Brazil (1985)

Director:

Terry Gilliam

Writers:

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

Release Date:

18 December 1985 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Drama | Fantasy

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 | Nightmare | Shoe As Hat | Air Conditioner | Tragic Ending

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
Sheila Reid	...	Mrs. Buttle
John Flanagan	...	T.V. Interviewer / Salesman
Ray Cooper	...	Technician
Brian Miller	...	Mr. Buttle
Simon Nash	...	Boy Buttle
Prudence Oliver	...	Girl Buttle
Simon Jones	...	Arrest Official
Derek Deadman	...	Bill--Dept. of Works
Nigel Planer	...	Charlie--Dept. of Works
Terence Bayler	...	T.V Commercial Presente
Gorden Kaye	...	M.O.I. Lobby Porter
Tony Portacio	...	Neighbour in Clark's Pool
Bill Wallis	...	Bespectacled lurker
Winston Dennis	...	Samurai Warrior
Jack Purvis	...	Dr. Chapman
Elizabeth Spender	...	Alison / 'Barbara' Lint
Anthony Brown	...	Porter - Information Retrieval (as Antony Brown)
Myrtle Devenish	...	Typist in Jack's Office
Holly Gilliam	...	Holly
John Pierce Jones	...	Basement Guard
Ann Way	...	Old Lady with Dog
Don Henderson	...	First Black Maria Guard
Howard Lew Lewis	...	Second Black Maria Guard
Oscar Quitak	...	Interview Official
Harold Innocent	...	Interview Official
John Grillo	...	Interview Official
Ralph Nossek	...	Interview Official
David Gant	...	Interview Official
James Coyle	...	Interview Official
Patrick Connor	...	Cell Guard
Roger Ashton-Griffiths	...	Priest
Russell Keith Grant	...	Young Gallant at Funeral
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Sue Hodge
Dominic Ffytche	...	Office boy (uncredited)
Terry Forestal	...	Running Trooper (uncredited)
Terry Gilliam	...	Smoking man at Shang-ri La Towers (uncredited)
John Hasler	...	Naughty little boy (uncredited)
Peter Sands	...	Ida's boyfriend (uncredited)

Directed by
Terry Gilliam

Writing credits
Terry Gilliam		(screenplay) &
Tom Stoppard		(screenplay) &
Charles McKeown		(screenplay)

Produced by
Patrick Cassavetti	....	co-producer
Arnon Milchan	....	producer

Original Music by
Michael Kamen

Cinematography by
Roger Pratt

Film Editing by
Julian Doyle

Casting by
Irene Lamb

Production Design by
Norman Garwood

Art Direction by
John Beard
Keith Pain

Costume Design by
James Acheson

Makeup Department
Elaine Carew	....	hair stylist
Elaine Carew	....	makeup artist
Sallie Evans	....	hair stylist
Sallie Evans	....	makeup artist
Meinir Jones Brock	....	hair stylist (as Meinir Brock)
Meinir Jones Brock	....	makeup artist (as Meinir Brock)
Sandra Shepherd	....	hair stylist
Sandra Shepherd	....	makeup artist
Aaron Sherman	....	prosthetic makeup
Maggie Weston	....	hair & makeup designer

Production Management
Linda Bruce	....	unit manager
Graham Ford	....	production manager
Chantal Perrin-Cluzet	....	production manager: french unit

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Richard Coleman	....	third assistant director
Julian Doyle	....	second unit director
Terence Fitch	....	additional assistant director
Christopher Newman	....	additional assistant director
Chris Thompson	....	second assistant director
Guy Travers	....	assistant director
Kevin Westley	....	additional assistant director

Art Department
Bernard Allum	....	graphic artist
Lee Apsey	....	supervising carpenter
Michael Bacon	....	prop man
George Ball	....	property master
Françoise Benoît-Fresco	....	assistant art director: France (as Françoise Benoît)
Peter Benson	....	stand-by prop
Gordon Billings	....	prop man
Dennis Bosher	....	assistant art director
Dennis Bovington	....	chargehand carpenter
Stephen Bream	....	draughtsman
Anthony Cain	....	signwriter (as Tony Cain)
Stan Cook	....	dressing prop chargehand
Ron Cowan	....	drapes
Tom Davies	....	supervising carpenter
Gary Dawson	....	property master
Belinda Edwards	....	production buyer
John Frankish	....	art department assistant
Andrew Garnet-Lawson	....	scenic artist (as Andrew Lawson)
Maggie Gray	....	set dressing designer
Alan Grenham	....	construction stand-by
Stephen Hargreaves	....	construction stand-by
Richard Harris	....	construction stand-by
Brian Higgins	....	construction stand-by
Craig Hillier	....	assistant construction manager
David Jones	....	construction stand-by
Michael Jones	....	painter supervisor
Iain Lowe	....	construction stand-by
John Martin	....	construction stand-by
Bill McMinimee	....	dreams and models construction manager
John Murphy	....	chargehand plasterer
Colin Osgood	....	construction stand-by
Tony Rimmington	....	draughtsman
Dave Scutt	....	graphic artist
Stephen Tranfield	....	plasterer supervisor
Peter Verard	....	construction manager
Christine Vincent	....	art department research
Barry Vine	....	construction stand-by
Robert Voysey	....	construction stand-by (as Bob Voisey)
Peter Wallis	....	prop man
Kenneth Welland	....	chargehand painter (as Ken Welland)
David Wicks	....	plasterer supervisor
Dave Wiggins	....	rigger supervisor
Dennis Wraight	....	construction stand-by
John Wright	....	construction stand-by
Steve Pugh	....	stagehand (uncredited)

Sound Department
Paul Carr	....	sound re-recording mixer
Bob Doyle	....	sound recordist
Rodney Glenn	....	sound editor
Rosie Straker	....	boom operator
Eric Tomlinson	....	sound recording engineer (uncredited)

Special Effects by
Ron Burton	....	special effects buyer
Terence J. Cox	....	special effects assistant (as Terence Cox)
Martin Gant	....	special effects technician
George Gibbs	....	special effects supervisor
Darrell Guyon	....	special effects runner
Ray Hanson	....	special effects technician
Ernest Hill	....	special effects assistant
Bob Hollow	....	special effects technician (as Robert Hollow)
Dave Knowles	....	special effects assistant
David McCall	....	special effects technician (as Dave McCall)
Tim Willis	....	special effects runner

Visual Effects by
Peter Aston	....	model vehicle
Ray Caple	....	matte artist
Valerie Charlton	....	model maker
Richard Conway	....	model effects supervisor
Julian Doyle	....	model photographer
Nick Dunlop	....	optical effects
Kent Houston	....	optical effects
Richard Morrison	....	optical effects
Tim Ollive	....	optical effects
Roger Pratt	....	model photographer
Stanley W. Sayer	....	blue screen consultant (as Stanley Sayer)
Neil Sharp	....	optical effects
Tim Spence	....	model photographer

Stunts
Vic Armstrong	....	stunts
Toby Clark	....	stunt double: Small Sam
Tim Condren	....	stunts
George Lane Cooper	....	stunts
Clive Curtis	....	stunts
Perry Davey	....	stunts
Jim Dowdall	....	stunts
Terry Forestal	....	stunts (as Terry Forrestal)
Tex Fuller	....	stunts
Martin Grace	....	stunts
Frank Henson	....	stunts
Nick Hobbs	....	stunts
Billy Horrigan	....	stunts (as Bill Horrigan)
Wayne Michaels	....	stunts
Dinny Powell	....	stunts
Greg Powell	....	stunts
Terry Richards	....	stunts
Tip Tipping	....	stunts
Chris Webb	....	stunts
Bill Weston	....	stunt arranger

Camera and Electrical Department
David Appleby	....	still photographer
Peter Butler	....	camera grip
Mark Cridlin	....	clapper loader
Perry Evans	....	electrician
Chuck Finch	....	best boy
Jean-Yves Freess	....	grip: France
Simon Fulford	....	clapper loader
David Garfath	....	camera operator
Alan Grosch	....	electrician
Brian Herlihy	....	additional assistant camera
John Ignatius	....	assistant camera
Jean-Claude LeBras	....	chief electrician: France
Brian Martin	....	best boy
Steve Parker	....	additional assistant camera
John 'Porky' Rivers	....	grip (as Porky Rivers)
Les Rodhouse	....	electrician
Roy Rodhouse	....	gaffer
Brian Sullivan	....	electrician
Toby Tyler	....	electrician
George White Jr.	....	electrician (as George White)

Casting Department
Margery Simkin	....	casting: USA

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Martin Adams	....	costumes
Anthony Black	....	wardrobe assistant
Vin Burnham	....	costumes
Jamie Courtier	....	costumes
Jean Fairlie	....	wardrobe mistress
Annie Hadley	....	costumes
Gilly Hebden	....	assistant costume editor
Ray Scott	....	costumes
Joyce Stoneman	....	wardrobe supervisor
Frank Vinall	....	wardrobe master
Colin Wilson	....	wardrobe assistant

Editorial Department
Cilla Beirne	....	assistant editor
Peter Compton	....	assistant editor
Margarita Doyle	....	assistant editor
Sally Kinnes	....	post-production assistant
Keith Lowes	....	assistant editor
Roya Salari	....	assistant editor

Music Department
Ray Cooper	....	music coordinator
Andrew Jackson	....	additional music recordist (as Andy Jackson)
Ray Cooper	....	composer: additional music (uncredited)
Vic Fraser	....	music preparation (uncredited)
Michael Johns	....	music editor (uncredited)
Michael Kamen	....	conductor (uncredited)
Michael Kamen	....	music arranger (uncredited)
Michael Kamen	....	orchestrator (uncredited)
Sidney Sax	....	musician: violin solo (uncredited)
Sidney Sax	....	orchestral fixer (uncredited)
Eric Tomlinson	....	music mixer (uncredited)
E.C. Woodley	....	composer: additional music (uncredited)

Other crew
Margaret Adams	....	production coordinator
Alan Arnold	....	publicist
Laurence Bodini	....	production runner
Lesley Broderick	....	assistant accountant
Terry Connors	....	production accountant
Ira Curtis-Coleman	....	video consultant (as Ira Curtis Coleman)
Nick Dunlop	....	title designer
Yves Dutheil	....	location manager: France (as Yves Duteil)
Penny Eyles	....	script supervisor
Geoff Freeman	....	publicist
William Hobbs	....	samurai fight arranger (as Bill Hobbs)
Denis Hopperton	....	stand-by prop chargehand
Kent Houston	....	title designer
Elaine Matthews	....	trainee continuity (as Melanie Matthews)
Judith May	....	cashier
Barry McCormick	....	footstep editor
Arnon Milchan	....	presenter
Richard Morrison	....	title designer
Tim Ollive	....	title designer
Katy Radford	....	secretary
Hamish Scott	....	location researcher
Matthew Scudamore	....	production runner
Neil Sharp	....	title designer
Bob Stilwell	....	follow focus
Margarita Doyle	....	assistant to director (uncredited)
Sarah Teboul	....	accounting assistant (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Embassy International Pictures

Distributors

• Universal Pictures (1985) (USA) (theatrical)
• 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment (Brazil) (DVD)
• 20th Century Fox Italia (2003) (Italy) (DVD) (director's cut)
• 20th Century Fox (1985) (France) (theatrical)
• 20th Century Fox (UK)
• 20th Century Fox (1986) (Japan) (theatrical)
• 20th Century Fox of Germany (Germany)
• Asociace Ceských Filmových Klubu (ACFK) (Czech Republic)
• Cinequanon (1997) (Japan) (theatrical)
• Criterion Collection, The (2004) (USA) (DVD)
• Criterion Collection, The (USA) (laserdisc)
• Flashstar Home Vídeo (Brazil) (VHS)
• Fox Film (1985) (Sweden) (theatrical)
• Geneon Entertainment (2003) (Japan) (DVD)
• MCA (video)
• MCA/Universal Home Video (USA) (laserdisc)
• Movie Plus (2007) (Japan) (TV)
• Oy Europa Vision AB (1985) (Finland) (theatrical)
• Universal Home Entertainment (USA) (DVD)
• Warner Home Video (UK) (video)
• Warner Home Video (USA) (laserdisc)

Other Companies

• Abbey Road Studios  music recording
• D.C.A Design  special vehicles & props
• Joe Dunton & Company  camera equipment provided by
• Lee Lighting  grip and lighting equipment
• Lisa Weston and S.B International Ltd.  publicity liaisons
• Mayflower Recording  adr recording
• National Philharmonic Orchestra  orchestra
• Peerless Camera Company  titles and opticals

Also Known As:

1984 and 1/2 (UK) (working title)
1984½ (UK) (working title)

Runtime:

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

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Certification:

Germany:12 (re-rating) (uncut) | Canada:A (Nova Scotia) | Germany:18 (original rating) (cut) | Brazil:14 | Germany:12 (re-rating) (2003) | 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:

The very first sound in the film is the Telecaster of famous guitarist Amos Garrett.

Goofs:

Continuity: In the dream sequence when Sam is battling the typewriter warrior, the warrior slams his spear into the ground, leaving over half the spear head exposed. However, a few shots later, when Sam retrieves the spear, the head is completely buried in the ground.

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 Buono, il brutto, il cattivo., Il (1966)

Soundtrack:

Brazil

Intriguing mixture of comedy and dystopia

One of the truest statements about originality in art comes from T.S. Eliot: "Immature poets imitate; mature poets steal." Terry Gilliam is one of cinema's mature poets. His "Brazil" features homages to numerous other films, ranging from "Modern Times" to "The Empire Strikes Back," and its plot is broadly similar to "Nineteen Eighty-Four." Yet the result is intriguingly fresh and creative.

The best adjective to describe the movie's tone is "whimsical." It's the type of sci-fi film with an almost childlike fascination with strange sights and happenings. Rarely has a film so pessimistic been this much fun. Many sci-fi films since "Brazil" have attempted a similar approach, usually with little success. The chief problem with most such films (e.g. "The Fifth Element") is that they get bogged down in plot at the expense of emotional resonance. "Brazil" avoids this fate: while the movie possesses psychological and thematic complexity, its plot is fairly simple, and the humor, quirky as it is, never relies on throwaway gags. Even the oddest moments have a certain poignance.

The story seems to take place in a fascist alternative world. It isn't "the future" exactly. The technology is weird-looking but hardly superior to anything in our world. Money transactions are sent through pipes in what looks sort of like a crude version of ATM. (One of the film's several nods to silent movies occurs after a character tries to stuff one of these pipes with wads of paper.) The pop culture references are positively retro, from the title song to scenes from the film "Casablanca."

The evil of the government in this film is driven not so much by cruelty as by bureaucratic incompetence, much of which is played for laughs. But some of the scenes look eerie today, in our post-9/11 world, and are good fodder for conspiracy theorists. Pay particular attention to the scene where the official boasts that the government is winning its war against "the terrorists." The movie is ambiguous as to whether there are any real terrorists, and we have a sneaking suspicion that the explosions are caused by the government itself. The plot is set in motion by a typographical error leading an innocent man to be arrested instead of a suspected terrorist. The movie is not about this man but about a meek government worker, Sam Lowry (Jonathan Pryce), who's observing from the sidelines. Robert De Niro has a cameo as the wanted "terrorist" whose crime, from what we see, consists of doing home repairs without the proper paperwork.

I have noticed that most of the classic dystopian tales are fundamentally similar to one another. But "Brazil" approaches the genre in a uniquely psychological way. Sam Lowry is different from the standard protagonist who rebels against the government due to noble motives. He doesn't seem to have any larger goals than his own personal ones. He isn't trying to make the world a better place. He's only longing for a better life for himself, one more exciting and romantic than the humdrum existence he currently occupies, where he's beset by an overbearing mother, a pitiful boss, and a dull job. In the midst of this bureaucratic nightmare state, he cares only about such matters as getting his air conditioning fixed and stalking a female stranger who physically resembles his fantasy woman--or so he perceives. The woman, as played by Kim Greist, appears in his fantasies as a helpless damsel with long, flowing hair and a silky dress who sits in a cage while he battles a giant Samurai warrior. The real-life woman he pursues, also played by Greist, sports a butch haircut, drives a large truck, and has a cigarette dangling from the corner of her mouth.

It's a testament to Pryce's performance that he commands our total sympathy the whole time. We feel for him and go along with the romantic adventure he attempts to create for himself. His nervous, stammering personality is one that would have been easy to overdo, yet Pryce strikes just the right note, especially as we begin questioning the character's sanity. At one point, another character tells him that "You're paranoid; you've got no sense of reality." But who wouldn't be paranoid in such a setting? The scene brings to mind the old joke that goes "You're not paranoid. Everyone really is out to get you." The movie inhabits such a whacky, surreal world full of strange people and sights that Sam Lowry almost seems sensible by comparison. Creating a character like this was a fresh, innovative twist on a genre that normally loses sight of human personalities.