Brazil

Since Amazon lumps the reviews for all the various releases of this movie together, I want to be clear that this review is for the single disc, 132 minute blu-ray version with the cover picture of smiling man made of bricks with the word "Brazil" flying out of the top of his head.For those who don't know the history of this movie - there are at least three different versions. It was originally released in Europe as a nearly two and half hour long film. The studio who financed it didn't like that version because it A. was too long, B. was too uncommercial and C. had a dark, depressing ending. The contract they had with Gilliam stipulated that the movie had to be less than 2 hours and 15 minutes, so it could have multiple prime-time showings in theaters. They suggested he cut the ending.Gilliam refused, so the studio took it upon themselves to create the "Love Conquers All" version, which chopped out almost an hour of footage - they only kept the parts that showed the main character Sam in a heroic light, anything that contributed to the Sam/Jill love story and anything that featured Robert DiNero. And, of course, the ending was changed to a happy ending by removing the final scene. Also, to make the plot easier to follow, they used some alternate takes, some deleted footage and hired voice actors to overdub dialog.Unsurprisingly, Gilliam didn't want that version released, so he finally edited the movie down to 2 hours and 12 minutes, kept the dark ending and made a few other minor changes and the studio was contractually obligated to release that version to theaters in the United States.It's this US version that appears on the blu-ray, with absolutely no additional features (not even the Gilliam commentary that's included on most other releases of the film). Annoyingly, they also added advertisements for other movies to the main menu screen. But I'm still happy to have this version, because it's the first time I've seen the "US edit" since originally seeing the film in a theater on the campus of Penn State back in my college days.I can't really write an unbiased review of the movie itself, because from that first viewing I became obsessed with both Brazil and Terry Gilliam's films in general. I bought all his movies on VHS as soon as they came out and eventually replaced them with DVDs. I bought the 3-DVD Criterion "Final Cut" version of Brazil back when it was an expensive new release. I was surprised that it included scenes I'd never seen before - I think it's based mostly on the European version, with some additional tweaks by Gilliam. It also included the "Love Conquers All" version of the movie and a ton of bonus features. Sadly though, it wasn't animorphic, so on my widescreen TV it put black letterboxing bars on all four sides, shrinking the picture down to about 60% of the screen.This blu-ray was exactly what I was looking for. While it's missing a few (non-essential) scenes, it's the version of the movie that I "grew up" with and is presented in full 16X9 animorphic widescreen. It's the best looking version I've seen since originally seeing it in the theater. For example, I never really noticed the makeup on Katherine Hellmond at the beginning of the movie to make her look older (pre-surgery), but it's clearly visible on the blu-ray. I've always felt bad for one actress during the explosion scene in the restaurant because it looks like she really does get hit by some of the flying debris - the blu-ray is maybe a little too clear there, because now I can tell it's just a dressed-up mannequin.As for the movie itself - it's one of those films you'll either love or hate. Its alternate-reality, retro-futuristic look makes it seem nearly as fresh and amazing today as it did when it first came out. And the background plot of a government bureaucracy turning a country into a surveillance state in response to a perceived terrorist threat - I know it was based on things happening in England at the time, but it's like Gilliam had a crystal ball and looked 30 years into the United States' future. The alternating between "reality" and dream sequences and the general Gilliam quirkiness will probably put a lot of people off, but it's what drew me to this movie in the first place.If you become fanatical about the movie like I am, you'll need both this blu-ray and the Criterion release. To fully experience the film you need to see every version (even the Love Conquers All version) because each one includes bits that aren't in any of the others.If you do decide to watch Brazil and find that you like it, give some of Gilliam's more recent movies a try, like The Imaginarium of Dr. Parnassis and The Zero Theorem. Really, if you like odd, out-of-the-mainstream movies that you'll be thinking about for days after you see them, you can't go wrong with pretty much any Terry Gilliam film.

I realize this one's been around. A friend got me to watch it.I work in a cross between tech and construction and find a lot of absurdity in the day to day existence, so a lot of this movie had me giddy as heck. I was mentally making a list of all the people I wanted to push this on. And then the movie left me, well...5/5 just watch it. I am not okay.

Brazil [Blu-ray ]On this Blu-ray for the first time ever we get the ORIGINAL 132 minute version of the film as was shown in U.S. theaters.(Note: This is NOT the "Love Conquers All" Sheinberg/TV Edit.)All the DVD releases before this have been the European Version/Director's Cut of the film. Even the original Universal DVD release that said Theatrical Cut on the box actually had the European Version/Director's Cut.Unfortunately, Universal didn't really spend any time cleaning up the negative for Hi-Definition (there is very noticeable instances of dirt and debris on the negative) but it still beats the image quality found on the Universal SD DVD, and they do include an amazing DTS-HD Master 5.1. We'll just have to wait for the Criterion Blu-ray of Brazil for image perfection but serious fans of Brazil will want to get this Blu-ray edition just to have this version of the film as it was originally seen in theaters in 1985.I actually find this 132-minute version is in many ways a superior cut of the film. Here are the differences in detail:*In the 132-minute version you cut from Sam in bed with Jill, police sack goesover head, then CUT TO Pull off police sack to reveal Sam in TortureChamber/Interrogation chair. This one cut is simply brilliant and very powerful.In the Criterion Version you have the added scene of Mr. Helpman as FatherChristmas (completely out of charcater from the rest of the film) and the wholeinterrogation scene of Sam hanging from the rack inside the police/mail pouchwhich becomes narratively redundant and dilutes the impact of the final scene.*To end it with cooling tower/interrogation room fade to clouds was a great Gilliamwink of subversion and irreverence to the cliche Hollywood Ending. As opposed tothe European cut of just credits over cooling tower/interrogation room.*The Samurai Scene is divided into 3 separate scenes in the 132-minute versionversus 1 LONG scene in the European cut. And you know what? Like most things,it works better in 3's.*The 132-minute version cuts straight to the Dinner Scene with Ida (his mother)ordering numero deux, trois, etc. while the European version has the entrance tothe restaurant of going through the metal detector which really doesn't addanything and is again a bit redundant when the bomb does eventually go off inthe restaurant. With the scene, you're signaling to the audience we are looking for a bomb, so we expect a bomb. Without the added scene, the bombing is unexpected and it actually shocks you so you're both horrified and laughing. The unexpectedness also works as it builds upon the bomb motif from the first explosion at the beginning of Brazil during the Ducts advert.*And finally I just love that the 132-minute version opens on those clouds (outtakesfrom The Never-Ending Story) then goes to the Central Services advert aboutDucts: "Are your ducts old-fashioned, out-of-date... " Now the Criterion versionalso has the clouds opening (The Original European Cut didn't) but it's funnybecause the Studio asked Gilliam to start off with the clouds for the US Cut and heactually prefers it as quoted in his Director's commentary. Hilarious.Little changes that add up to a tighter and overall, better film.

This movie came out shortly after 1984's cinema release. The parody is better than the source material. Terry Gilliam never disappoints with the visuals. It is coated in Art Deco, and you find your eyes moving all over to soak it all in.Daily life is busy, often too busy. There's bureaucracy everywhere. One small mistake, one bug, can derail society. We thought this would have been with the y2K bug, but thankfully not.This movie is a must watch.

I don't hand out full stars lightly. I was lucky enough to be living in the UK when this first showed up, so I saw the proper version first. The folks who don't "get" it are, frankly, not very bright (or had the misfortune to see the "happy ending" version, which truly makes no sense). I was 16 when i first saw Brazil, and it all made perfect sense to me as a brilliantly crafted story about the terrors of bureaucracy gone mad, and a ruling class manufacturing terror in order to rationalize the stripping away of human rights. I wrote my first film paper about this one in college. It's still one of my favourite films. Just avoid it if you don't enjoy thinking, or don't appreciate dark British humour.

Brazil is the most celebrated Gilliam's film, the perfect mix of all his obsession and most peculiar features. The most distopian place in cinema history where middle-age hints and ultramodern, heavy and plastic design creates an environment that looks like an oppressive and concentrational mix between a mall, a prison and a fortress.A concrete manifestation of a nightmare and also a giant metaphor of totalitarism hidden behind a capitalistic system based on consumerism and corporation.But, apart from that, Brazil is not just a sociological film, but an intimate, absurd and compelling tale of a man's solitude, whose surreal and dreamy (or nightmarish) parts are maybe the best, not only visually, but also dramatically. The supporting role of De Niro is surprising and darkly ironic.It is quite excessive and heavy, so not enjoyable on any occasion, but such a personal and visually beautiful film.The blu ray is excellent, exposing the complex and rich visual quality of the film

...personally (and despite being a huge Gilliam fan) I think it loses its way a little in the second half, but is nonetheless visually stunning, pointed and funny. If you want to know whether to replace the DVD, the picture quality is massively better, so that' s a yes if you love the film. Just beware the soundtrack a little - the dynamic range is rather off, so the quiet bits mean you need to turn the sound up, but the loud bits then require it turning down again - this grates just a little after a while.

BRAZIL [1985/2014] [Limited Edition Steelbook] [Blu-ray] The Truth Will Make You Free! It’s Only A State Of Mind!It's only a state of mind. Jonathan Pryce stars as Sam Lowry in this surrealistic spectacle about a daydreaming bureaucrat trapped in a future dystopia where love is forbidden from interfering with efficiency. But with the help of an underground superhero [Robert De Niro] and a beautiful mystery woman [Kim Greist], Sam learns to soar to freedom on the wings of his untamed imagination, or so he thinks. Acclaimed filmmaker Terry Gilliam directs with an acerbic wit and poet's eye that dazzles like never before in glorious high.FILM FACT: Awards and Nomination: Academy Awards®: Nominated: Original Screenplay. Nominated: Best Art Direction for Norman Garwood and Maggie Gray. Ary Barroso's 1939 song "Aquarela do Brasil" ("Watercolor of Brazil", often simply "Brazil") in a version specifically performed by Geoff Muldaur is the leitmotif of the movie, although other background music is also used. Michael Kamen, who scored the film, originally recorded "Brazil" with vocals by Kate Bush. This recording was not included in the actual film or the original soundtrack release; however, it has been subsequently released on re-pressings of the soundtrack. According to Gilliam in an interview with Clive James in his online programme “Talking in the Library,” to his surprise ‘BRAZIL’ is apparently a favourite film of the far right in America.Cast: Jonathan Pryce, Robert De Niro, Katherine Helmond, Ian Holm, Bob Hoskins, Michael Palin, Ian Richardson, Peter Vaughan, Kim Greist, Jim Broadbent, Barbara Hicks, Charles McKeown, Derrick O'Connor, Kathryn Pogson, Bryan Pringle, Sheila Reid, John Flanagan, Ray Cooper, Brian Miller, Simon Nash, Prudence Oliver, Simon Jones, Derek Deadman, Nigel Planer, Terence Bayler, Gorden Kaye, Tony Portacio, Bill Wallis, Winston Dennis, Jack Purvis, Elizabeth Spender, Antony Brown, Myrtle Devenish, Holly Gilliam, John Pierce Jones, Ann Way, Don Henderson, Howard Lew Lewis, Oscar Quitak, Harold Innocent, John Grillo, Ralph Nossek, David Gant, James Coyle, Patrick Connor, Roger Ashton-Griffiths, Russell Keith Grant, Sue Hodge, Sadie Corre (uncredited), Margarita Doyle (uncredited), Dominic Ffytche (uncredited), Terry Forrestal (uncredited), Terry Gilliam (uncredited), John Hasler (uncredited), Frank Jakeman (uncredited), Sergio Kato (uncredited) and Peter Sands (uncredited)Director: Terry GilliamProducers: Arnon Milchan and Patrick CassavettiScreenplay: Charles McKeown, Terry Gilliam and Tom StoppardComposer: Michael KamenCinematography: Roger PrattVideo Resolution: 1080pAspect Ratio: 1.85:1Audio: English: 2.0 Dolby Digital Stereo AudioSubtitles: English SDHRunning Time: 137 minutesRegion: All RegionsNumber of discs: 1Studio: 20th Century Fox Home EntertainmentAndrew’s Blu-ray Review: ‘BRAZIL’ [1985] is from director/co-screenwriter Terry Gilliam, and is a combination of science-fiction, despairing black comedy and fantasy that combines elements of Fritz Lang's ‘Metropolis’ [1927], Stanley Kubrick's ‘Dr. Strangelove’ [1964], ‘Fahrenheit 451’ [1966], Stanley Kubrick's ‘A Clockwork Orange’ [1971] and Ridley Scott's ‘Blade Runner’ [1982].Throughout this superb film that satirizes modern technological society; one can glimpse numerous government propaganda signs, billboards, posters and writings that preach conformity and Big Brother wariness - all references to Orwell's 1984. [The signs are credited to co-scriptwriter Charles McKeown.] Police are represented as Nazi-like storm troopers, and the names of two major officials have stereotypical German names: Kurtzmann and Helpmann.The influential film's enigmatic title refers to the popular Latin song from the late 1930s by Arry Barroso, often used as an escapist theme in the orchestral soundtrack by Michael Kamen. Other titles were considered for the film: ‘The Ministry of Torture,’ ‘1984’ (homage to Fellini's ‘8 ½’), and ‘How I Learned to Live with the System,’ so far. The normal workers in society are docile, powerless, and obedient - to avoid calling attention to themselves and ending up eradicated (literally and figuratively) from the files in the Ministry of Information's flawed computer system.This popular and compelling film with a large cult following is one of the most visually imaginative, breath-taking, eccentric films ever created, with incredible sets, dazzling inventiveness and production design by Norman Garwood. The film is so visually dense that it takes several viewings to fully comprehend i.e., the billboard slogans, the user-unfriendly technical gadgets, the unforgettable images, etc. The most memorable and outrageous components in the absurdist film include the ugly, violent, nightmarish urban environment, and the miles of inept plumbing, piping and ductwork that continually proliferate and threaten to malfunction. The title is based on the Ary Barroso/S.K. Russell song of the same name, with the lyrics: "Brazil” and includes the words, “Where hearts were entertaining June.” “We stood beneath an amber moon.” “And softly murmured 'someday soon,'” “We kissed and clung together,” “Then, tomorrow was another day,” “The morning found me miles away” and “With still a million things to say."The morose and complex plot, set in a decaying, terrorist-threatened London type metropolis with a Fascist government, revolves around a meek, unambitious, and humble urban worker/computer expert named Sam Lowry [Jonathan Pryce] in the red tape-plagued, bureaucratic Ministry of Information. As a lone hero, he combats the real technological threat of “The Machine Age” to his life by his fantasies of defiance as a winged saviour during his nightly dreams. To escape reality and his grinding down by oppressive, official forces, both in the real world and in his imaginative dreams, in the form of evil creatures, he dreamily wings his way into the sky with lofty but doomed flights and away from technology toward a blonde fantasy-dream girl [Kim Greist]. The film's chain of events is set in motion by a clerical error, which condemns an innocent man, and causes Sam to meet his dream girl who is a suspected terrorist. His apparent salvation from the nightmarish, chaotic, paper-choked, poorly-functioning society comes in the form of a guerrilla heating-engineer and terrorist enemy of the state Harry Tuttle [Robert De Niro], whose renegade behaviour is opposed by the state's own Central Services representative [Bob Hoskins] and Sam's friend-turned-sinister MOI official Jack Lint [Michael Palin]. But in the end, the lowly and self-deluded worker is persecuted and tortured to death while again imagining escape to an illusory idyllic paradise that is free of societal restrictions.However, it may be argued that the existence of “terrorists” in the film i.e., Jill Layton [Kim Greist], Harry Buttle [Robert De Niro] and Sam Lowry [Jonathan price] are all accused of being terrorists, and various “terrorist” acts, i.e., the restaurant and shop bombing, the blown up car, are deliberately made ambiguous and it is very probable that the central threat of terrorism is the government's way to silence deviation, provoke fear, cover up its multiple errors, and provide a scapegoat enemy. Viewers must interpret this central theme of the film for themselves and recognise the fact that ironically and there may be no terrorists at all.Former animator Terry Gilliam, is famous for his work in the TV comedy ‘Monty Python's Flying Circus’ and in his two previous films ‘Time Bandits’ [1981] and ‘Monty Python's The Meaning of Life’ [1983], and wrote the screenplay for the bleak, futuristic film with playwright Tom Stoppard and Charles McKeown. Its two Academy Award nominations were for Best Screenplay and Best Art Direction/Set Decoration both unrewarded with Oscars. The film, a merging of fantasy and reality, was considered part of a "dreamer" trilogy, of sorts, an Age of Reason trilogy reflecting the different ages of man's reason and of Terry Gilliam himself, in which reason is the opposite of fantasy and dreaming.The film fared poorly and disappointingly at the box-office. However, in intervening years, especially after the release of the original, full-length Director's Cut (142 minutes long, combining footage from both the American and European theatrical release versions) which of course is the shorter version with this particular Blu-ray disc, and it has been critically-acclaimed as a social satire on the dehumanising, claustrophobic effects of technology and government, and regarded as one of the greatest cult classics ever made.Blu-ray Video Quality – The film has been framed at 1.85:1 for this 1080p transfer. It’s a stunning-looking encode with superb sharpness which offers tons of detail to the viewer and colour saturation which is rich without ever going overboard. Flesh tones are very realistic and appealing throughout. While black levels may be a shade or two lighter than optimum levels, the wonderfully dialled-in contrast makes the most of the image quality and is by far the best the film has ever looked on home video.Blu-ray Audio Quality – The 2.0 Dolby Digital Stereo Audio track might not have the rich fidelity of more modern movie fantasies, but it plays quite well for the purposes of this film. If the explosions lack a bit of depth and impact and there are a fair number of them in the film, the other sound effects and the music all come forth very well in this lossless transfer. Dialogue is always discernible, especially as it is always placed in the centre channel with the 2.0 Dolby Digital Stereo Audio track.Blu-ray Special Features and Extra:Special Feature: What Is Brazil? [1985] [480i] [4:3] [29:08] This is on-set documentary directed by Rob Hedden, Terry Gilliam, editor Julian Doyle, co-writer Tom Stoppard, co-writer Charles McKeown, co-producer Patrick Cassavetti, and actors Jonathan Pryce, Katherine Helmond, Kim Greist and Michael Palin, among others, discuss what ‘BRAZIL’ is and what is its messages is. Sadly the quality of this documentary is of totally shocking quality and would have been best it had not been included and have had some other extra from The Criterion Collection for example.Theatrical Trailer [1985] [1080i] [1.77:1] [3:30] This is the Original Theatrical Trailer for ‘BRAZIL,’ but for some unknown reason it starts off as Black-and-White images, then eventually goes into colour, very strange?Finally, arguably Terry Gilliam's magnum opus, 'Brazil' is a bizarrely surreal, highly-imaginative black comedy set in a bleak, mechanical future. The frightful vision of a totalitarian, bureaucratic hell is a visually-arresting film where fantastical dreams merge with dreary nightmares and features terrific performances by Jonathan Pryce, Robert De Niro and Michael Palin. Courtesy of 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment, and this controversial, cult sci-fi classic arrives onto Blu-ray with an excellent audio and video presentation and very badly lacking in any decent supplemental material, but despite this, I am so pleased to add this to my ever increasing Limited Edition SteelBook Blu-ray Collection. Highly Recommended!Andrew C. Miller – Your Ultimate No.1 Film AficionadoLe Cinema ParadisoUnited Kingdom

Brazil is a funny, scary and creative film which takes a whimsical look at the world of George Orwell's 1984. I don't think it's quite the groundbreaking masterpiece some people claim - its plot can be messy and characters unfocused - but as a dystopian satire Brazil works very well.Jonathan Pryce plays Sam Lowry, a Ministry of Information employee. His job is soul-crushing, and he relieves the tedium with daydreams about himslf as a winged hero who saves a beautiful woman from a masked monster. These fantasies are the film's most fascinating element; they incorporate details from Sam's everyday life and create wonderful images, like a brickwork creature with the face of Sam's boss. When he sees a rebel (Kim Griest) who's the spit of the woman from his dreams he's inspired to find her and take on their repressive government.Brazil is a satire of beauracracy. Everything in director Terry Gilliam's world, even human life, is controlled by machines and paperwork. Early on we see an innocent working-class family torn apart when their father is accused of terrorism. This turns out to be an error though it's not spotted soon enough to reverse the damage, and the government cares more about assigning blame anyway. Gilliam presents this dystopia beautifully. I loved all the weird machines which are meant to help but only hinder, like a breakfast maker that isn't as useful as Chitty Chitty Bang Bang's.Brazil's major flaw is its scattershot narrative. The plot doesn't flow so much as lurch from one point to another, leaving behind characters who seem like they should be around more. Robert De Niro and Kim Griest, for instance, are underused. I'd have liked to know more about Griest's rebel, who has few lines which don't simply push the plot forward. That said, her counterpart in Orwell's 1984, Winston Smith's lover Julia, is presented much the same way.Ultimately, Brazil is a film of imagery and performance rather than plot. Gilliam evokes a world which is fun to explore and his satire's dead on. The ending is perfect; you'll rarely see a bleaker use of misdirection.

Oh you HAVE to see this one! A cast of very famous, high profile actors. A film by Terry Gilliam of Monty Python fame ;-) Although now very old, it is a very dark and prophetic tale of life in a country very, very like Britain in some Dystopian future. When I worked in London as a maintenance engineer, I would often go to the Westminster facilities where they collect the rubbish and clean the streets, etc. There was this huge hall with a marble floor and a lone guy behind a massive desk who was pretty clipped and official. I mentioned to some of the people in the canteen how similar many aspects of the facility were to the film and one of them responded with; "This actually IS Central Services mate!"