Movie Review #5 - Brazil (1985)

It's not often I watch a film, consciously aware that I'm watching a masterpiece. Strangely though, this feeling often occurs when I watch science fiction films (consider Blade Runner, The Matrix, Alien, Phantom Menace). Well now I add another to the distinguished list. Gilliam's Brazil is an amazing feat of imaginative filmmaking, captivating from the opening frame.

I am actually at a loss as to how to explain the film, suffice to say that it is a complex mass of interweaving stories in a dystopian futuristic world. That is all I would say about the story. Don't read about the plot, just open your mind and enjoy the ride. Yes, it is complex, but it's linear; there is a distinct beginning, middle and end. The film is a dark, yet fantastically vibrant imagining of a corporate dictatorship. Paradoxical? Think of it as 1984, on LSD. Dark themes, with witty execution.

There is genius behind every single frame. It bursts with incredible production design (so many ducts!!), atmospheric music, and great sound design. Initially I thought the camera work was quite bland, but as the movie went on, I realised how it works perfectly (there are some excellent dolly shots). All the acting is superb, with even the tiniest roles perfectly cast. Indeed, every technical aspect of the film complements the brilliant storytelling present.

I haven't seen The Fisher King, which is apparently also very good, but this seems to be Gilliam's masterpiece. It doesn't have the slow moments that I have found with other his other films. Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas and 12 Monkeys (the other great ones I've seen) certainly have magical, zany moments, but they also have slow, dare I say, boring moments. They do not come together as perfectly as Brazil. I can do nothing but lavish praise on this film. Indeed, such was my annoyance that the rental DVD copy started skipping, I almost threw it across the room. I didn't want to be taken out of its magical world.

To lose an audience in gripping storytelling is what every filmmaker attempts. Gilliam succeeds with this film. I want to watch it again and again and again, and bask in its glory. I always thought Blade Runner was the sci-fi film of the 80s. This is as good. Go and watch it immediately. No Buttles.

5 Stars