Every Daughter He Produces, The Devil Takes For Any Desire He Wants

A magic mirror takes people into worlds builtby their imaginations, not knowing that this is a tool for a game with the devil. In London, Anton invites people to the Imaginariumof Doctor Parnassus, where the man will empower their minds and open their imaginations. Nearby, Martin exits a pub and bids his friendsto watch the silly performance. Valentina and Percy join the stage, but Martininterrupts and throws people off the platform. He then chases after the beautiful Valentina,so she retreats into the Imaginarium. Through the mirror is a fake forest wherehe spots Valentina teasing him. She lets him approach before hitting him andrunning away.

Enraged, Martin gets up but quickly faceplants,then he starts bawling as he realizes his face is different. Valentina pops back on stage, in time to seethe commotion and the police arriving. Inside the Imaginarium, Martin's surroundingshave changed into a landfill of bottles. He calls for help as more bottles rain down. He proceeds to suffer through the worst alcoholichallucinations of his life, so Martin promises never to drink again. He's then dropped in front of a mountain withgiant carved steps and hears a voice promising greatness through perseverance and dedication.

However, the drunkard is drawn toward thefamiliar sounds of a bar. Despite his promises of sobriety, Martin walksinto the bar, and it explodes soon after. Parnassus jolts awake, muttering that he lostbefore scolding Valentina for going through the mirror. A policeman interrupts him, searching forMartin, and Parnassus leads him backstage to show that it's empty. Confused, the policeman demands that the troupeleave. The following night, Diego, absorbed in hisgame, wanders onstage and through the Imaginarium during another performance.

Alarmed, Valentina reports it to Anton, whogathers his courage to follow. Inside, he finds the boy playing in Candyland. A giant Parnassus-like balloon orders Diegoto exit immediately, as he's still too young to choose. After some showmanship, a canopy drops, andDiego rolls out of it. Relieved, the troupe retreats backstage, endingthe show. Parnassus reminds Anton about the dangersof the Imaginarium but also praises him for retrieving the lad. Valentina is indignant, so Anton tries toreassure her by saying she's Parnassus' scrumptious.

Daughter, though he quickly regrets his choiceof words. Later, Valentina gazes at a happy family ina magazine, longing for one of her own. Outside, Mr. Nick meets with Parnassus. Atop the stage, Percy overhears Nick claimingValentina is now of age and “all his.” Later, Percy approaches Parnassus and remarksthat it's “early.” Dejected, Parnassus asks what he can do, butPercy's only advice is to tell Valentina soon. As the troupe travels along London, Antonwhispers to Valentina, reminding her of her desire to escape. He incites her to run away with him, but Valentinais reluctant, stating that she's underage.

However, she quickly takes it back, revealingthat she'll soon reach adulthood and happily goes inside the carriage. Inside, Parnassus is reading tarot and drinking. Valentina notices that he hasn't eaten, soshe takes his bottle and playfully defends it. However, Parnassus stops her and states thathe has something serious to tell. Her father starts with the topic of immortality,denouncing it as a curse, and expresses his confusion about why anyone would want to liveforever. Valentina responds that it's equally as cursedpretending to be a child.

She also requests that her ankle bells betaken off. Parnassus disregards her protests and recountsa story from centuries ago when he was a monk. It started when his sanctuary was visitedby someone he hopes none of them will ever meet, Mr. Nick. Nick asked him what they do in the sanctuary,so he explained that they fulfilled their sacred duty to tell the story essential forexistence. Nick scoffed, confident that their beliefscould be easily disproved. He then activated his recorder, and everyonehe pointed it at became unable to speak. While the monks couldn't tell their eternalstories, Nick triumphantly pointed out that.

The world still existed, so they were nowfree from their duty. Unexpectedly, a passing bird shared its opinionsby dropping its waste on Nick. Parnassus laughed, believing that the eternalstory was still being told elsewhere. Nick doubted Parnassus' theory but offereda wager on who could attract 12 followers first. Nick would use the bliss of ignorance to attractfollowers, while Parnassus relied on the power of imagination. Parnassus won and was awarded the gift ofimmortality, though now he views it as a curse. Parnassus believes that Nick tricked him intowinning, knowing the world would eventually.

Ignore his stories. Their carriage suddenly stops, and Parnassuspauses the story, instructing Valentina to investigate. When his daughter leaves, Parnassus drawshis next tarot card–The Hanged Man. As Valentina emerges, Anton reports a figuredancing in the water. Valentina realizes it's the shadow of a personhanging under the bridge, so they work together to save a man with strange markings on hisforehead, Tony Shepherd. Parnassus scolds them for rescuing a deadman, but the others pull the unconscious man under the carriage to cover themselves fromthe rain.

Valentina attempts to resuscitate him, butAnton takes over and pounds Tony's chest. The man coughs out a metal pipe, hits hishead on the carriage, and falls back unconscious. Relieved that the man is alive, the groupputs him in the trunk and resumes their journey, unaware that Nick is watching them. The next morning, Tony awakens and Percy interrogateshim. Soon, Anton appears in disguise and attemptsto steal Tony's phone when it rings, causing a struggle that ends with the phone beingdropped and accidentally stepped on. Moments later, Valentina emerges from thecarriage window, and Tony is immediately drawn to her, but Anton prevents him from gettingtoo close.

Tony, struggling with his lack of memories,collapses on the floor, causing Valentina to rush to his aid. Parnassus wakes up, and Anton explains thesituation, showing him the noose and stone tablets found on Tony. When Parnassus sees the noose, he recallsthe Hanged Man. Desperate to keep his daughter, Parnassuschecks the marks on Tony's forehead and assumes that Nick sent him. That night, the troupe set their stage ata store parking lot. Parnassus puts Tony to work, saying it mightjog his memory.

Later, Tony successfully charms a group ofladies to watch. However, upon seeing the drunk Parnassus,they demand a refund. Deceitfully, Tony convinces them to buy moretickets, claiming that it's a fundraising event for Valentina's grave illness. Later, they count their collection, happyat how much they made. Anton tries to diminish Tony's contribution,but Valentina defends him, now optimistic about her upcoming birthday. Still, Anton remains jealous. Parnassus is nursing a hangover when someoneurges him to quit drinking.

The old man agrees, but upon seeing Nick,his mood sours. The devil claims that Tony isn't his allybut is instead a charitable man whom he doesn't trust. Nick then proposes another bet, which Parnassusrefuses until Valentina becomes the prize. However, the deadline is on her birthday intwo days, leaving him feeling tricked but the devil disappears. The following day, Tony greets Valentina,and she looks at him with desire. Meanwhile, Parnassus sees Valentina's magazineclipping and discovers her yearning for a normal family.

Tony then sees a scandalous newspaper headlinewith his picture attached, so he throws it into the fire as Parnassus talks to him abouthis memories. Armed with a device and Percy's help, Parnassusconducts a ritual and divines the name Anthony Shepherd and his charitable history. Tony fears Parnassus will also reveal hisdark secret but is relieved when he doesn't, unaware that the old man learned his nameand history from Nick. Hearing Tony does charity impresses Valentina,but Percy points out that no one hangs a good person. Anton begins playing music, and Tony realizesthat it's his pipe.

Anton teases him by playing with the pipeuntil Valentina retrieves it for Tony. That night, Percy informs Parnassus that Antonis in love with his daughter. Remembering the bet, Parnassus jokingly claimsthat whoever gets five souls will win Valentina, unaware that Anton is eavesdropping. At tonight's show, Tony gets two women interested,and Anton tries his best to steal them from him. When Sal wants to enter with her friend, Antonexplains the dangers of having two inside the Imaginarium simultaneously, insistingthey go one at a time. When the women refuse, Anton forcibly carriesSal on stage.

Desperate to get five souls, Anton takes herto the Imaginarium but accidentally knocks over Parnassus. Sal screams as she goes into the mirror, alarmingpeople, thinking she's in danger. Percy scares them off with fireworks, causingthe horses to run amok. Pandemonium erupts, and Tony jumps on thecarriage as it runs away but is pulled off by Sal's friends, thinking they're kidnappingthe woman. After a long chase, Sal is ejected onto apile of trash, where Nick takes her away. Eventually, the carriage stops and Valentinasnaps at Anton for his reckless behavior. Parnassus, barely conscious, notes that Nickalready has one point.

Having caused such trouble, Anton drinks alone,ashamed. Tony tries to understand his actions to comforthim, but Anton thinks Tony won't understand until he's been inside the Imaginarium. Tony wonders why Parnassus isn't ruling theworld if he can control people's minds, and Anton replies that the man only wants theworld to rule itself. Tony then inquires about Parnassus' bet withNick, and Anton only scoffs at him. Valentina tends to her father in the carriage,while he murmurs that he's lost. She comforts him, assuring him that everythingwill be alright. As he caresses his daughter's cheek, Parnassusrecalls longing after a woman he can never.

Have. Lonely, he tried to end his life, but Nickthwarted his attempts. Nick revoked his immortality, replacing itwith youth and powers, thus enabling Parnassus to win her over. Though soon, he dreads the price he must eventuallypay. The following day, Anton is still sulkingon a rooftop while Valentina tends to Tony. The two get close, almost kissing, as Tonycontemplates about making the show more successful. Hearing Tony's sentiments, Parnassus appearsand tells him to elaborate. Tony proposes doing something bold and unexpected,telling them not to be afraid of change.

Parnassus pulls Valentina aside, asking ifthey should risk it all on Tony. Excited that her opinion is valued, she tellsher father they should. Tony then asks how much money they have, explainingthey need all of it. When Valentina spots Anton running away, shemanipulates him into staying. Ultimately though, all she wants from himis his money. Later, they are dressed in finer clothes ina wealthy part of town. Their concept of giving away money draws acrowd. Tony charms the audience, sharing how he waspurified after his experience in Parnassus' Imaginarium.

Upon hearing this, the wealthy women rushonto the stage. Among the crowd, a woman sees Percy, alarmedas she thinks he's a child. To placate her, Tony escorts her onstage tobe the first to experience the Imaginarium. Once the woman is through, Tony is temptedto experience what's inside and follows her. In this iteration, the Imaginarium is morelavish than before, and the woman sees a younger reflection of herself. When she removes Tony's mask, the man seesthat his appearance has changed. A pair of Valentinas then reveal a motel inthe distance, and the woman suggestively drags Tony towards it.

Instead, he directs her to a gondola, claimingit's for the gods who never age, and their beauty will last forever. She can join them only after relinquishingher worldly possessions to him. The water then transforms into a cobra withNick as its head. As the woman sets sail, Tony reminds her thatnothing in life is permanent, not even death. Nick turns back into water as Tony stumblesoutside, surprised that no time has passed. Shortly after, the woman is also ejected fromthe Imaginarium in pure euphoria. She gives away everything she owns and walksoff stage in tears of joy. Seeing this, the other women clamor to getinto the Imaginarium.

Soon, Parnassus signals to Nick that he'sone soul away from victory. Unfortunately, Russian mobsters interruptthe show. When it's clear they're after Tony, the culpritruns into the mirror, and the men follow. Inside, they spot Tony climbing a ladder towardsa sky filled with promises of riches and fame. He breaks the ladder's rungs, turning it intostilts, preventing the men from climbing. He soon loses balance and Anton appears, attemptingto catch him but instead breaks his fall. The Russian mobsters apprehend Tony, thoughmomentarily confused because his appearance changed again. However, when they wipe his forehead, themarks reappear.

Seeing this, the boss declares that he willensure Tony dies properly this time. Anton interrupts the Russian mobsters, challengingthem to a fight but is quickly dispatched. As the mobsters lynch Tony, a giant Parnassuspolice head appears. Officers file out and perform, inviting themobsters to join the force. In the distance, the mobsters' babushka callsthem home. When the policemen end their routine withmooning, the mobsters return to the babushka in horror. She welcomes them happily, and once the mobstersare inside, she explodes. Nick then reveals himself as the pilot ofthe automaton.

Dismayed, Parnassus spins away. Tony revels in his freedom and wakes Anton,who recoils at the unknown face. Tony relives the exhilarating feeling of beingup in the clouds, but Anton demands to know why mobsters were after him and the meaningof the marks on Tony's forehead. Tony says those were irredeemably bad menwhom he borrowed money from them to set up his charity. However, they then used this to launder money. The story touches Anton, but when Tony beginstalking about the ladders again, he discerns his true nature and leaves the liar behind.

Inside the carriage, Valentina tends to Anton'sinjuries while expressing her discontent at how Tony is being treated. Anton argues that Tony has been lying, butValentina thinks he's jealous. Valentina upends their collections, explainingthat it's all thanks to Tony. She also points out the women's reactionsafter exiting the mirror, and Anton also retorts that he saw Tony's many faces, emphasizinghis two-faced nature. Suddenly, someone bangs on the door and Parnassusfinds Nick waiting for him. Parnassus admits defeat since Nick obtainedfour souls today, plus Sal from last night. However, Nick reveals that Sal is with him,meaning they're still both one soul short.

That said, the two vanish as Valentina exitsthe carriage. Valentina demands to know who her father wastalking to, and Parnassus confesses that he's made multiple deals with the devil, allowinghim to be thousands of years old. In exchange for immortality, he must handover any of his children when they come of age. Valentina asks if she was a mistake, so Parnassusresponds that she was the best mistake he's ever made. He tries to reassure her that there's a newbet for her custody, but Valentina breaks down and storms off.

Anton follows her while Percy comments thattelling the truth is always a bad idea. Parnassus dismisses him, and Percy walks away. Meanwhile, Anton is shouting for Valentinawhen a newspaper flies to him. At the campsite, Tony is desperately readyingthe stage, volunteering to be the fifth soul. Parnassus appreciates the gesture but tellshim it's pointless. Tony then asks to be taught the secrets ofthe trance as a trade-off. However, Parnassus claims he can't do thatsince he's too upset to get into a trance for the Imaginarium. Tony urges him to relax to activate the Imaginarium.

However, before he can enter, Valentina beginstaking out her frustrations on the mirror. Tony tries calming her down and promises totake her to a beautiful place in his world inside the Imaginarium. Before they can step through, Anton appearswith a newspaper article, accusing Tony of lying. Tony blocks Valentina's view of the article,then pushes her through the mirror. He then shoves Anton off the stage and entersthe Imaginarium. Inside, Valentina and Tony, with a new face,are leisurely sailing down a river. Tony wishes they could stay like this forever,and Valentina asserts that they can if they.

Choose to. She then seduces him, and soon the boat beginsto rock. Night falls, and Valentina declares her loveafter Tony rocked her world. However, their moment is interrupted whenValentina sees a girl crying. Tony assumes this is the “choice” he has tomake, but Valentina declares the only choice is to help. She then rushes to the girl's aid while Tonyfollows. He talks to the girl sternly but quickly changeshis demeanor when photographers appear. Suddenly, they find themselves elegantly dressedand surrounded by reporters in a grand ballroom.

Tony enjoys the attention and calls over Valentinabut leaves her to rush to the President's side. As the couple head to the venue, a young Antonintercepts them and reminds Valentina that this is Tony's imagination. He then shows her an article alleging thatTony is using his charity for nefarious means. Tony struggles with Anton to prevent furtherrevelations, and during this, he hits Valentina and accuses her of betraying him. Meanwhile, the President is giving a speech,praising Tony as Anton rushes onto the stage, yelling that the man is a liar.

Tony stops Anton, but the crowd notices hisviolent behavior. Unhinged, Tony's imagination begins to collapse,and he escapes through a hidden staircase. The crowd pursues Tony, shoving Anton andValentina aside in the chaos. Anton falls off the side of the platform,so Valentina rushes to save him. However, Anton reverts to his adult size,and as Valentina loses her grip, he falls after declaring his love for her. Enraged, Tony turns on Valentina just as Parnassusappears. Tony confronts the old man, blaming him foreverything that happened. Drunk, Parnassus struggles to explain thathe's only a facilitator and what happens is.

Up to the individual. As the staircase loops back to their location,Tony sees the stampeding crowd and shoves Parnassus out of his way. He runs off, leaving the old man to be trampled. Valentina rushes to her father's side as theparamedics appear. They pull her away and announce that he'sdead. Devastated, Valentina runs off. Unknown to her, the man meant to say “deaddrunk.” As Valentina flees, two mirrors appear beforeher labeled His and Hers.

She heads for the mirror marked His, but Nickappears, trying to prevent her self-inflicted punishment. She tries to push past him, but he calls hera child. Valentina responds that she's a woman nowand only fit for hell. Nick turns her struggles into a dance, thwartingher attempts to get through the mirror. But Valentina tangoes her way into the mirrorof her choice, and the devil is dismayed at his victory. Grief-stricken, Parnassus sits on a precipiceas Nick tries to console him, confessing that he didn't intend for the prize to be involvedin the wager.

They see Tony still running below, and Nickwishes the crowd would catch up to him. However, the devil acknowledges that the conmanled a charmed life, where his troubles never seem to catch up with him. Still clutching the Hanged Man card, Parnassusflicks it away as Nick inquires about the marks on Tony's forehead, admitting he neverunderstood black magic. Below, Tony struggles to ascend the giantsteps while the pursuing crowd gains on him. Nick proposes another deal to Parnassus, offeringto return Valentina if he can dispose of Tony. Finally, Tony reaches the peak and finds anoose waiting for him. He kisses his lucky pipe and picks up thetarot card, only for Parnassus to suddenly.

Snatch the pipe away while the noose is alreadyaround his neck. Parnassus asks for a moment, and time inexplicablyslows down. After a few tricks, Tony realizes that Parnassusmade a deal: his life in exchange for Valentina's. However, he points out that Valentina is theprize, so Nick can't actually claim her yet. If Parnassus eliminates Tony, Nick wins, andParnassus loses Valentina forever. Parnassus interrupts Tony by asking him tochoose between two pipes. Tony chooses the right-hand pipe and Parnassusswallows it before stepping off the gallows with a wink. Tony then frees him from the noose and revivesthe old man.

Parnassus soon spits out the pipe, and Tonycatches it, swallowing it just as the angry mob surrounds him. Moments later, Parnassus spits out more pipeshards as Tony triumphantly waves goodbye. But as Tony watches, Parnassus slowly revealsthe real pipe, and his face registers terror before the mob lynches him. As the people disperse, Nick makes sure Tonyis dead. Parnassus explains that Tony never used blackmagic, only cheap tricks. He swallowed the pipe to allow himself tobreathe a little despite being hanged. However, Parnassus tricked him into takinga brittle replica, which was crushed upon.

His hanging. The man then reminds Nick of their deal, butthe devil claims he doesn't know where Valentina is, reiterating that she's free to make herown choices. Parnassus is left dejected, realizing thathe has lost his daughter after falling for another of the devil's tricks. Years later, Parnassus is still searchingfor Valentina. Exhausted, he collapses and comes across asign pointing to the low road and the high road. Parnassus falls to his knees in despair, andthe sign breaks as he begs to be freed from.

Making further choices. Suddenly, his surroundings change to a bustlingcity, and a woman drops a donation as she passes. He follows the jingling of her anklet butloses her as she enters a building. He spots the woman again, this time enteringa different building. Peeking through the windows, Parnassus seesAnton and Valentina happily with their daughter. The old man is in tears, seeing that his bethas paid off and earned his daughter her freedom. Percy appears beside Parnassus and warns himnot to approach them to prevent interrupting their happy family.

Reunited with Percy, they continue their performancesbut in the form of a puppet theater. On the sidelines, Nick gestures at Parnassusfor another deal until Percy reminds the old man to continue working, ensuring that themonk doesn't enter a bet with the devil anymore.

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