Brazil (1985)

A bureaucrat in a retro-future world tries to correct an administrative error and himself becomes an enemy of the state.

Director:

Terry Gilliam

Writers:

Terry Gilliam (screenplay), Tom Stoppard (screenplay),

Stars:

Jonathan Pryce, Robert De Niro, Katherine Helmond

Nominated for 2 Oscars. Another 10 wins & 1 nomination.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Jonathan Pryce	...	Sam Lowry
Robert De Niro	...	Harry Tuttle
Katherine Helmond	...	Mrs. Ida Lowry
Ian Holm	...	Mr. Kurtzmann
Bob Hoskins	...	Spoor
Michael Palin	...	Jack Lint
Ian Richardson	...	Mr. Warrenn
Peter Vaughan	...	Mr. Helpmann
Kim Greist	...	Jill Layton
Jim Broadbent	...	Dr. Jaffe
Barbara Hicks	...	Mrs. Terrain
Charles McKeown	...	Lime
Derrick O'Connor	...	Dowser
Kathryn Pogson	...	Shirley
Bryan Pringle	...	Spiro

Storyline

Sam Lowry is a harried technocrat in a futuristic society that is needlessly convoluted and inefficient. He dreams of a life where he can fly away from technology and overpowering bureaucracy, and spend eternity with the woman of his dreams. While trying to rectify the wrongful arrest of one Harry Buttle, Lowry meets the woman he is always chasing in his dreams, Jill Layton. Meanwhile, the bureaucracy has fingered him responsible for a rash of terrorist bombings, and both Sam and Jill's lives are put in danger.

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Plot Keywords:

bureaucracy | terrorist | dream | bureaucrat | arrest | 

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Taglines:

Have a laugh at the horror of things to come.

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Genres:

Drama | Fantasy | Sci-Fi

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for some strong violence

Details

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Release Date:

18 December 1985 (USA)

Also Known As:

1984 and 1/2

Filming Locations:

Croydon, London, England, UK

Box Office

Budget:

$15,000,000 (estimated)

Gross:

$9,929,000 (USA)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Embassy International Pictures

Technical Specs

Runtime:

132 min 94 min (edited) 142 min (director's cut) 142 min (theatrical)

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The samurai sequence was originally conceived to reflect Terry Gilliam's love for Akira Kurosawa films.

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Goofs

When Sam Lowery first gets into Jill's cab, he says that he is number is D Zed stroke 105 (DZ/105) when in actuality his number is D Zed Stroke 015 (DZ/015)

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Quotes

[first lines]
Singers: [TV commercial jingle] Central Services: We do the work, you do the pleasure.
TV commercial pitchman: Hi, there. I want to talk to you about ducts.

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Crazy Credits

The only credits at the start of the film were the preliminary studio credits, a credit for Gilliam, and the title. All other credits are at the end. (Although commonplace today, the lack of full opening credits was still unusual in 1985). All versions of the film, including the "Love Conquers All" edit follow this format.

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Connections

Referenced in Fargo (1996)

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Soundtracks

"Sam Lowry's 1st Dream"
Written by Kate Bush

User Reviews

Beautiful and deep

When Brazil was released, I was an early teenager and I couldn't find anything exciting in this gloomy and old-fashioned movie. How wrong I was! Since then, I've seen it again many times and have appreciated every single bit of it. It's a masterpiece and I can now say I consider it the best sci-fi film ever made! Simply brilliant! As with all great films, there's no need to describe specific scenes or events to justify its greatness. Finally, let me link this film with Monty Python works. Terry Gilliam proves here why comedy is a very serious matter. Brazil is not comedy, although it has its moments, but he makes evident that a good comedian can produce a much deeper and dramatic film than a "serious" director.