Brazil (1985)

Director:

Terry Gilliam

Writers:

Terry Gilliam (screenplay) &
Tom Stoppard (screenplay) ...

Release Date:

18 December 1985 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Drama | Fantasy | Sci-Fi

Tagline:

It's only a state of mind.

Plot:

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

Plot Keywords:

Terrorist | Bureaucracy | Dream | Technology | Arrest

Awards:

Nominated for 2 Oscars. Another 8 wins & 1 nomination

Cast

Jonathan Pryce	...	Sam Lowry
Robert De Niro	...	Archibald 'Harry' Tuttle
Katherine Helmond	...	Mrs. Ida Lowry
Ian Holm	...	Mr. M. 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. Alma Terrain
Charles McKeown	...	Harvey Lime
Derrick O'Connor	...	Dowser
Kathryn Pogson	...	Shirley
Bryan Pringle	...	Spiro

Also Known As:

1984 and 1/2 (UK) (working title)
1984½ (UK) (working title)
Brasil (Spain) [es]
Brazil (Serbia) [sr]
Brazil (Poland) [pl]
Brazil (Croatia) [hr]
Brazil (Greece) [el]
Brazil (France) [fr]
Brazil - O Filme (Brazil) [pt]
Brazil - bortom nuet (Finland: Swedish title) [sv]
Brazil - tämän hetken tuolla puolen (Finland) [fi]
Mirai seiki Brazil (Japan) [ja]

MPAA:

Rated R for some strong violence. (edited version)

Runtime:

132 min | USA:94 min (edited version) | 142 min (director's cut)

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Certification:

Canada:A (Nova Scotia) | Germany:12 (re-rating) (uncut) | Germany:18 (original rating) (cut) | Germany:12 (re-rating) (2003) | Brazil:14 | Argentina:16 | Australia:M | Canada:AA (Ontario) | Canada:G (Québec) | Canada:PA (Manitoba) | Chile:18 | Finland:K-16 | France:-12 | New Zealand:R13 | Norway:16 (1985) | Singapore:PG | South Korea:15 (DVD rating) | Spain:13 | Sweden:15 | UK:15 | USA:R | West Germany:18 (1985-2003)

Filming Locations:

Croydon, Surrey, England, UK

Company:

Embassy International Pictures

Trivia:

When Mr. Helpman spells out the code that Sam's father used to get to Helpman's floor on the elevator, the letters are ERE I AM JH. When you rearrange those letters it spells JEREMIAH, Sam's father's name.

Goofs:

Continuity: When the secretary transcribes the words of the tortured, the second time the text is shown, there's actually less text than in the first shot: already typed out lines are suddenly vanished.

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.

Movie Connections:

References Il buono, il brutto, il cattivo. (1966)

Soundtrack:

As Time Goes By

One of the top ten films of all times

Brazil is definitively one of the top ten movies of all times. Its a sort of anti-Utopian spectacle, in the same fashion of George Orwell's 1984. The movie has a very complex sequence of events, which require more than one viewing for full understanding. In fact, the first time i saw Brazil, i didn't enjoy it much. But then i gave it a second chance, and the pleasure of watching it increased exponentially. The more I watch it, the more I discover hidden aspects and new ways to interpret this masterful creation. The scenario is extraordinary, mixing long pipe lines and a almost omnipresent Gothic atmosphere. If you didn't like the movie the first time you saw it, don't be by any means discouraged. This movie requires patience and an active role from the viewer. Finally, Brazil deserves special praise for all the dream-like sequences of the main character and the music fits in perfectly well.