Imaginarium of Dr. Parnassus

Saw Imaginarium of Dr. Parnassus last night, and boy was I entertained. Jing Jong went with me, and in a rare feat of restraint for myself, I did not comment on the movie at all, and was not compelled to look at my phone (I was not wearing a watch, and am incredibly curious about time)! Ledger was great, especially when he began to perform for crowds in front of the Imaginarium. I imagine this movie may not be terribly well received by the general public, as it was operating on at least three levels throughout the entire movie:
1. Dr. Parnassus' story - As the movie states, it is being told continuously, but the Devil shows him that even if his story is stopped, the world goes on. There are countless stories being told, and the stoppage of one does not stop all. Nice concept, and not explained in detail by myself. Parnassus dreads the day no one is interested in hearing his story, as this will be his end, and he will lose his daughter to the Devil. The Devil's motives are not entirely clear, if they are even present beyond entertainment. My personal feeling is he is attempting to break the pride of a former monk, who thought he had reached enlightenment. He breaks it first by halting the story, which was the most important thing to Parnassus, who thought the world revolved around his story. He does not fully learn this lesson, and as a result keeps going on. He seems to learn the lesson after his daughter is taken, but that remains to be seen - he was still almost tempted even after.
2. The Hanged Man/Tony - The Hanged Man could be one of several things. Each card in the Tarot deck used by Parnassus could be its own story unto itself, and each time he reads a card their story collides with his, creating new possibilities in his own story as well as what is essentially an entirely new narrative. The Devil takes credit for this, but this may be sleight of hand and an assumption he makes for his own benefit and personal entertainment. He certainly takes credit for it, but we cannot blindly assume he is being truthful - he does deftly mix lies with truth. Tony's story is alluded to and only somewhat clarified - he ran a charity, and sold children's organs, possibly with the help of Russian financiers, and was disgraced. However, the Devil reveals to Parnassus that the Hanged Man (Tony in this case) has always been on the run, and will continue to do so, and that he has been after him for ages. The flute he uses to keep his trachea intact after hanging was a subtle clue to this early in the movie, as was the transition of from Ledger to Depp, Law, and Farrell. It is unfortunate Ledger passed and was unable to complete the filming of this movie, but it also allowed the narrative and storytelling possibilities to be expanded manifold - he changes into a different person each time through the mirror with a customer whose soul is ripe for the plucking.
If you can't tell I am fascinated with the untold possibilities this narrative provides in its vagueness, here is me saying so.
3. The Imaginarium itself. Anton tells Tony how the Imaginarium works - it responds to the imagination of the person who enters it, and Parnassus crafts worlds based upon their fantasies. The effects used for the Imaginarium are ridiculously incredible. From a silly looking foil mirror to a video game world to untold settings, the possibilities are endless here. Anton also cautions Tony about taking more than one person into it. I thought at first it responded mainly to the first person in, but it is told later Parnassus leans toward the strongest imagination, creating what they wish.
There are probably many more, but my writing is getting sloppy at this point. The concept of a race to take souls with the Devil was also an interesting aspect. It may or may not have been intentional, but there were even some references to a Christlike figure possibly engaging in a similar contest. I am firmly back on the Gilliam bandwagon.