BRAZIL

UK, 1985, 137 minutes, Colour.
Jonathan Pryce, Robert de Niro, Kathleen Helmond, Ian Holm, Bob Hoskins, Michael Palin, Jim Broadbent, Ian Richardson, Kim Greist, Peter Vaughan.
Directed by Terry Gilliam.

Brazil is the work of Terry Gilliam, the director of several of the Monty Python comedies and of such films as Time Bandits and The Meaning of Life. He co-wrote the screenplay with playwright Tom Stoppard and Charles Mc Keown.

The film is a satire on the future, a satiric 1984.The visual impact of the ' film is quite extraordinary, imaginative sets (the blend of the dingy past, the bureaucratic present and the technological future). The film explores themes of contemporary society, terrorism, totalitarianism, the suppression of the individual.

The film has an excellent cast led by Jonathan Pryce as the ordinary Everyman hero, the Winston Smith of Brazil. He is well supported by a cast who appeared in other Gilliam films including Katherine Helmond, Ian Holm, Peter Vaughan and Python comedian Michael Palin. The heroine is the attractive Kim Greist. A number of British character actors appear to excellent effect in satiric roles.

The film has many pastiches of other films, especially 1984, but they extend to an imitation of the truck scene in Raiders of the Lost Ark. The film owes a lot, however, to the visions or Orwell and Franz Kafka.

The popular song 'Brazil' is used as a theme with ironic effect for the lyrics. Brazil is a Never Never fantasyland, but also, of course, one of the countries of Latin America with military dictatorships and large bureaucracy.

Always interesting, often cruel, and quite depressing as well as funny.

1. Effective comedy, satire? Social and political comment?

2. The work of Terry Gilliam, his place within the Monty Python group, the films he has written and directed? His significant visual style: jokes, animation, parody, extravagant imagination? Vision of George Orwell and Franz Kafka? The homage to other films? Themes: Britain, bureaucracy in government, the affluent, war and terrorism, totalitarianism?

3. The quality of the sets and decor: the influence of the past, the '80s look, the futuristic tone? The television and computer age? Yet the dinginess of offices, the focus on ducts? The contrasts between the sleazy and the 'beautiful'? Offices, bureaucracy? Dreams and fantasy: The Samurai, Flight? Stunts and effects, terrorism, explosions? A blend of cruelty and humour?

4. The musical score, songs? The theme of 'Brazil' and its lyrics? Brazil as a country of the imagination, fantasy, Latin American bureaucracy?

5. The impact and effect of the film: amusement: amusement, provocation, alarm, warning? Britain as a symbol of 1984? Society an and terror, the decline of society and government, double talk, the ruthlessness of bureaucracy? Individuals within society, isolation? Ambitions, cover ?ups? Human vanity, pretensions, death? Torture? The options for the individual ? confront, withdraw?

6. The setting of the film: the television ad, the focus on ducts? The minister being interviewed, the long years of terrorism, the explosion, the injuries? The contrast with the grim humour of the fly in the computer room and its altering the computer printout? The Christmas sequence, the Puttle family, the terrorist raid, the storm troopers, the descent into the house, the arrest, the grim cloak for incarcerating prisoners, Brazil?

7. Sam Lowry as hero and Everyman: his work, his helping Mr. Kurtzmann, the cover ups, the visit to Mrs Buttle and his inadequacy in consoling her, his wanting to shift the blame, bureaucratic cliches? His intelligence but his difficulties in writing? His apartment and its squalor, the ducts? The air-conditioning and its faults, the phone call, Tuttle and his coming to fix things, the department workers and their turning the apartment into shambles? His friends, Jack Lint and his gung ho enthusiasm, Allson? His mother and her ambitions, social life, attempts at rejuvenation, attracting men her ambitions for her son? Mr. Helpmann and his memories of Sam's father, the protection and promotion? The possibility of promotion and his refusal, Mr. Kurtzmann's fears? The reality of his life, his future? The contrast of his dreams, flight and soaring, the mythic winged hero, the maiden in distress, the idyllic beautiful maiden, his always waking up?

8. The editing in of Sam's dreams, an escape (also for the audience)'? The exhilaration of flight, the beautiful heroine, the cage, her being out of his grasp, his need to rescue her, flying through the clouds, the embrace? The irony of the buildings exploding through the ground, the skyscraper canyons? The nightmare of the giant Samurai, doing battle with him, his disappearing, reappearing, the dwarf masks on the bowed human creatures? His final dream of success, the rescue. Harry Tuttle killing the enemies, the escape. the flight with the truck, the beautiful countryside and Sam's final smile, his withdrawal and never wakening?

9. Sam and his ordinary life? The visit to the Buttles? The phone call and Tuttle's arrival? Spoor and his assistant? Their deaths? Kurtzmann and the officers, covering up? The effect of Mrs Buttle on his outlook? Seeing Jill as the girl of his dreams, pursuing her, looking up the records, taking the promotion to find out about her, helping her, rescuing her from the foyer of the building, using his power for her, his fear that she was a terrorist, the truck chase (and Indiana Jones)? The box and the explosion in the shop? His dreams fulfilled? His being rescued with her? His idyllic romance with her and the storm troopers at her death? His mother and her restaurant outings, the parties? Mrs Terrain, trying to match him with Shirley? His dislike of Shirley (and vice versa)? Mr. Helpmann and the toilet sequence, the discussions, memories of his father, giving him the job? The new job, the receptionist., the lift, meeting Mr. Warren and his busyness, the man in the neighbouring room, the pulling of the desk, using of the computer? His finally being caught, tortured. the encounter with Jack, Jack and his mask? The dream of his rescue and happiness? His withdrawal? Everyman’s life and its meaning?

10. Mrs. Lowry and her grotesque appearances, her face being stretched, the plastic surgery, her bright red hair, clothes, fashionable meals. the restaurant sequence with Mrs. Terrain and Shirley, the terrorism and their ignoring it? The plastic surgery and her being rejuvenated? Her party? Jill taking the place of his mother momentarily? Mrs. Terrain's funeral and her ignoring it? The rivalry with Mrs. Terrain and her injuries, her ever more bandaged face, her death ? the coffin and the spilling of the entrails? Shirley and her brace, awkwardness?

11. Mr. Helpmann, his role as minister, the bland television interviews, in the wheelchair? His helping Sam. his memories? Controlling, winning? His visit to Sam's cell as Santa Claus ? irony, cruelty? His cricket patter? The comment on the British bureaucrat with double talk?

12. Jill as the heroine, ordinary, friendship with the Buttles, the experience of the storm troopers. her going with the documents to find out the truth. her being moved from office to office, driving the truck. Sam's fear that she was a terrorist, her reaction to him, trying to get rid of him in the truck. the speeding? Her being rescued by Sam? The explosions in the shop, her arrest, her mysterious release, the idyllic romance in his mother's house? Her death, his removing her name from the file ? and her existing only in his fantasies?
13. Jack Lint as Sam’s contemporary, ambitious. his wife and family, the glib remarks about the triplets? Mr. Helpmann calling his wife Barbara ? and Jack calling her Barbara? His having tortured Buttle to death? His role as a torturer? His coming to torture Sam, the mask, the fantasy of his being shot and the reality of himself and Mr. Helpmann remaining alive and in control?

14. Robert de Niro as Harry Tuttle, idiosyncratic presence, the equivalent of the terrorist, his patter, work, his leaping away like Spiderman? His coming to help, the rescue, the deaths of Spoor and his companion? The final fantasy rescue, in vain as he is covered by the newspapers blown all over him. disappearing?

15. Mr Kurtzmann and Mr Warren and the contrast with the bureaucratic officials, Mr Kurtzmann and his fear, the group watching television and Casablanca while his door was shut, trying to catch them, his craven fear. the cover-ups, his not wanting Sam to be promoted? The contrast with the tracking shots showing Mr. Warren on the move, decisions, busy-busy-busy?

16. Spoor and his friend, the workers, the menace, the vengeance and the shambles of the apartment, the excremental death?

17. The gallery of characters - doctors, Spiro and his obsequiousness at the restaurant with the menus, the storm troopers etc.?

18. The role of this kind of cinema in shaping people's attitudes and raising consciousness?