Connery, Mr. [Ian] Holm, and Mr. [David] Warner on down through young Craig Warnock (Kevin) and the six irrepressible dwarfs….They’re definitely not the sort of dwarfs who’d be caught dead whistling while they worked.” —New York Times

About Cabaret Cinema:Time

Curated by Rubin Museum fellow and neuroscientist David Eagleman, Cabaret Cinema delves into the mysteries of time. Aside from their listed duration, movies often carry us through periods far beyond the minutes that pass as we sit in a theater. Time lingers in suspense, is driven forward by fast-talking dialogue, or warps through sudden flashbacks. What does the world of cinema reveal about our experience of time?

Brainwave is supported in part by public funds from the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs in partnership with the City Council.

About the Introducer

Jozsef Meszaros, JD, PhD, is currently a postdoctoral researcher at Columbia University, where he earned his PhD in neuroscience. Jozsef’s research focuses literally (with a microscope) on dopamine release throughout the brain. While people are usually familiar with dopamine by its effects, Jozsef’s research looks at the chemicals that can facilitate or impede the release of dopamine. These chemicals include drugs of abuse as well as pharmaceutical remedies for disorders. Jozsef is passionate about education and has taught at least one science course every year since beginning graduate school. In a previous life, Jozsef published legal scholarship in the Yale Journal of Law and Feminism.