145 of 1001 Movies: Brazil (1985)

Terry Gilliam makes a unique and comical satire based on George Orwell's 1984. Maybe not so much based on as a spoof of. Though this movie does run a bit long to be a satire it does have some good moments, and some lulls. What keeps it alive though is the stunning filming and the cast that works together well. Despite the comical nature there is also something dark about the film that lurks as well, so it keeps you on your toes, and does contrast well against the lighter side of the film.

Summary: Sam works for the government, and seems quite discontent with his life. He keeps dreaming of a fantasy world outside his dystopian existence where he rescues a woman and flies. Sam's mother has hopes of advancing him in the government but he refuses. When a young woman drops in to try to right a wrong arrest made of a man who has the same name of a wanted man, she ends up being under the eye of the government in the belief she is a terrorist. Sam recognizes her as the face from his dreams, and begins trying to stop the bureaucracy from arresting her, but becomes the target as well.


Acting: What makes the movie top notch is the acting. Jonathon Pryce as Sam and Kim Greist as Jill have a lot of chemistry with each other, and they add a lot the lightness to the movie that maybe even the comedy doesn't. I guess what is baffling is how did Greist go from a movie like Brazil to Homeward Bound. Kathrine Helmond portrays Ida Lowry and really is one of the freakiest characters of the whole movie. I found her plastic surgery addiction just spooky.

Filming: The techinques used in this movie would go in to inspire a lot of other directors in their characteristics. Lots of shadows, colors, and bizarre settings are used in this film, and it's very easy to pick up on what Tim Burton would later add to his films or take the inspiration from .The colors are bright, and honestly for the 80's it probably has some of the better special effects you will see. Also the way the dark background of the plot is filmed against the comedic works well, because one never over powers the other.

Plot:  I think the plot really does convey a good satire of the genre of George Orwell. Those novels can be very dark in nature, and they don't deny the film that, but blending it with comedy does give the movie a very eerie effect. I think the actors though worked well with one another and took their characters seriously more so than most other comedies I've seen. The plot though really does get stretched out in the lengthier version of the film released and the brief one probably might have summed up the plot better.

Brazil is for most satire fans, and probably not for those who don't enjoy satires as much. The comedy is very dark, and the humor does veer on being British at times. All the elements of the movie work well though as far as the comedy, the action, the quirkiness, and the romance. This movie would even go on to inspire steampunk culture. Who would have thought?

Rating 7 of 10