Brazil (1985)

great dark comedy by Terry Gilliam

Directed by Terry Gilliam

 

Starring Jonathan Pryce, Ian Holm, Katherine Helmond, Michael Palin, Robert de Niro, Kim Greist, Bob Hoskins

 

One of the great dark comedies which has so many resonances in 2011, you’ll think it was made yesterday.  In a world where there are frequent terrorist bombings, the bureaucratic society where everything is “supposed” to work perfectly…but it doesn’t.

 

A bug which falls into a typewriter causes a typo, substituting the name “Buttle” for Tuttle. As a result, “Buttle” is picked up by the authorities, summarily tortured and executed.  As a result, because of the mistake, a refund check must be sent to Buttle’s widow. 

 

One of the bureaucrat underlings, Sam Lowry (Pryce) takes it upon himself to return the check personally.  Various misadventures take place and Lowry realizes that Jill (Greist) is the woman of his dreams.  The whole issue of cosmetic surgery is confronted. Sam’s mother, Ida (Katherine Helmond) is undergoing the treatment, conducted rather successfully by Dr. Jaffe (Dr. Broadbent).  Her friend Mrs. Terrain’s (Barbara Hicks) surgery is not so.  The only way Sam can learn more about Jill is to be promoted to the department of Information Retrieval, a promotion which makes him uncomfortable.

 

The movie is a comic and perverse story similar to 1984 by Orwell.  It’s a complex and richly-textured film.  Why is the movie titled Brazil?  Because of the popular song�"no other.