Brazil Movie Review

Relentlessly nightmarish black comedy about an Everyman trying to survive in a paper-choked bureaucratic future society, while at the same time clinging to his hopes and dreams, particularly his dream girl. There are copious references to 1984, The Trial, and even A Clockwork Orange, as well as inspired mergings of glorious fantasy and stark reality intertwined with an astounding visual design. Our story follows the life of a petty bureaucrat (Jonathan Pryce) in a society where the lives of the people are dictated by the paperwork flow of an uncaring government. Early on, he becomes enamored of a young rebel and begins to yearn for freedom. Soon his spirit soars, characterized in his fantasies by a winged man battling the evil forces surrounding him. As he aids the rebels, a combination of government snafus and investigations turn his life into a nightmare. Monty Python alumnus Terry Gilliam, following studio demands, cut his masterpiece from the original 142 minutes down to the 131 minutes released in the U.S. (they also wanted a happier ending, but Gilliam wouldn't give in on that one). As of this printing, a longer cut, or possibly even a new edit by Gilliam himself, is in the works, to be released on a Criterion Collection laserdisc, with commentaries and supplemental materials.

1985 (R) 131m/C GB Jonathan Pryce, Robert De Niro, Michael Palin, Katherine Helmond, Kim Greist, Bob Hoskins, Ian Holm, Peter Vaughan, Ian Richardson; D: Terry Gilliam; W: Terry Gilliam, Tom Stoppard; M: Michael Kamen. Los Angeles Film Critics Association Awards ‘85: Best Director (Gilliam), Best Film, Best Screenplay; Nominations: Academy Awards ‘85: Best Art Direction/Set Decoration, Best Original Screenplay. VHS, Beta, LV MCA, FCT