Brazil (1985)

A bureaucrat in a dystopic society becomes an enemy of the state as he pursues the woman of his dreams.

Director:

Terry Gilliam

Writers:

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

Stars:

Jonathan Pryce, Kim Greist, Robert De Niro

Nominated for 2 Oscars. Another 8 wins & 3 nominations.

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 (Jonathan Pryce) 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 (Brian Miller), Lowry meets the woman he is always chasing in his dreams, Jill Layton (Kim Greist). Meanwhile, the bureaucracy has fingered him responsible for a rash of terrorist bombings, and Sam and Jill's lives are put in danger.

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Plot Keywords:

bureaucracy | wrongful arrest | dystopia | dream | clerical error | 

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Taglines:

Have a laugh at the horror of things to come.

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Genres:

Drama | Sci-Fi

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for some strong violence

Did You Know?

Trivia

Although a huge new Paris apartment complex called Marne la Vallee provided the setting for Sam's Tower Block (Robert De Niro leaps up on a balcony and disappears down a wire cable fourteen stories up), the little figure of Harry Tuttle zipping down a cable was an inch-high lead figure dropping along a wire through a two-foot-high building model.

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Goofs

When Sam falls over Jill's truck's hood, she walks around and sees his right foot hanging on top of the grille over the truck's fog/turn lights. But when the angle reverses to show her, his foot is resting on the bumper, in front of the grille.

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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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Alternate Versions

The Criterion LaserDisc and DVD version contains both the Sheinberg/TV/"love conquers all" version and what Terry Gilliam believes to be the "final director's cut" (142 minutes). The Universal "bare-bones" DVD contains only the longer version (though it is misidentified on the DVD cover as the American cut)."

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Connections

Referenced in Requiem for a Dream (2000)

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Soundtracks

La Valse
(uncredited)
By Maurice Ravel

User Reviews

Terry Gilliam's best.

Brazil is a mad, paperwork obsessed, duct filled, shopping crazy world. In fact, Brazil is today, minus the ducts. Everyone is obsessed with shopping and in order to get anything done within the world of government, there is paperwork to be filled out, and filled out and on and on. Terry Gilliam's Orwellian nightmare is like a merging of Metropolis and his own mad drawings and cut outs the linked the sketches in Monty Python's Flying Circus. Bureaucrats abound in Gilliam's vision, and they run the place. Anyone with free will and imagination is thought to be dangerous. Visually, the film is a marvel of art direction and miniatures flawlessly edited together. So, be like Harry Tuttle. Go out, become a freelance guerilla plumber and try not to get consumed by paperwork. One last item. If you can, get the Criterion version of Brazil. It's the film that Terry Gilliam intended you to see.

Details

Country:

UK USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

18 December 1985 (USA)

Also Known As:

Brazil

Filming Locations:

Debenham House, Addison Road, Holland Park, London, England, UK

Box Office

Budget:

$15,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$30,099, 22 December 1985

Gross USA:

$9,929,135

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$9,949,953

Company Credits

Production Co:

Embassy International Pictures

Technical Specs

Runtime:

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

Sound Mix:

Dolby Stereo

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1