Brazil (1985)

Brazil (1985)

Terry Gilliam, the creative genius behind Monty Python, is back with a very weird dystopian drama, Brazil. The film is clever, visually creative, and did I mention weird? Yeah, the film is really weird which is normal for Gilliam. Still, the film is an effective retelling of George Orwell’s 1984. Gilliam created a film about a failing society that operates under bureaucratic nonsense. The film could have been super serious, but Gilliam uses dark comedy and his style of strangeness to elevate the story. It is not to everyone’s taste I need to warn. Some people may think the film goes nowhere or would not understand what is going on. Not even I am sure if I fully understand what was happening, but I was down for it.

The film had a checkered past. The studio Universal was very hesitant to release the movie the way Gilliam wanted. The film ended on a dark note, but the studio wanted to give it a happy ending to make it more accessible for consumers a la Blade Runner. Gilliam created a public battle to keep his film the way it is. He showed his cut to local critics and friends. Once the film began to receive award recognition, Universal relented and released the film Gilliam intended. Sadly, the box office goals were not reached. It did receive nearly unanimous critical support and was nominated for two Academy Awards, so that meant something. This isn’t my favorite Gilliam film, but I am happy it received some support.

The film gathered some recognition thanks to its visual style. The way the film was shot-with extreme wide angles-was something that is rarely used. Gilliam and cinematographer Roger Pratt worked together to create something unique. They also worked on some interesting lighting techniques. If the way the film is shot seemed so familiar, it inspired future films. One film that comes to mind is Tim Burton’s 1989 superhero flick, Batman. The film also used some visual effects to its advantage. The film was intended to be in a world much like our own, but more destructive and counterproductive. I think Gilliam achieved his goal with the use of special effects. And the way some of the characters looked! Katherine Helmond comes to mind with her unique character design.

In the not-so-distant future, the world is ran by an extremely bureaucratic government that uses its computer system to track down terrorists. Like all computer systems, they can be prone to “bugs.” A bug is the reasoning that Harry Tuttle (Robert De Niro), a known terrorist was mixed up with a man named Buttle. Due to the mixup, Buttle died from heart issues. A government employee, Sam Lowry (Jonathan Pryce) is called in to investigate this error. Buttle’s neighbor, Jill Layton (Kim Greist) is trying to report the mistake to the government but fails because of the insane amount of paperwork that needs to be processed (bureaucracy problems, eh). Sam has these fantasies and many of them are about Jill. Because of his fantasies, it is a matter of time before the government deems Sam counterproductive.

Many of the performances are all delightful…and strange in their own way. Jonathan Pryce is excellent as the “average” Sam. He provided moments of levity when needed. The scene where he watches old TV shows when the boss’s back is turned comes to mind. I could not quite buy his relationship with Jill Layton, played by Kim Greist. Unfortunately, those were some weak moments within Gilliam’s script. The rest of the cast is basically glorified cameos, and all were excellent. In particular, Robert De Niro stole the show. Never would I believe that playing with wires would make for some good scenes, but here we are. Keep an eye out for characters played by Bob Hoskins, Ian Holm, and Jim Broadbent.

I definitely liked the hard dystopian edge Gilliam gave the film. People are leading lives under circumstances of control and paranoia. The police are shown coming through the ceiling and beating down any opposition. In other words, life is grim and the furthest thing away from happy. This is Gilliam’s version of an Orwellian world and through the use of his production design, cinematography, and Michael Kamen’s score, it really shines. Luckily, there is some humor and weirdness to make you at least chuckle at some point.

There is no denying that Brazil is a strange film. But that is what happens when Terry Gilliam is in charge of a picture. It may not have done bonkers box office or won a boatload of awards, but people do consider it one of his best films. Perhaps not me, but I still found much to enjoy in all its weirdness. The script could have used more tightening, but that’s just me. I enjoyed the film for what it is and I can recommend it.

My Grade: B+