Brazil (DVD)

BRAZIL, INTRODUCTION
Brazil is a Terry Gilliam movie and this in itself should prepare the viewer for something unusual, visually seductive and thought provoking. The movie does not disappoint.

From the first moments of this wonderful movie I was hooked, the glorious and pounding orchestral theme provides an irresistible introduction to this bizarre and often surreal Orwellian fantasy of hopeless love in a totalitarian state ...
...of cinema's mature poets. His Brazil features homages to numerous other films, ranging from 'Modern Times' to 'The Empire Strikes Back', and its plot is broadly similar to 'Nineteen Eighty-Four'. Yet the result is intriguingly fresh and creative.

The best adjective to describe the movie's tone is "whimsical." It's the type of sci-fi/fantasy film that has an almost childlike fascination with strange sights and happenings. ... more

BRAZIL, INTRODUCTION
Brazil is a Terry Gilliam movie and this in itself should prepare the viewer for something unusual, visually seductive and thought provoking. The movie does not disappoint.

From the first moments of this wonderful movie I was hooked, the glorious and pounding orchestral theme provides an irresistible introduction to this bizarre and often surreal Orwellian fantasy of hopeless love in a totalitarian state gone mad, quite mad.

One of the truest statements about originality in art comes from T.S. Eliot: of Wasteland and Old Possum's Cats fame, "Immature poets imitate; mature poets steal." Terry Gilliam is one of cinema's mature poets. His Brazil features homages to numerous other films, ranging from 'Modern Times' to 'The Empire Strikes Back', and its plot is broadly similar to 'Nineteen Eighty-Four'. Yet the result is intriguingly fresh and creative.

The best adjective to describe the movie's tone is "whimsical." It's the type of sci-fi/fantasy film that has an almost childlike fascination with strange sights and happenings. Rarely has a film so pessimistic been so much fun. Many sci-fi films since Brazil have attempted a similar approach, usually with little success. The chief problem with most such films, eg The 'Fifth Element' is that they get bogged down in plot at the expense of emotional resonance. Brazil avoids this pitfall: while the movie possesses psychological and thematic complexity, its plot is fairly simple, and the humour, quirky as it is, never relies on throwaway gags. Even the oddest moments have a certain poignance.

BRAZIL: PLOT SUMMARY
The story seems to take place in a bizarre fascist alternative world. It isn't 'the future' exactly. The technology is weird-looking but hardly superior to anything in our world today. Devices such as computers have clumsy and almost Victorian magnifying glasses in front of their tiny screens. Money transactions are sent through complex and noisy pipes in what looks rather like a crude version of ATM. (One of the film's several nods to silent movies occurs after a character tries to stuff one of these pipes with wads of paper.) The pop culture references are positively retro, from the title song to scenes from the film Casablanca.

The evil of the government in this film is driven not so much by cruelty as by bureaucratic incompetence, much of which is played for laughs. But some of the scenes look eerie today, in our post-9/11 world, and are good fodder for conspiracy theorists. Pay particular attention to the scene where the official boasts that the government is winning its war against 'the terrorists'. (George W Bush eat your dysfunctional heart out). The movie is ambiguous as to whether there are any real terrorists, and we have a sneaking suspicion that the explosions are caused by the government itself. Of course all of this distortion and probable exploitation of mass paranoia is very redolent of Orwell's Ministry of Truth. The plot is set in motion by a typographical error leading to the apprehension of an innocent citizen instead of a suspected terrorist. The movie is not about this man but about a meek government worker, Sam Lowry (Jonathan Pryce), who's observing from the sidelines and basically trying to get on with his life. Robert De Niro has a cameo as the wanted terrorist come plumber, Archibald Tuttle whose only crime, from what we can see, consists of doing home repairs without the proper paperwork.

I have noticed that most of the classic dystopian tales such as Brave New World are fundamentally similar to one another. But Brazil approaches the genre in a uniquely psychological way. Sam Lowry is different from the standard protagonist who rebels against the government due to noble motives. He doesn't seem to have any larger goals than his own personal ones. He isn't trying to make the world a better place. He's only longing for a better life for himself, one more exciting and romantic than the humdrum existence he currently occupies, where he's beset by an overbearing mother, a pitiful boss, and a dull job. In the midst of this bureaucratic nightmare state, he cares only about such matters as getting his air conditioning fixed and stalking a female stranger who physically resembles his fantasy woman--or so he perceives. The woman, as played by Kim Greist, appears in his fantastic dreams as a helpless damsel with long, flowing hair and a silky dress, trapped in a cage while he battles a giant Samurai warrior. The real-life woman he pursues, also played by Greist, sports a butch haircut, drives a large truck, and has a cigarette permanently dangling from the corner of her mouth.

It's a testament to Pryce's performance that he commands our total sympathy the whole time. We feel for him and go along with the romantic adventure he attempts to create for himself. His nervous, stammering personality is one that would have been easy to overdo, yet Pryce strikes just the right note, especially as we begin questioning the character's sanity. At one point, another character tells him, "You're paranoid; you've got no sense of reality." But who wouldn't be paranoid in such a setting? The scene brings to mind the old joke that goes "You're not paranoid. Everyone really is out to get you." The movie inhabits such a whacky, surreal world full of strange people and sights that Sam Lowry almost seems sensible by comparison. Creating a character like this was a fresh, innovative twist on a genre that normally loses sight of human personalities.

This movie did not leave me with a happy feeling when I had finished viewing it, but I definitely found it well worth the time. It posits a dark future world where the government has become a gigantic and frightening bureaucratic beast. The simplest exchange requires mountains of paperwork and a strict adherence to procedures has replaced anyone's ability to critically think about what they are doing or stand up to the brutality they know lurks around them. Sam Lowry is a man who seems more than happy to live as a cog in the giant machine. When he sleeps, however, he flies through beautiful blue skies towards the woman of his dreams. As he attempts to correct an 'oversight' by the Ministry Of Information for whom he works (one of the more obvious references to Orwell) which has resulted in an innocent man's death, he finds a woman who appears to be the one in his dreams. The line between his dreams and his reality blur ever further as he goes deeper and deeper into the government machine to find out who she is.

Terry Gilliam once again seems to have spared no expense in making sure every visual element of the world adds up to a cohesive whole which makes you feel as if you're really experiencing the characters' surroundings. And, of course, it is a world rendered realistically enough to feel almost believable, and yet surrealistically enough to leave an unforgettable impression on you. The scenes in which Lowry grows wings and the proportions of the Archangel Gabriel to conquer an enormous shogun like end of level boss creature are iconic.

Despite the simplicity of the main plot, the movie is full of subtexts and images which carry a message even though you may not see them on the first viewing. In one scene, a man is buying "clean air" from a vending machine along the street. The sides of the highways are walls of billboards which hide the barren environment beyond. A group of people carry a banner that announces 'Consumers for Christ' in a store decorated for the holidays as a small child tells Santa she wants a credit card for Christmas. Actually, therein lies one of the things that may turn some people off to this movie. It seems Gilliam had so many things to say about the state of society today that some people may find the movie lacks a coherent message once it's done. The ending will no doubt come as a shock to many people as well, but it was refreshing to me to see something well outside the Hollywood conventions for a change.

BRAZIL, THE VERDICT
The performances were good and quite colourful- but nothing really spectacular, Jonathan Pryce is charming as the love struck Sam; Kim Greist is elegantly mysterious as Jill Layton the girl Sam's after, Robert De Niro as a chirpy plumber/terrorist Tuttle, Bob Hoskins as Spoor the repair man, Katherine Helmond as the obsessive mother of Sam Mrs. Ida Lowry and Ian Holm as the twitchy Mr. M. Kurtzmann. And let's not forget Michael Palin as the ever so friendly but deadly government official Jack Lint.

My only real complaint was that Robert De Niro's character was so enjoyable, but saw so little use. Other than that, however, I thought it was a film which presents some compelling things which deserve serious thought, even though most people probably won't be able to get past the trademark Gilliam visual quirkiness to see what he is saying.

Brazil is definitively one of the top ten movies of all times. It's a sort of anti-Utopian spectacle, in the same fashion of George Orwell's 1984. The movie has a very complex sequence of events, which require more than one viewing for full understanding. In fact, the first time I saw Brazil, I didn't enjoy it much and this is probably a very good reason in itself to buy the DVD. But when I gave it a second chance some time later, the pleasure of watching it increased exponentially. The more I watch it, the more I discover hidden aspects and new ways to interpret this masterful creation. The scenario is extraordinary, mixing long pipe lines and an almost omnipresent Gothic atmosphere. If you didn't like the movie the first time you saw it, don't be by any means be discouraged. This movie requires patience and an active role from the viewer. Finally, Brazil deserves special praise for all the dream-like sequences of the main character and the music fits in perfectly well.
Brazil is a true masterpiece. Like something that was wrenched from the surreal dreams of Salvador Dali, images in this movie are dark, funny, disturbing, thought-provoking, and profound, all at the same time. This is truly a movie you can watch multiple times and find new themes each time. When it was released, it had some important things to say. Nowadays, in a society that is scared into semi-paralysis by the threat of terrorists and the overly oppressive response of our own governments, this movie is more relevant than ever. If you pay attention, you may actually walk away from this movie with a profound sense of understanding.

This is a brilliant and innovative Sci-fi film. Though it's long, but never dull and it leaves you wanting more at the end. It definitely leaves a significant impression… well, it did on me

BRAZIL: CAST AND DETAILS
Jonathan Pryce.... Sam Lowry
Robert De Niro.... Archibald 'Harry' Tuttle
Katherine Helmond...Mrs. Ida Lowry
Ian Holm.... Mr. M. Kurtzmann
Bob Hoskins.... Spoor
Michael Palin.... Jack Lint
Ian Richardson.... Mr. Warrenn
Peter Vaughan.... Mr. Helpmann
Kim Greist.... Jill Layton
Jim Broadbent.... Dr. Jaffe
Barbara Hicks.... Mrs. Alma Terrain
Charles McKeown....Harvey Lime
Derrick O'Connor.... Dowser
Kathryn Pogson.... Shirley
Bryan Pringle.... Spiro

Director…………….Terry Gilliam
Screenplay…………Terry Gilliam & Tom Stoppard
Runtime……………..131 minutes

BRAZIL: DVD EXTRAS
The DVD features a host of extras, far too many for this review to detail; here is a list of titles and timings.

1. Welcome [:28]
2. "Why is It Called Brazil?" [3:18]
3. The Buttle House [3:43]
4. Favorite Tracking Shot [2:32]
5. The Flying Sequence [2:29]
6. The Ministry Set [3:16]
7. Researching Brazil [2:43]
8. Shoe Hats and Food Pictures [5:22]
9. An Elaborate Labyrinth [2:24]
10. De Niro's Bit Part [4:29]
11. Tweedledee and Tweedledum [3:43]
12. Billing People for Their Torture [5:24]
13. A Turning Point [7:32]
14. "Two Halves of a Whole Personality" [4:27]
15. "Inefficiency Masquerading as Order" [1:58]
16. Sam's Dreams [3:31]
17. Pure Silliness and Going Too Far [1:33]
18. Logic and Mood [4:30]
19. Mr. Helpmann: The Crippled Leader [2:22]
20. The World of Shadows [3:52]
21. Office Workers Love This Movie [5:44]
22. The Corridor Upstairs [6:22]
23. Ray Cooper and Michael Kamen [4:44]
24. The Sam Lowry Character [5:08]
25. Rubber Suits and Model Shots [5:48]
26. "My Original Idea for the Film..." [4:00]
27. Talking Evil With George Lucas [5:27]
28. Invasion of Sam's Flat [3:57]
29. Gilliam's Background [6:37]
30. The Trick to Filmmaking [3:45]
31. Two Deleted Scenes [3:47]
32. Shooting in the Water Tower [6:29]
33. The Shopping Center [2:08]
34. The Felliniesque Funeral [5:27]
35. American and European Endings [4:01]

BRAZIL TRIVIA
One of many working titles for this movie was '1984 and a half'.
George Orwell's estate took exception to this so it never became the release title.
Gilliam was at odds with Hollywood producers who wanted the movie to have a happy and romantic ending. At one point he disowned the movie in protest before its eventual release.
 

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