# Brazil (1985)



## OzScaper (Mar 6, 2001)

URL: http://us.imdb.com/Title?0088846

Plot Outline: A bureaucrat in a retro-future world tries to correct an administrative error and himself becomes an enemy of the state.

Stars: Johnathon Pryce, Robert De Niro


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## neXus_6 (Feb 16, 2002)

*There's hardly anything here!*

this is one of the greatest movies ever made and all waht's here is an announcement and something which tells you what it's about!!!


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## Prophet4Profit (Feb 16, 2002)

I think that I'll repost my first post on Sciflicks.com here... for old times sake


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## Prophet4Profit (Feb 16, 2002)

*Brazil, Brazil, its the top of the hill! (and if no one else says it then I will).*

I had never heard of Brazil until one insomniac night I turned on the sci-fi channel. I have never seen it since, and still wonder why it seems to be considered late-late-late-night/ early-early-early-morning cable stock. The hose/cable hardware, the lighting, and the over-all weirdness of it first caught my attention. As the film progressed the satire hit me. It seemed to tie the modern tendencies of western society together, blow 'em up, and toss what remained into the meat grinder of beurocracy. This is exactly the process that The Great Historian In the Sky seems to use himself. 

It is real because it is so surreal. It is reasonable because it is so ridiculous. And though it may have just been the fact that it was 5:00 AM when the credits went on the screen, I was not only convinced that I have just witnessed the greatest film since Metropolis; but also had one of my usual 'holy @#$%! that was DeNiro?!' double takes. (That man is brilliant!!!)


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## neXus_6 (Feb 28, 2002)

It's not new but at least we got something...


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## Dave (Oct 8, 2006)

Why do so many people consider this the greatest scifi film ever made?

It is very slow; too slow IMHO. I liked the surealism, but why so retro? It's so retro it's almost 'Steampunk'! Obviously, it is a homage to 'Metropolis', '1984' and 'Fahrenheit 451', but it would have been more effective IMHO if it had projected a more realistic future, something more like 'V for Vendetta' just did this year. I guess one good thing is that it can never age.

A very good cast list though, and all used well.


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## ravenus (Oct 9, 2006)

Steampunk is bad? V for Vendetta has a realistic future? Wait a minute, V for Vendetta (the movie) was effective? I frankly thought it was purgative more than enything else...love Alan Moore's book, though.


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## Milk (Oct 9, 2006)

Its my alltime favorite movie. And I dont think its surreal at all.  I like Terry  Guilliam's movies but mostly im astounded he could concieve of a film this good.  Brazil accurately predicted the next couple of decades...  what film has done this?!?

There are very few things in this movie about a sideways future that have not come true in real life. Patriot act, terrorism, plastic surgery that extent, perpetual christmas, torture, the modern office, etc etc.  All these trends and occurances were not surreal but in fact dead on accurate. In fact based on seeing the movie in the 80's, at the end of the Reagan era, my mother asked me what the new alarmnism that would impose a police stat upon the USA  would be after Nancy's war on drugs, I replied "Oh, the new police state will be a reaction against terrorism, just like in the movie Brazil"  then it came true. That movie is prophetic.


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## pixter (Oct 9, 2006)

This movie kept alternating between absolutely hilarious and deeply disturbing the whole time I sat through it. When it was over, I didn't know what to think. I think Terry Gilliam explained parts of the movie as something he wanted you to laugh at, but then be ashamed you laughed at it. That pretty much was my reaction. Don't get me wrong, I thought this was a great movie, just a very different experience from the usual fare.


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## Dave (Oct 9, 2006)

ravenus said:
			
		

> Steampunk is bad?


Not at all, I'd enjoy a good Steampunk film. I just thought this film was emulating earlier films, rather that creating a style of it's own. Gilliam's working title for the film was even "1984½", but granted that it did have many interesting ideas of its own with the plastic surgery, perpetual christmas, etc. I'm probably being very harsh on something made over 20 years ago actually. 


			
				ravenus said:
			
		

> V for Vendetta has a realistic future? Wait a minute, V for Vendetta (the movie) was effective?


 Well probably not 'realistic', though it didn't make me want to go to the lavatory, and it had a little more pace. I think I was mainly comparing the 'finger men' with the 'ministry of information', and I can't believe Michael Palin as a torturer. I keep expecting the rest of the Spanish Inquistion to burst in.


			
				Milk said:
			
		

> Its my alltime favorite movie.


 You see, this why I posted my question. It must be me, I can't understand it. I much prefer 'Twelve Monkeys'.


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## tiny99 (Oct 10, 2006)

I myself am not a big fan of this film and was reminded of this again the other night when it was shown on TV. Decided to watch it again with more of an open mind, and was let down.  Personally, I think it suffers greatly from the directors ego, the performances aren't much and if anybody would care to point out the funny bits...


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## Quokka (Mar 6, 2008)

Probably not needed at this point but just in case **SPOILERS**

I watched this tonight and thought it was amazing, not flawless, but amazing none the less. The satirical script was so good but for me what carries Brazil is the acting, for such a surreal movie I thought the performances in this were simply brilliant.

This movie is not about depicting reality but about creating imagery and thoughts for the viewer and I think on this level it excels. The technology in Brazil is physically depicted so outlandishly that it’s ridiculous and I think that it’s this decision that helps Brazil age so well. IMO if this was remade now _exactly _the same but with the technology and special effects updated it would be an almost perfect movie but then 5 years from now we’d have an outdated SF flick, instead we have a SF movie from 1985 that is every bit as accessible now as it was 20+ years ago. And putting aside the physical depiction of the technology, everything else about Brazil is almost eerily apt and relevant today.  

To be honest I almost wanted Brazil to end at the scene where Tuttle stops to put everything in the trash can, I just can’t stress enough how much I dislike ‘and it was all a dream’ sequences but in the end I have to say the final scenes justify the decision, if not for the enjoyment of the viewer at the very least from the perspective of what I thought the people behind Brazil we’re trying to get across, and those final scenes drive home their ideas relentlessly.

The biggest thing I can’t understand is why it took me so long to hear about this film. Ok, I was 9 when it was first released and at the time science fiction meant aliens and laser beams but I’m still surprised (being a SF fan) that I only started hearing about this film in the last few years, as I said in the beginning it’s not a flawless movie but in my opinion it is without question a classic.

… and for the few minutes he was on screen I absolutely loved De Niro’s depiction of Tuttle .


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## Fried Egg (Mar 6, 2008)

I hated this film when I watched it. But that might have something to do with the fact that I watched it just after having read 1984 fir the first time. Having been completely blown away with 1984, "Brazil" just seemed to be the palest of shawdows in comparison.


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## Quokka (Mar 6, 2008)

Maybe a fair criticism judging by what's been mentioned above, I've read Farenheit 451  but have neither read nor seen 1984 or metropolis.


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## gully_foyle (Mar 6, 2008)

I always felt that Brazil was a reflection of England at the time, or more specifically of London. Just like 1984 was a reflection of 1948. I can't remember the reasons I had, but I guess the low level terrorism being used as an excuse to militarize the state was one. Still relevant today.


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## lin robinson (Mar 6, 2008)

A really fine film.  This was before Gilliam (one of my 2 or 3 favorite directors from "Time Bandits" on) learned how to wrap a satisfying ending.  But, as with Time Bandits, who cares?  It's gorgeous.

I am puzzled anybody would not find it surrealistic.   You don't really find huge cyber samurai warriors bopping around, or moms with shoe hats that turn into your girlfriend, or guys who get caught in trash and dematerialize.

A wonderful riot of imagination.    Perhaps the true act of creative genius was getting it made.  It's dumbfounding that somebody would finance this project.  But I'm glad they did.


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## gully_foyle (Mar 7, 2008)

lin robinson said:


> It's dumbfounding that somebody would finance this project.  But I'm glad they did.



Apparently the studio were appalled at it and wanted to shelve it. Gilliam took out full page ads in Variety asking why they were holding it back. They relented, thank goodness.


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## steve12553 (Mar 7, 2008)

Irregardless of the quality of the film (I enjoyed it but I won't argue the point), *Brazil* had a definite theme. It did relate to a society that was not truly free and that theme was, if nothing else, obvious. This, of course, made the use of the theme music in the Visa commercial on American TV more than slightly ironic. Either many people in an ad agency failed to get it or else they assumed that we wouldn't. *


*Hopely a fair amount of people have seen the group of ads where consumers purchase things with their cards, machine-like to music until someone dares to use cash and disrupts the harmony of the sheeplike purchases. The use of the Brazil theme is just a bit much for me.


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## lin robinson (Mar 8, 2008)

The "theme music" was a pre-existing song.  (From the 1944 movie of the same title and winner of best song Oscar for Ary Barroso)   It was not exactly a snatch from the Gilliam film to use it in a commercial.   In fact, the film is full of scenes, names, and tunes swiped from other films.

"Theme" of the film, in addition to being obvious, is not very important to its impact.


This is an FAQ of interest to fans of the flick:

BRAZIL (Movie, 1985) Frequently Asked Questions v1.3


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## steve12553 (Mar 8, 2008)

lin robinson said:


> The "theme music" was a pre-existing song. (From the 1944 movie of the same title and winner of best song Oscar for Ary Barroso) It was not exactly a snatch from the Gilliam film to use it in a commercial.


 
Still kinda foolish or possibly ignorant to allow that type of association into their advertising. I frequenty objected to those commercials because they promote exactly the type of "Big Brother" culture that Science Fiction has been warning us about for so many years. I personally root for the person with the cash and the anonimity.


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## lin robinson (Mar 8, 2008)

A LOT more people associate the song with Brazil (the country),  dance beat, and the 40's Carmen Miranda feel than with the film, I would say.    They can't really be responsible for idiosyncratic associations.

By the way, one working title for the film was "1984 and a half"


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## Steve Jordan (Mar 10, 2008)

Dave said:


> I think I was mainly comparing the 'finger men' with the 'ministry of information', and I can't believe Michael Palin as a torturer.



That was the point, I think: That such an average businesstype git could be a professional torturer in this warped reality.  (I am reminded of an episode of _The West Wing_, set after 9/11, when typically calm and businesslike Chief of Staff Leo McGary becomes a nasty, bigoted a** when questioning a White House worker who was suspected of being involved in a terrorist organization.  It demonstrated how far off-center extreme situations can shift a person.)

I think the most telling factor of any society is how much such absurdity becomes commonplace.  Sure, in Brazil much of the absurdity is pretty nightmarish (the torturing), but other parts are hilarious (the plumbing, the paperwork, the vehicles, etc).



Dave said:


> I keep expecting the rest of the Spanish Inquistion to burst in.



No one expects the Spanish Inquisition!  (Well, _somebody_ had to say it!)


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## lin robinson (Mar 10, 2008)

Spanish Inquisitions are never a surprise, since they are always preceded by an upside down question mark.


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## Steve Jordan (Mar 10, 2008)

OOoooohhhh....


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## spaceseed (Mar 25, 2008)

Much like some of Gilliam's other works, this is one of those films that I love, yet I have a hard time watching it very often. It requires a lot of mental stamina to get through it!


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## Rae (Apr 2, 2008)

I had vaguely remembered this film years ago, it wasn't until after I had watched 12 Monkeys again that I remembered Terry Gilliam directed this film.  I sought it out and watched it.  Then watched it again.

I found the film fascinating. After reading 1984, I saw many parallels, but also many differences.  Each actor played his part well, and the feel of the movie was eerie to me.  Thought-provoking, yet hard to digest.  This is a film I will return to.


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## lin robinson (Apr 3, 2008)

I think V for Vengance belongs in that same folder.

Yet, it's not exactly light viewing by any means.


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