Brazil (film)

Brazil (first released on February 20, 1985) is a dystopic black comedy feature film directed by Monty Python member Terry Gilliam. It was written by Terry Gilliam, Charles McKeown, and Tom Stoppard. It stars Jonathan Pryce, and features Robert De Niro, Kim Greist, Michael Palin, Katherine Helmond, Bob Hoskins, and Ian Holm. Co-writer McKeown also has a small role.

The world is a mixture of uchronic aesthetics drawn from various styles of the mid-20th century but without fixing it on a particular real-life timeframe since these appear along with futuristic machines, technology and organisations.

Synopsis

Set "somewhere in the 20th century" at 8:49PM, the retro-futuristic world of Brazil is a gritty urban hellhole patched over with cosmetic surgery and "designer ducts for your discriminating taste"; it appears to be almost post-apocalyptic in nature. This is not due so much to the given enemies of the state (terrorists), but to a bureaucratic implosion. Brazil has become so hopelessly overcomplicated that entropy has taken over and the world appears to be on the perpetual verge of complete mechanical failure on all fronts. Layered over this is the insanely increasing amount of paperwork required to get anything done.

The story deals with Sam Lowry (Pryce), a low-level bureaucrat technician whose primary interests in life are his vivid dream fantasies to the tune of a 1930s Brazilian song "Aquarela do Brasil". He inadvertently gets entangled in terrorist intrigue when his dream woman (Greist) turns up as the neighbor of a man ("Buttle") arrested as a terrorist instead of another man ("Tuttle") due to a typographical error (and literal computer bug, a fly that fell into a teleprinter). Other people in Sam's life include the real Harry Tuttle (De Niro), the "terrorist" who is actually a renegade heating technician; Jack (Palin), a family man and childhood friend of Sam's who works as a government torturer; and Sam's mother (Helmond). It also features his nervous boss, played by Holm, and a friend of his mother (who undergoes a series of increasingly disturbing cosmetic surgeries).

A mysterious wave of terrorist bombings is fought by the powerful Ministry of Information (MOI), whose jackbooted thugs refuse to admit to arresting and torturing the wrong man. Sam's simultaneous pursuit of the truth and the woman he fantasizes about brings him into contact with the higher echelons of the Ministry, despite Jack's repeated warnings that his quest will inevitably bring Sam more danger than he can cope with.

Analysis

Gilliam refers to this film as the second of a trilogy of movies, starting with Time Bandits (1981) and ending with The Adventures of Baron Munchausen (1989). He notes that the three films share a related theme of the struggle for imagination and free thinking in a world constantly suppressing such ideas. The story incorporates references to the final episode of The Prisoner, a UK TV series from 1967.

The plot has some awkward points, the most notable being the instant hate-to-love transition made by the female lead for the hero Sam. Gilliam later confessed to being disappointed with this element of the film, and by Kim Greist's performance. Jack Matthews - The Battle of Brazil: Terry Gilliam v. Universal Pictures in the Fight to the Final Cut.

Cinematically, the film has been viewed as a dark parody of science fiction adventure films (the film has been specifically referred to as lampooning Star Wars, but the same sentiment could also apply to similar themed works that came after, such as The Matrix). Such films often feature a reluctant, ordinary citizen being transformed into a hero against a faceless, omnipresent dictatorship. Brazil lampoons many features of the genre.

Some of the film's core ideas are open to interpretation. Where exactly does Sam slip from reality into fantasy? Do terrorists actually exist, or is it simply the MOI staging bombings to give reason for its existence? Analysts from the political left raise the question whether parallels are meant to be made between the world of Brazil and either the societies of the United Kingdom under Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher (1979–1990) or the United States under President Ronald Reagan (1981–1989), both contemporary to the film's production. Conversely, analysts from the political right draw parallels between Brazil's government bureaucracy with communism, social-democracy and socialism, especially the humorous satire of the cliche of an 'efficient' centrally planned economy pervading the entire film. This analysis is in analogy to Orwell's novel Nineteen Eighty-Four (the movie was indeed originally scheduled to be released in 1984). Unlike the austere, rigid society of Orwell's novel, however, the society in Brazil is also characterized by unbridled materialism and superficiality (as represented by female characters' obsession with plastic surgery, for instance). The movie can thus be interpreted from a civil libertarian perspective from either the political left or right. It is never made clear what country or year the movie is set in (although the vehicles have the driver's seat on the left). Given Gilliam's own experiences in the film industry, Brazil could also conceivably be interpreted as a critique of institutional Hollywood. In a more general interpretation, one could view the film as a warning against allowing faceless technology to control all aspects of people's lives. In this sense it could be argued that Brazil is a natural extension of the treatise against the British Industrial Revolution that forms the core of the novel Frankenstein. Compare also the graphic novel V for Vendetta, which was also developed in Britain in the early 1980s and which explores similar themes.

There is a distinct element of general bad luck, as demonstrated in a perverse version of what may be considered the Butterfly effect. The machinery of Brazil has no personality and exceedingly poor quality control, leading to a world where everything routinely breaks down even as the human beings duke it out in the middle. At the beginning of the movie, a scientist kills a large bug, which falls into a teletype machine, causing it to malfunction. This causes one of its printouts to read "Buttle" instead of "Tuttle", and it is Buttle who is captured, tortured, and killed. The hero's attempts to save his love only culminate in her death, and ultimately his resistance to the state's all-powerful authority only leads to his own ruination.

One overall interpretation is that a bureaucracy is ruthless, tyrannical, psychopathic, and without morality or feeling towards the people it claims to serve. The government's troops are portrayed as regular Joes whose deaths at the hands of the hero are as much murder as the deaths of their own victims. The government is not made up of malevolent minions, but merely ordinary men and women who are only doing their jobs, oblivious to the resulting suffering. There is a hint that the world of Brazil is run by its thugs — the Black Marias of the under-story below the MOI. The propaganda posters of the film are also a hint of the social forces being invoked.

A notable feature of the film's environment is the ducts (pipes). They are everywhere, running through people's homes (technology in the service of technology). They are almost alive in the biologically convoluted, complicated air-conditioning of Sam's house, for instance (as seen when the rogue Tuttle makes his entrance for an illegal repair).

Music

The song Aquarela do Brasil is the core tune in the movie, although various other pieces of background music appear. The score was written by Michael Kamen, who also composed music for Gilliam's The Adventures of Baron Munchausen.

The tune is broken down into two parts for the music. The leading tune, the part to which the words are sung, is generally used in the higher points. The eight-note backbeat ("dum dum dum, dum te dum te dum") is generally used alone and to a more sarcastic effect.

Controversy over the ending

As with Blade Runner, which had been released three years earlier, a version of Brazil was created by the movie studio with a more consumer-friendly "happy ending". Gilliam's original cut of the film ended on a dark note: the protagonist's improbable defeat of the Ministry of Information, followed by his escape to the countryside with his lover, is abruptly revealed to be nothing more than a hallucination. In reality, Lowry has been the victim of a Lobotomy at the hands of the Ministry, and his dream of escape is nothing more than a flight into fantasy within his shattered mind.

Universal Studios executives thought the ending tested poorly and wanted Gilliam to cut out the final reveal. The modified ending simply shows Sam and Jill escaping to a life in the countryside, creating the so-called "love conquers all", a clichéd ending of many Hollywood films. This version of the film, which contains many more dramatic changes (cutting its length to 90 minutes and incorporating much rejected material to make the most of the previously fairly unimportant romance scenes), was eventually shown on American television, much to Gilliam's consternation.

Production and release history

The movie, a production of producer Arnon Milchan's company Embassy International Pictures (not to be confused with Joseph E. Levine's Embassy Pictures), was released internationally outside the US by 20th Century Fox in Gilliam's original 142-minute version, while Universal handled US distribution. Universal chairman Sid Sheinberg and Gilliam disagreed over the film; Sheinberg insisted on dramatically re-editing the film to give it a happy ending, which Gilliam resisted vigorously.

Gilliam took out a full-page ad in the trade magazine Variety saying only, "Dear Sid Sheinberg, When are you going to release my film 'Brazil'?" The movie was shelved by Universal as the argument continued, but Brazil, though still unreleased, was awarded the Los Angeles Film Critics Association award for "Best Picture". Two weeks after the award, Universal was shamed into releasing a modified 131-minute version supervised by Gilliam, in 1985.

Upon release, Brazil performed poorly at the box office. Audiences were confused. Nonetheless, the film remains a cult favorite, particularly among Gilliam's fans. In tone and setting, it has similarities to Gilliam's later reality-twisting Twelve Monkeys, and the controversy about the film's ending is reminiscent of Blade Runner.

A best-selling book titled The Battle of Brazil: Terry Gilliam v. Universal Pictures in the Fight to the Final Cut by Jack Mathews was released in 1987, documenting Terry Gilliam and Sid Sheinberg's infamous fight over the film.

Brazil has also been compared to George Orwell's Nineteen Eighty-Four. In fact, Gilliam's working title for the movie was 1984½. Terry Gilliam claimed he had not read Nineteen Eighty-Four before making Brazil.

The 131-minute US version was released on VHS and LaserDisc. The original European cut is currently available on DVD. Sheinberg's edit, the so-called "Love Conquers All" version, was shown on syndicated television and is available as a separate disc in the Criterion Collection DVD release of the film.

In 2004 the magazine Total Film named Brazil the 20th greatest British movie of all time. In 2005 TIME magazine's film reviewers Richard Corliss and Richard Schickel named Brazil in an unranked list of the 100 best films of all time.

Trivia

The film was originally called Brazil because the bug that leads to the typo (central to the plot) was originally seen in Brazil in an opening sequence (the rainforest is being cut down and the bug travels to the industrialised world along with its fallen home) – this was later cut. Brazil is also the name of the piece of music used as a basis for the film's score: Aquarela do Brasil by Ary Barroso.
An alternative ending to the "love conquers all" version was proposed by the studio, finishing when the Ministry of Information is blown up; Gilliam referred to this with some acerbity as "the Rambo ending".
Jack's triplets are played by Gilliam's daughter Holly. In one scene, Jack calls her by another triplet's name, to which she replies: "My name's Holly."
The shadowy smoking figure that stalks Sam at various points in the film is played by an uncredited Terry Gilliam.
Sam's boss, Mr. Kurtzman, is named after Harvey Kurtzman, the Mad Magazine creator, cartoonist and magazine editor who gave Gilliam his start in publishing by publishing his work in the magazine Help and serving as Gilliam's mentor.
Vehicles:
- Jill's truck is a Scammell Lorries Ltd S24 tank transporter.
- Sam's "personal transporter" is a Messerschmitt KR175 with a jet engine attached to the back.
- The police personnel carrier is a modified Supacat.
(goof) When Sam forgets to exit the public transport vehicle at "Level 41" and gets trapped in the doors, the one-legged woman standing in the vehicle begins to fall over but is propped up by the other actors in the vehicle.
The technician at the beginning of the film (whose bug-killing actions cause the death of Mr. Buttle) is played by Ray Cooper, a musician who has worked in six Gilliam films as either a musician or as an actor. In The Adventures of Baron Munchausen he plays Jonathan Pryce's assistant.
A number of scenes contain action that occurs in the background at the same time as the foreground story is being watched. This occurs notably during the party scene at Sam's mother's apartment, where we watch an argument between Jack Lint and his wife, Ida being chased by a "suitor" and the professional actions of Dr. Jaffee as he appraises people for plastic surgery.
The Samurai Warrior in Sam's dream sequences is played by Winston Dennis. Dennis had already played the Minotaur that battled Sean Connery in Time Bandits and would later have a major speaking role as Albrecht in Munchausen.
The Ministry of Information logo is "MOI" printed inside a black rectangle. This logo is seen all over Kurtzman's desk, indicating that the MOI has "official" items that its employees can use. These include tea cups, lamp shades and even Kurtzmann's goldfish bowl.
Prisoners who are about to be interrogated at Informational Retrieval are called "customers".
Background propaganda signs are similar to those that were posted around the UK during the Second World War, but with a subtle twist. These signs include:
- Suspicion breeds confidence
- Help the Ministry of Information help you
- Information: The Key to Prosperity
- -topia Airways (behind Sam and Harry as MOI is blowing up, note the implied ambiguity.)
- Don't suspect a Friend: Report Him
- Trust in Haste — Regret at Leisure (with a picture of a man behind bars)
- Who can you Trust? (with a picture of MOI officials underneath. Seen as Sam says "Trust me Jack")
- Mind that parcel. Eagle eyes can save a life (regarding terrorist bombs)
At the refinery where Sam and Jill stop the truck, a safety sign in the background indicates "__3 Consecutive Hours without a Time-Loss Accident". Another sign at the refinery says "Merry Xmas to all our Staff".
The motto for the Ministry of Information is "The truth shall make you free", which can be seen on the statue in the lobby. This is a quote from one of the Gospels: John 8:32 and is the slogan that greets visitors to the real-life CIA. In the context of the film, the MOI's job is to gather information — truth — from society, and by doing this sets society "free".
A Salvation Army–style marching band is playing in the shopping district. The banner at the front reads "Consumers for Christ", with a picture of a Dollar sign stamped on a Christian cross. The message seems to be getting across: a little girl sits on Santa's knee and asks, for Christmas, for a credit card.
A poster at Shangri-la towers is an advertisement for "Mellowfields", a holiday destination that appears to be a large and odd-looking ocean liner with a massive swimming pool fed by an artificial waterfall. Around the liner are a number of seaplanes. The words on the poster say "Top Security Holiday Camps. Luxury Without Fear. Fun Without Suspicion. Relax in a panic-free atmosphere."
The bizarre executive toy that is exchanged several times in the film (it actually appears to be the only gift anyone is giving anyone else) was designed specifically for the film, and was, at one point, considered as a possible piece of merchandise.
The Elsa Schiaparelli "shoe hat" worn by Sam's mother is based on a 1937 design by Salvador Dalí.

Footnotes

External links

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