And now for something completely unique! (Brazil (DVD))

Member Name: MrTink12

Product:	Brazil (DVD)
Date:	15/11/06 (173 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Great vision, good acting, quality script

Disadvantages: Not a film for all, few special features

Terry Gilliam (Monty Python and The Holy Grail (1975), Twelve Monkeys (1995)) directed Brazil, a film released in 1985. The film was co-written by Gilliam, alongside Tom Stoppard and Charles McKeown. It is hard to put Brazil into a single movie genre, since it is a mixture of sci-fi, fantasy, romance and dark comedy. This review will be of the Region 2 DVD released in May 2003.

Gilliam had some huge disagreements with Universal Pictures head Sid Sheinberg to get Brazil released the way he wanted. There is even a book on this, ‘The Battle for Brazil’ (1987), by Jack Matthews. Thankfully Gilliam prevailed, and we are all able to watch this film the way it was intended.


--------The Storyline--------
Brazil takes place in an alternate reality or future ‘8.49 p.m., somewhere in the 20th century’, showing a society run by bureaucracy threatened with terrorists. Sam Lowry (Jonathan Pryce) is the main character. He has low career ambition and works for the Ministry of Information’s Department of Records. Ida (Katherine Helmond), his plastic surgery prone mother, has many high profile contacts and wants Sam be given a promotion. The only way for our hero to escape from this bureaucratic society and overbearing mother is to dream of flying and saving his perfect woman.

In this bizarre world, a bug falls into a typewriter changing ‘Tuttle’ into ‘Buttle’, causing the wrong man to be arrested and executed. The real wanted man, Harry Tuttle (Robert De Niro) is an air-conditioning repairman who turned his back on the government due to the sheer amount of paperwork. To illustrate the bureaucracy inherit in this society, the arresting official tells the Buttle family to sign ‘your receipt, and this is my receipt for your receipt’. Sam involves himself in this case after noticing the error on some paperwork, meeting the woman of his dream along the way, truck driver Jill Layton (Kim Greist). She is a wanted woman, but Sam will not give up wanting to find out more about her even if this brings about his downfall. Therefore Sam does accept the promotion at Information Retrieval to ease his task in finding Jill.


--------My opinions--------
The first viewing of Brazil can lead to feelings of ‘what is going on? This is not the easiest film to comprehend. As such, this is a film that must be seen more than once to be truly appreciated. For example more repeat viewings highlight that there is some magnificent dark humour to enjoy, that woks so well due to the impressive script on offer. Additionally there are propaganda signs throughout the picture such as, ’Suspicion Breeds Confidence’, ‘Who can you trust?’ and ‘Trust is haste, regret at leisure’, highlighting that this is a controlled society .

I think we can all to an extent relate to Sam’s character. It would be great to have dreams that help us escape our everyday troubles, whether it is dull work, repressive government, non-existent love life, or family conflicts. Yet we must be careful, and unlike Sam, keep our feet firmly on the ground and maintain our sanity.

Most impressive about Brazil has to be the imagery. Gilliam has such magnificent imagination, highlighted throughout the picture by the numerous extravagant dream sequences. In addition, there are some neat special effects such as the facelift given by Dr Jaffe (Jim Broadbent) to Ida.

In my opinion, the acting performances for the most part are of high quality. Pryce in the leading role produces a convincing performance as a man trapped in a system he has no control over. The few scenes that De Niro takes part in are, as you would expect wonderful. Other supporting actors to look out for include Bob Hoskins as Spoor, Michael Palin in the role of Jack Lint, and Ian Holm playing Mr Kurtzmann.

Without giving too much away, the end is superb and fits the overall mood of the film well. Its great how the conclusion can be considered thought provoking, open to different interpretations.


--------Special Features--------
There is a theatrical trailer of Brazil, a rather standard extra for a DVD to contain. The main special feature attraction is an award-winning 30 minute documentary, ‘What is ‘Brazil?’ We are introduced to cast and crew attempting to answer what the film is about. Some on set footage is shown, as well as production shots. It does look its age – over 20 years old – but provides a fine insight into this movie. A criticism must be that the US Region 1 Criterion Collection release in contrast contains all manner of special features. For example there is an alternative cut of Brazil title ‘The Love Conquers All’ – the Sheinberg 94-minute version that serves to show just why Gilliam vision is the definitive version of this film.


-------Final Comments--------
Brazil is an unforgettable movie, and one that if you get the opportunity to see you ought to. The DVD is cheap enough to warrant a purchase outright. It is not a film for everyone; there will be those that detest it I am sure. Nonetheless this is a fantastic piece of work that Gilliam should be praised for directing and co-writing.

Summary: Quality film!!