X
- 1985
- R
- Universal Pictures
- 2 h 12 m
- 1985
- R
- Universal Pictures
- 2 h 12 m
Summary Brazil is a surrealistic nightmare vision of a "perfect" future where technology reigns supreme. Everyone is monitored by a secret government agency that forbids love to interfere with efficiency. When a daydreaming bureaucrat (Pryce) becomes unwittingly involved with an underground superhero and a beautiful mystery woman, he becomes the...
Directed By: Terry Gilliam
Written By: Tom Stoppard, Charles McKeown, Charles Alverson, Terry Gilliam
- 1985
- R
- Universal Pictures
- 2 h 12 m
- 1985
- R
- Universal Pictures
- 2 h 12 m
Brazil
8.5
Where to Watch
Summary Brazil is a surrealistic nightmare vision of a "perfect" future where technology reigns supreme. Everyone is monitored by a secret government agency that forbids love to interfere with efficiency. When a daydreaming bureaucrat (Pryce) becomes unwittingly involved with an underground superhero and a beautiful mystery woman, he becomes the...
Directed By: Terry Gilliam
Written By: Tom Stoppard, Charles McKeown, Charles Alverson, Terry Gilliam
Where to Watch
Top Cast
Metascore
Universal Acclaim
Based on 18 Critic Reviews
84
83% Positive
15 Reviews
15 Reviews
17% Mixed
3 Reviews
3 Reviews
0% Negative
0 Reviews
0 Reviews
Metascore
Universal Acclaim
Based on 18 Critic Reviews
84
83% Positive
15 Reviews
15 Reviews
17% Mixed
3 Reviews
3 Reviews
0% Negative
0 Reviews
0 Reviews
Gilliam's dystopian epic remains among his best, blending his trademark visual inventiveness with a vicious brand of social satire. Unique and essential.
It's a glimmering hunk of fractured brilliance riddled with Orwellian paranoia encased in a production design seemingly pieced together from the shared dreams of Franz Kakfa and Salvador Dali, and shot from cruelly low angles.
User Score
Universal Acclaim
Based on 332 User Ratings
8.5
87% Positive
289 Ratings
289 Ratings
7% Mixed
22 Ratings
22 Ratings
6% Negative
21 Ratings
21 Ratings
User Score
Universal Acclaim
Based on 332 User Ratings
8.5
87% Positive
289 Ratings
289 Ratings
7% Mixed
22 Ratings
22 Ratings
6% Negative
21 Ratings
21 Ratings
A unquestionably bizarre film, "Brazil" at first seems like an improvisation on Orwell's 1984, a funnier 1984, and ends up being like nothing else ever made by anyone, anywhere. An average fellow, the son of a rich, decadent woman, who works for the Ministry of Information, gets caught up in a series of bureaucratic nightmares inflicted by a heartless, tyrannical, uber-government. He fantasizes about flying thru the air, confronting demons dressed like samurai robots, and of a pretty blonde, who turns up in his life one day, the member of a rebel group. There was some controversy about "Brazil" back in the day because of its liberal use of terrorist bombings and its misanthropic character sketches. The story is nothing all that brilliant, but the visuals are magnificently dystopian, with fantastic, gritty, futuristic urban sets, pipes and ducts tumbling out of walls, police in **** garb, and depictions of luxury. I read somewhere that this movie was the beginning of the steampunk aesthetic. Bravo, Terry Gilliam!
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It is one of those science-fiction motion pictures people may not have seen for many years, a remarkable cinematography, sets and greatest direction by Terry Gilliam, full of images that you need to experience with and those images have representations. If someone who is a Monty Python fan, I highly recommend this.
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A ferociously creative 1985 black comedy filled with wild tonal contrasts, swarming details, and unfettered visual invention--every shot carries a charge of surprise and delight.
Brazil can be enjoyed without knowledge of the behind-the-scenes circumstances but the rich irony of the parallels between Gilliam and his fictional creation, Sam Lowry, add a layer of appreciation to the project that it otherwise lacks.
Blindingly obtuse, excessively morose, the film is nevertheless dazzling in its inventive and massive sets and spectacular in its techniques...A powerful work that is both bleakly funny and breathtakingly assured.
Brazil doesn't add up to much, not only because its cautionary tales are familiar, but because it has no real point of view, nothing urgent under its facile symbols. And the story winds on and on looking for a finish. Three or four times I reached for my coat prematurely. [17 Feb 1986, p.26]
Terry Gilliam's Brazil is a highly engaging black comedy that uses a dystopian society as its backdrop, and puts a unique twist on the genre, and through Gilliam's camera lens, it's a truly bizarre and memorable vision. The dystopian genre is very interesting, and it's one that is always exciting to see what they'll come up with it. With Brazil you have something totally different, you have hints of humor thrown into the film's storyline, and it adds something to the enjoyment of the film. Dystopian society films are often dark, nightmarish portraits of a society, but with this film we get something very different. The formula here has been reworked to give the storyline a bit more range than your standard dystopian film, and in turn it makes for a truly engaging experience. In the hands of Terry Gilliam, you have a well crafted picture with some truly stellar performances from its cast, especially from lead actor Jonathan Pryce who lights up every scene that he's in. Brazil is a great film, one that succeeds at delivering a different take on your standard dystopian society film, and in the hands of Terry Gilliam, he crafts a standout picture that is sure to please genre fans looking for something a bit different. Brazil is eccentric in the way that it's told, and it makes for a truly entertaining two and a half hours. If you enjoy Gilliam's work, you're sure to enjoy this. What makes Brazil great is the fact that it has your standard dark, atmospheric elements than are synonymous with the genre, but there are also lighter touches comic relief to really make it stand out among other films. Brazil is great filmmaking and one of the finest dystopian society films I've seen. With a great mix of comedy and serious content, Brazil is a standout genre film that elevates the bar and makes for a truly worthwhile viewing experience.
I have thought of my own reason why this movie is called Brazil/ the ending, reason 1, obviously is that the song 'Brazil' is played numerous times throughout the film.
Reason 2: So, I've never been to Brazil and when I look up Google images and I see these beautiful pictures of Rio de Janeiro etc. and the amazing weather, it just looks like the dream place to live, a **** apparently it's a pretty dangerous place to live, with the slums it has a pretty high death rate, you have to be smart and know what streets are safe to walk down ect. It's safe to pressume Brazil is a False paradise.
Just like the end of the film is a false paradise for Sam. He's living the perfect life in his mind with his dream girl away from all the faulty machinery that's been ruining his whole **** in reality, he's not in paradise, he's strapped in a chair without a state of mind. And to top things off he hums the song Brazil before the credits role indicating that he's in a false paradise.?
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This is like a weird dystopian nightmare - less V for Vendetta and more 1984-ish, with a heavy emphasis on 'Big Brother' and government ministries. I knew it'd likely be a bit weird but it really is rather bonkers and there's not much context or information provided to the viewer as it goes on - we have to guess things as and when.
I recognised a number of well known comedian/actors, including Bob Hoskins, Gorden Kaye, Michael Palin and of course Robert DeNiro. There is some witty dialogue present but its not what I'd call a particularly accessible film - its very quirky and surreal with a weighty feel to it, so you have to be in the right sort of mood for it I suppose. It's very much a film about corporate and indeed government based bureaucracy. It's quite dark in terms of the themes covered and the visual look of the film - most settings are in barely lit dark rooms. I suppose it does well at putting an oppresive feel across. I did laugh a bit at the scenes depicting a worker or manager being hounded by a gang of other workers asking him questions, as he rushed down a long, long hall, reminiscent of MPs being hounded by the press I suppose (not that I feel sorry for them most of the time), due to the upbeat music played during these sequences.
There's an element of riddle present in some of whats said and given this film dates from the mid 1980s, its visually somewhat dated, a little like Blade Runner, only without the flying cars obviously. This is quite a niche sort of a film - not one that will likely appeal to too many people, certainly on first watch. I wouldn't really recommend this as such, as I don't think its the kind of film that will appeal to many unless your really in the mood for something off-centre.
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The critics love this movie, but somehow I didnt enjoy it much. I guess it is too surrealistic. I didnt like the protagonist Sam Lowry and his teenage like behaviour to another character I didnt like, Jill Layton, who was half a man. So of course I didnt like their "love" also.
And somehow the movie felt very long. Also the visual effects and sets needed much bigger budget in my view, because they look cheaply. The dystopian and bureaucratic world is well made though and something you will not forget so fast. And also there are some popular actors.
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I am really surprised about the number of positive reviews for this film !! it's one of the worst movies I've ever watched, I felt confused (what's going on?!) until the end of film, even the jokes were so silly.
I know the film is talking about satirizing the dystopian society, but it was so messy and you don't know what's going on or why !! maybe if you watched it at that time you will like it, who knows!
On my advice, don't waste 2 hours of your life on it.
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Awards
Academy Awards, USA
• 2 Nominations
Los Angeles Film Critics Association Awards
• 3 Wins & 3 Nominations
Boston Society of Film Critics Awards
• 2 Wins & 2 Nominations
