Brazil (1985)
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Overview

The Ministry of Information is always watching.

This sci-fi/fantasy movie is set in a dystopian future Britain, although the exact time period is never made clear. Certain comparisons can be made, of the setting and some story elements, between this and the movie Nineteen Eighty-Four.

It contains moments of dark observational humour on society and bureaucracy gone mad. It periodically switches between the cold reality of Sam Lowry's existence as a clerk, and the fantastic encounters he experiences in his dreams.

Creation

Terry Gilliam wrote the first draft of the screenplay with writer Charles Alverson. Alverson was paid for his help but was uncredited entirely. Gilliam denied his help with the screenplay for over 20 years. Gilliam then had to tell the truth when in-progress documents were found. In the end Alverson did not get credit in the film or during the academy awards nomination for best screenplay. Alverson has gone on record to say he has not thought much of the screenplay or the movie.

Gilliam continued work on later drafts with Mckeown, and Stoppard. Titles not used for the film were The Ministry and 1984 ½ the second one being an obvious nod to 1984 but a less obvious nod to 8 ½ directed by Federico Fellini one of the influnces on Gilliam's Visual Style.

Gilliam admits to having never read the movie's primary influence, 1984. He has said he was inspired by the concepts and wanted to write it from a contemporary perspective.

Gilliam considers Brazil the second in his Trilogy of imagination films. Time Bandits, looking through the eyes of a child, Brazil looking through the eyes of a 30 year old man and The Adventures of Baron Munchausen looking through the eyes of the elderly.

Plot Summary

Sam's apartment

Sam is an unambitious bureaucrat at the Ministry of Information. He attempts to fix a seemingly benign clerical error. The error involves a case of mistaken identity. An innocent man named Buttle is mistakenly arrested instead of a man known as Tuttle. Sam's incompetent boss, Mr Kurtzmann, relies heavily on him to cover up any mistakes from their department. In attempting to correct the error, it leads him into a world of anti-government terrorists (including a rebellious heating engineer named Tuttle), state-sponsored torture and dreams come-to-life, such as the woman Jill. Sam dreams of being a winged hero that saves a beautiful woman from monsters. He is shocked to discover a woman of her exact likeness in real life and is determined to get to know her. In getting to know Jill, they are both thrust into a desperate escape from the authorities.

Production

During the film’s production there were multiple other possible titles such as, The Ministry of Torture, How I Learned to Love the System – So Far and That’s Why the Bourgeoisie Sucks. The Title of Brazil was decided when they found the signature tune Brazil by Ary Barrroso.

Michael Palin as Jack, a goverment interrogation officer

Robert De Niro as Harry Tuttle, heating engineer extraordinaire.

It is documented that Gilliam was not entirely happy with the performance of Kim Greist as the female lead, Jill Layton. Brazil is notable for having the so-called nice Python, Michael Palin, play a smilingly amoral government officer called Jack. Robert De Niro originally wanted this role, but Gilliam would end up casting him as Harry Tuttle, a heating engineer-cum-resistance fighter. Famous for his method acting, De Niro purchased his own tools and utility belt for the role. Gilliam used 14mm and 9.8mm lenses for wide angle shots. The very unused 14mm lens has been coined as the Gilliam due to his use of it on the set of Brazil.

Michael Kamen did many variations on the song Aquarela do Brasil, the song the film gets its name from. Kamen also did a version with Kate Bush that never made it into the film.

Release

"Love Conquers All"

There are five different versions of the movie, Brazil. The original 142 minute version was released by Twentieth Century Fox everywhere but America. Universal had US distribution rights and after poor testing of the ending, Universal executive Sid Sheinburg wanted to change it to have a happy ending. Something that Gilliam was adamantly against. After a period of time with no chance of distribution in America thus far, Gilliam took a full page ad in Variety asking Shienburg to release the right version of the film. Gilliam also had private screenings of the film without Universal's permission and Brazil was awarded the best picture by the Los Angeles Film Critics Association. The Studio eventually partly faltered and made a 131 minute version with Gilliam, leading to the creation of the third version of the film. The film's first release on VHS and Laserdisc had a 132 minute version. The 5 disc Criterion Collection Laserdisc Box Set released in 1996 and much later on dvd houses the final version of the film which is 142 minutes just like the original cut but uses a different introduction with clouds instead of starting with the Buttles.

The controversially edited "Love Conquers All" version was originally shown on television and then also in the box-set.

The Universal Blu-ray will be using the VHS and Laserdisc version.

Critical Reception

Brazil is currently considered a cult film. Tim Burton and Production designer Anton Furst studied Brazil for a reference for Batman. The Film has gone on to be on many best film lists and was nominated for two Academy Awards.

	Terry Gilliam
	Tom Stoppard
	Charles McKeown
	Charles Alverson	Uncredited

	Jonathan Pryce	Sam Lowry
	Robert De Niro	Archibald 'Harry' Tuttle
	Katherine Helmond	Mrs. Ida Lowry
	Ian Holm	Mr. M. Kurtzmann
	Bob Hoskins	Spoor
	Michael Palin	Jack Lint
	Ian Richardson	Mr. Warrenn
	Peter Vaughan	Mr. Helpmann
	Kim Greist	Jill Layton
	Jim Broadbent	Dr. Jaffe
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Name	Brazil
US Release	Dec. 18, 1985
UK Release	Feb. 22, 1985
AUS Release	Sept. 12, 1985
Runtime	142
Language(s)	Add a new language English
Genre(s)	Add a new genre Sci-Fi Comedy Drama Fantasy
Theme(s)	Add a new theme rebellion urban love twist ending futuristic alternate historical obsession
Rating	R
Alias(es)

	Time Bandits
	Nineteen Eighty-Four
	The Adventures of Baron Munchausen
	Kafka
	Delicatessen
	The Hudsucker Proxy
	The City of Lost Children
	Dark City
	Children of Men
	Visioneers

	Alarm Clock Troubles
	Cyberpunk With a Chance of Rain
	Dream Within a Dream
	Dream the Impossible Dream

Domestic	$9,929,135
Foreign	+$0

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Brazil (1985) Add