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Brazil

  • 1985
  • 12
  • 2h 12m
IMDb RATING
7.8/10
218K
YOUR RATING
POPULARITY
1,923
10
Brazil (1985)
Three Reasons Criterion Trailer for Brazil
Play trailer1:32
3 Videos
99+ Photos
Dark ComedyDystopian Sci-FiSci-Fi EpicSteampunkDramaSci-FiThriller

A bureaucrat in a dystopic society becomes an enemy of the state as he pursues the woman of his dreams.A bureaucrat in a dystopic society becomes an enemy of the state as he pursues the woman of his dreams.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
    • Tom Stoppard
    • Charles McKeown
  • Stars
    • Jonathan Pryce
    • Kim Greist
    • Robert De Niro
  • See production info at IMDbPro
  • IMDb RATING
    7.8/10
    218K
    YOUR RATING
    POPULARITY
    1,923
    10
    • Director
      • Terry Gilliam
    • Writers
      • Terry Gilliam
      • Tom Stoppard
      • Charles McKeown
    • Stars
      • Jonathan Pryce
      • Kim Greist
      • Robert De Niro
    • 665User reviews
    • 270Critic reviews
    • 84Metascore
  • See production info at IMDbPro
    • Nominated for 2 Oscars
      • 9 wins & 6 nominations total

    Videos3

    Brazil: The Criterion Collection
    Trailer 1:32
    Brazil: The Criterion Collection
    Brazil (1985)
    Trailer 2:35
    Brazil (1985)
    Brazil (1985)
    Trailer 2:35
    Brazil (1985)
    Guillermo del Toro and Neil Gaiman Find Hope in Powerful, Eclectic Films
    Clip 8:43
    Guillermo del Toro and Neil Gaiman Find Hope in Powerful, Eclectic Films

    Photos220

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    Top cast83

    Edit
    Jonathan Pryce
    Jonathan Pryce
    • Sam Lowry
    Kim Greist
    Kim Greist
    • Jill Layton
    Robert De Niro
    Robert De Niro
    • Harry Tuttle
    Katherine Helmond
    Katherine Helmond
    • Mrs. Ida Lowry
    Ian Holm
    Ian Holm
    • Mr. Kurtzmann
    Bob Hoskins
    Bob Hoskins
    • Spoor
    Michael Palin
    Michael Palin
    • Jack Lint
    Ian Richardson
    Ian Richardson
    • Mr. Warrenn
    Peter Vaughan
    Peter Vaughan
    • Mr. Helpmann
    Jim Broadbent
    Jim Broadbent
    • Dr. Jaffe
    Barbara Hicks
    Barbara Hicks
    • Mrs. Terrain
    Charles McKeown
    Charles McKeown
    • Lime
    Derrick O'Connor
    Derrick O'Connor
    • Dowser
    Kathryn Pogson
    Kathryn Pogson
    • Shirley
    Bryan Pringle
    Bryan Pringle
    • Spiro
    Sheila Reid
    Sheila Reid
    • Mrs. Buttle
    John Flanagan
    • T.V. Interviewer…
    Ray Cooper
    • Technician
    • Director
      • Terry Gilliam
    • Writers
      • Terry Gilliam
      • Tom Stoppard
      • Charles McKeown
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

    User reviews665

    7.8218.2K
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    Featured reviews

    bob the moo

    Visually fantastic but plot needed more work

    Sam Lowry works within the huge ministry of information in a near-future world of bureaucracy. A simple administration error leads to the death of an innocent man. Lowry finds himself drawn into a world where he is forced to go against the admin world that he works in with devastating results.

    This is one of Gilliam's best films (the other being 12 Monkeys). His nightmare vision is complete with wonderful visual touches - some inspired, some very unnerving in their originality. This satire on the world of bureaucracy gone mad has some wonderful elements that don't seem too farfetched - tiny offices, never-ending paperwork, a government so keen to cut costs that people who are arrested are forced to fund their own defence etc. The dream scenes and the romance don't sit too easily beside this element but they help add to the hallucinatory effect of the whole film.

    The feeling of paranoia runs wild through the film. Everything in it symbolises the uselessness of trying to work against a unbeatable system and the pointlessness of individual effort - witness Tuttle eventually overcome by the "paperwork" he once resisted. The only problem with the film is that the plot is mostly rubbish, at first it's hidden but in the middle section and the end the holes become obvious.

    The cast is mostly excellent despite forced to work with very weird characters. Pryce is brilliant as the quiet bureaucrat pushed into a nightmare by his dreams, although Kim Greist is dull as the focus of his dreams, Jill. The rest of the cast consists of a range of extended cameos including Ian Holm, Michael Palin, Bob Hoskins and an excellent Robert De Niro as a guerrilla heating engineer.

    The studio bosses wanted an upbeat happy ending to help sales - basically the final 45 seconds had to go. However Gilliam stuck by his guns and produced a film that is visually inspiring whilst being depressingly based in the real world - right up till the final credit has rolled. "Has anyone seen Lowry?" - everyone should.
    8redneck-6

    Orwell with a Python twist

    This movie did not leave me with a happy feeling when I was done viewing it, but I definitely found it well worth the time. It posits a dark future world where the government has become a gigantic bureaucratic beast. The simplest exchange requires mountains of paperwork and a strict adherence to procedures has replaced anyone's ability to critically think about what they are doing or stand up to the brutality they know lurks around them. Sam Lowry is a man who seems more than happy to live as a cog in the giant machine. When he sleeps, however, he flies through beautiful blue skies towards the woman of his dreams. As he attempts to correct an "oversight" by the Ministry Of Information for whom he works (one of the more obvious nods to Orwell) which has resulted in an innocent man's death, he finds a woman who appears to be the one in his dreams. The line between his dreams and his reality blur ever further as he goes deeper and deeper into the government machine to find out who she is.

    Terry Gilliam once again seems to have spared no expense in making sure every visual element of the world adds up to a cohesive whole which makes you feel as if you're really experiencing the characters' surroundings. And, of course, it is a world rendered realistically enough to feel feasible, and yet surrealistically enough to leave an unforgettable impression on you.

    Despite the simplicity of the main plot, the movie is full of subtexts and images which carry a message even though you may not see them on the first viewing. In one scene, a man is buying "clean air" from a vending machine along the street. The sides of the highways are walls of billboards which hide the barren environment beyond. A group of people carry a banner that announces "Consumers for Christ" in a store decorated for the holidays as a small child tells Santa she wants a credit card for Christmas. Actually, therein lies one of the things that may turn some people off to this movie. It seems Gilliam had so many things to say about the state of society today that some people may find the movie lacks a coherent message once it's done. The ending will no doubt come as a shock to many people as well, but it was refreshing to me to see something well outside the Hollywood conventions for a change.

    My only real complaint was that Robert De Niro's character was so enjoyable, but saw so little use. Other than that, however, I thought it was a film which presents some compelling things which deserve serious thought, even though most people probably won't be able to get past the trademark Gilliam visual quirkiness to see what he is saying. Eight and a half out of ten from me.
    9eibon09

    Terry Gilliam's 1984

    Brazil(1985) is a great SCIFI feature that's one of the most visually rewarding films to watch. The movie deals with a computer error that causes havoc for the protagonist, Sam Lowry. Sam Lowry is someone who dreams of living as an individual, away from the system of Big Brother. The movie is heavily influenced by George Orwell's classic novel, 1984. Brazil(1985) is the closest thing to a perfect adaptation of 1984 for the big screen.

    Brazil(1985) is more well known for what happened behind the scenes than anything that happens in the film. There was a bitter battle between the director and producer that ended up in the cutting of the film much to Terry Gilliam's disapproval. As a result there are three cuts of the film(director, studio, TV). I've seen both the 142Minute and 132Minute version. In my opinion, the 142Minute edition is the definite one to watch.

    Jonathan Pryce as Sam Lowry does a great act in showing someone who is imprisoned by the system. Robert De Niro plays Sam Lowry's alter ego, Harry Tuttle in an eccentric role for the actor. At first De Niro wanted the role of Sam's best friend but instead got the role of the spy Harry Tuttle. The film retains the forbidden love affair between Sam Lowry and Jill Layton that is an important element in 1984. A lot of scens that involved Kim Griest were cut due to the dissatifaction of her performance from the director.

    Brazil(1985) is Terry Gilliam's masterwork and a well directed piece by the filmmaker himself. The set designs are dazzling and the depiction of city life is nothing short of amazing. The title song is one of the most famous tunes. Much better then 12 Monkeys(1996) because this is a more complete film. Brazil(1985) is part of a trilogy that includes Time Bandits(1981) and The Adventures of Baron Munchausen(1988).

    This trilogy is really about the progression of life that begins in Childhood, continues in Middleage, and ends with Old age. Brazil(1985) is really about the uncertainties of middleage. The samurai dream sequences are a marvalous example of the symbolisms they provide for the movie. Bob Hoskins gives a dark humorous act as a government plumber. The dream sequences with Sam Lowry and his dream girl are beautifully romantic.
    8TimelessFlight

    Bonkers and Brilliant

    In the mid 1990s, when I was teaching film studies to BTEC media students, I chose to show them 'Brazil'. A brilliant choice I thought, with so much to discuss. They pretty much all hated it!

    Despite that experience, I still think Brazil is terrific and has much to say about modern life - even though at times it can be hard work.

    The plot? Well, Sam Lowry (Jonathan Pryce) is a lonely office worker in a desperately dull job by day, and a romantic escapist dreamer by night. He survives in a dystopian rules-based society (think Orwell's 1984) until a simple clerical error puts his life at risk. All around him is broken, confusing chaos until he meets the girl of his dreams - could she be his escape from his oppressive world?

    His workplace, his home, and the characters he meets are completely bonkers - nothing is normal or works as it should. The entire film is mad, unsettling, brutal and creatively brilliant.

    There are many fine cameos in the film to enjoy, including Bob Hoskins as an eccentric cooling system repair technician, Robert De Niro as a competing freelance repair technician stroke terrorist (!), and Michael Palin as a benevolent boss turned torturer.

    My only criticism of the film is that it is perhaps a tad long - it is such an assault on the senses that perhaps a shade under 2 hours would've been easier to digest. But any faults are forgiven as this is such an out there, brave and hallucinogenic film with so many memorable, funny and disturbing moments.

    Difficult and brilliant in equal measures and certainly a recommended watch if you want something out of the ordinary - I only hope you'll enjoy it more than my students did.
    10JackLint

    Perhaps the greatest of all films

    I have read a lot of understandably negative reviews of the movie 'Brazil.' Brazil(in its proper form) is a long film at well over two hours, it has many cutaways to dream sequences that are only loosely related to the rest of the film, and the narrative story is not always the driving force of the film which many people find confusing. With all these things going against it, Brazil is clearly not a film for everyone.

    All that being said, Brazil is my very favorite movie. Those things previously described as reasons that some people will dislike the movie are the very reasons I love it. The story is both simple and complex depending on how you look at it, and this kind of paradox is what makes for great art. There, I did it! I used the 'A' word, and not lightly. Brazil is an art film, and don't let anyone tell you otherwise.

    Sam Lowry(Jonathan Pryce) is our hero, an unambitious bureaucrat within the ranks of the Ministry of Information. The only place he is willing to be more than a drone is in his dreams where he is some sort of angelic knight fighting to save his dream girl. While running an errand for work, Sam comes face to face with a woman who is the very image of the dream girl, and his life is forever changed when he surrenders his tranquil unambitious life in the attempt to pursue the woman.

    This movie is less about the story than it is about the atmosphere in my opinion. Terry Gilliam is a visual genius, and this movie marks his peak(so far) in producing a visually stunning film, with due apologies to Adventures of Baron Munchausen and 12 Monkeys which are beautiful in their own rights. The oppression of the bureaucratic life is felt by anyone who watches this film, and the freedom experienced in the dreams is a fantastic counterpoint. This film does a wonderful job of evoking emotional responses for me, and I suspect for most of the fans of the film as well.

    The film can be viewed at many different levels of complexity, from fairly simple to fully allegorical. The simple view would be that the movie is about the dreams we create to escape our dull lives, and the potentially disastrous results of pursuing them in waking life. Symbolically the film can be interpreted as a vicious attack on the status quo as an impersonal, consumer/beauty oriented beast that is upheld by a draconian adherence to regulations and invasive public policy. There are many other ways to see it, most of which are probably unintended, but certainly completely valid.

    The best part about Brazil is that it is absolutely hilarious. Jonathan Pryce shows remarkable aptitude for physical comedy. The dialogue is as funny as any movie you'll ever see, though the humor is very dry, and often so subtle that you might not get a joke until a minute after it has passed. There are the occasional tidbits of out loud guffaws one would expect from a script that was partly written by Tom Stoppard, but there is not a constant barrage of this material.

    Brazil is a very cerebral film, so if you are thinking, "What does cerebral mean?" you can probably skip it. Anyone who expects to have a story clearly spelled out for them, and done so in a concise manner with little background interference will hate Brazil. Brazil is a film for those who want texture, emotional involvement and some sort of deeper meaning.

    Brazil is my favorite movie, but it is clearly not for everyone!

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    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      Robert De Niro wanted to play the role of Jack Lint, but Terry Gilliam had already promised this to Sir Michael Palin. De Niro still wanted to be in this movie, so he was cast as Harry Tuttle instead.
    • Goofs
      When Harry Tuttle escapes from Sam Lowry's flat, he is wearing a hood covering his head. When Harry starts to zip-line off the precipice, he is replaced by a stunt double wearing a baseball cap.
    • Quotes

      Sam Lowry: [showing her deleted file, freeing her] I've killed you! Jill Layton is dead.

      Jill Layton: Care for a little necrophilia? Hmmm?

    • 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.
    • Alternate versions
      There are at least three different versions of Brazil. The original 142 minutes European release, a shorter 132-minutes prepared by Gilliam for the American release and another different version, nicknamed the Sheinberg Edit or 'Love Conquers All' version, from Universal's then boss Sid Sheinberg, against whom Terry Gilliam had to fight to have his version released.
    • Connections
      Featured in What Is Brazil? (1985)
    • Soundtracks
      Hava Nagila
      (played after the restaurant bombing)

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    FAQ25

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    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • February 20, 1985 (France)
    • Countries of origin
      • United Kingdom
      • United States
    • Language
      • English
    • Also known as
      • Brasil
    • Filming locations
      • Mentmore Towers, Mentmore, Buckinghamshire, England, UK
    • Production company
      • Embassy International Pictures
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Box office

    Edit
    • Budget
      • $15,000,000 (estimated)
    • Gross US & Canada
      • $9,929,135
    • Opening weekend US & Canada
      • $30,099
      • Dec 22, 1985
    • Gross worldwide
      • $9,952,602
    See detailed box office info on IMDbPro

    Tech specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      • 2h 12m(132 min)
    • Color
      • Color
    • Sound mix
      • Dolby Stereo
    • Aspect ratio
      • 1.85 : 1

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