Frequently Bought Together
What Other Items Do Customers Buy After Viewing This Item?
Product Details
Would you like to update product info or give feedback on images?
|
Product Description
Amazon.ca
If Franz Kafka had been an animator and film director--oh, and a member of Monty Python's Flying Circus--this is the sort of outrageously dystopian satire one could easily imagine him making. However, Brazil was made by Terry Gilliam, who is all of the above except, of course, Franz Kafka. Be that as it may, Gilliam sure captures the paranoid-subversive spirit of Kafka's The Trial (along with his own Python animation) in this bureaucratic nightmare-comedy about a meek governmental clerk named Sam Lowry (Jonathan Pryce) whose life is destroyed by a simple bug. Not a software bug, a real bug (no doubt related to Kafka's famous Metamorphosis insect) that gets smooshed in a printer and causes a typographical error unjustly identifying an innocent citizen, one Mr. Buttle, as suspected terrorist Harry Tuttle (Robert De Niro). When Sam becomes enmeshed in unraveling this bureaucratic glitch, he himself winds up labeled as a miscreant.
The movie presents such an unrelentingly imaginative and savage vision of 20th-century bureaucracy that it almost became a victim of small-minded studio management itself--until Gilliam surreptitiously screened his cut for the Los Angeles Film Critics Association, who named it the best movie of 1985 and virtually embarrassed Universal into releasing it. This DVD version of Brazil is the special director's cut that first appeared in Criterion's comprehensive (and expensive) six-disc laser package in 1996. --Jim Emerson
Product Description
Pitting the imagination of a common man against the oppressive storm troopers of the Ministry of Information, this bitter parable for the Information Age is more relevant than ever. Gathering footage from both the European and American versions, Terry Gilliam has assembled the ultimate 142-minute director's cut of his most celebrated film, then annotated it with a shot-by-shot commentary on an alternate audio channel.
Customer Reviews
Most helpful customer reviews
9 of 9 people found the following review helpful
Format:DVD
Brazil, despite the science fiction, social commentary and surrealism, is at it's core a film about a man who trapped by the mundanity of life, imagines himself in a more fantastic world.
Jonathan Pryce stars as a tiny unimportant member of a vast hyper-capitalistic society. Life is cold and dreary for everyone. All his spare time is spent dreaming of magical romantic worlds and the beautiful woman who lives there. One day, a simple beaucratic mistake causes a monumental disaster. Not that anyone cares... they just don't want to be blamed. Sent to solve the problem, or maybe to be a scapegoat, Pryce accidentally meets the literal woman of his dreams. As he pursues her, he brings suspicion on himself of being a terrorist (the scourge of the government), and his dreams begin to invade his waking thoughts.
A suprising list of talent lend themselves to the film and is written, minus Kafka and Orwell themes, by Monty Python's Terry Gilliam so expect some obvious humor and much biting satire throughout. Depressing and magical without losing it's hope, any person who can identify with the main character should find themselves entranced.
Despite being made in 1985 the special effects prove to be suprisingly effective (although easily noticed). I personally think this movie is the second best Science Fiction film, 2001 being first, and the best 1984 type movie ever made.
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
Format:Blu-ray|Amazon Verified Purchase
In a nutshell, if you love a movie that is NOT main stream and eccentric, you will love this one. The whole cinematography is a masterpiece. I haven't seen anything like that before. Its a long movie but it does grab and consume you. The cast is awesome incl. Robert De Niro, Jonathan Pryce etc. I would say this one is a real spectacle when it comes to unusual movies.
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
By Wayne Santos
Format:Blu-ray|Amazon Verified Purchase
This is one of the most widely requested Blu-Ray transfers from the Criterion collection and it does not disappoint. There's no point going into the details of one of the great, critically acclaimed films in Terry Gilliam's body of work, there's already massive amounts of critique and analysis dedicated to that. What's important is that Criterion finally stepped up and gave fans of the movie an alternative to the bare bones, Universal edition that came out previously.
While both transfers are generally comparable in quality, the new Criterion edition still slightly edges out the Universal transfer for overall quality. There's still a layer of film grain apparent, especially in effects heavy portions like Sam's dream sequences, where the softness of the shots due to optical effects really stands out now. Also for sticklers of digital noise reduction, if there is any used here, it's not as apparent to scrutiny at it was in the Universal release. Best of all of course, is the gamut of Criterion extras included here, all of which come from the previous DVD release, including the studio "Love Conquers All" version and the attendant documentaries. For fans of Brazil, there is simply no question; this is the best the film has ever been to date. For people that have somehow never seen this movie, this is a good place to start.
While both transfers are generally comparable in quality, the new Criterion edition still slightly edges out the Universal transfer for overall quality. There's still a layer of film grain apparent, especially in effects heavy portions like Sam's dream sequences, where the softness of the shots due to optical effects really stands out now. Also for sticklers of digital noise reduction, if there is any used here, it's not as apparent to scrutiny at it was in the Universal release. Best of all of course, is the gamut of Criterion extras included here, all of which come from the previous DVD release, including the studio "Love Conquers All" version and the attendant documentaries. For fans of Brazil, there is simply no question; this is the best the film has ever been to date. For people that have somehow never seen this movie, this is a good place to start.
Want to see more reviews on this item?
›
Go to Amazon.com to see all 474 reviews
4.3 out of 5 stars
Most recent customer reviews
5.0 out of 5 stars
An amazing, funny, adventure, love story.
This review applies to Brazil (The Criterion Collection) [Blu-ray] ASIN: B009D004X6.
An amazing, funny, adventure, love story, and I'd say surreal & wacky with some... Read more
An amazing, funny, adventure, love story, and I'd say surreal & wacky with some... Read more
Published 29 days ago by Keith Smith
5.0 out of 5 stars
Fantsy Epic
If you haven't seen this film, I think you should. Terry Gilliam makes fantastic movies, full of fantasy and a front seat view of crazy town. Read more
Published 11 months ago by Patrick
5.0 out of 5 stars
Fantastic box set. Worth every penny
This movie is incredible. Neat special effects, strange gadgets, memorable characters (Sam Lowry, Harry Tuttle and Harvey Lime to name a few), and a mixture of action, romance... Read more
Published on Jun 6 2010 by J. Gregory
5.0 out of 5 stars
Brazil
Brazil is an excellent postmodern take on totalitarianism in the bureaucratic world. The show dashingly flips between absurdist satire and existential tragedy.
Published on Mar 11 2010 by Donna M. Andrew
5.0 out of 5 stars
Take Acid before Watching this one...
This was a very interesting film. I could see how someone could be confused when watching this movie. You really have to watch it start to finish, or you could easily get lost. Read more
Published on Oct 24 2006 by Crack Daddy Crane
5.0 out of 5 stars
Best Film of '85
Brazil is a masterpiece of cinematic brilliance, and arguably Terry Gilliam's best film. I loved this movie when I first saw it in 1985 and still do today, having just purchased... Read more
Published on Oct 2 2006 by B. Campbell
3.0 out of 5 stars
Terry Gilliam likes Fedrico Fellini. Pass it on.
I love Terry Gilliam. I think he's the most visionary film maker out there today. The only problem with some of his films is his urge to mimic scenes from Fedrico Fellini's films. Read more
Published on July 20 2004 by Antonio Giusto
2.0 out of 5 stars
Much loved, but I never got it ...
This is a cult classic, but I find it over-rated. It delivers the zaniness, surreality and crazy camera work, but the film has no interest in its characters -- you'll feel nothing... Read more
Published on July 7 2004 by Ellie Marconi
2.0 out of 5 stars
Boring
This movie is really disappointing and boring.
Published on July 3 2004
4.0 out of 5 stars
a bizzare and frightening film
If you enjoy futuristic Sci-Films then I would heartily reccomend this, as it presents a number of interesting and imaginative concepts.
The setting is the far future. Read more
The setting is the far future. Read more
Published on Jun 23 2004
Listmania!
Look for similar items by category
- Movies & TV > Art House & International > By Country > British Cinema > Comedy
- Movies & TV > Art House & International > By Country > British Cinema > Drama
- Movies & TV > Boxed Sets > Comedy
- Movies & TV > Boxed Sets > Sci-Fi & Fantasy
- Movies & TV > Comedy > Black Comedy
- Movies & TV > Comedy > Boxed Sets
- Movies & TV > Comedy > British
- Movies & TV > Comedy > Comedy Directors > Terry Gilliam
- Movies & TV > Comedy > Cult Classics
- Movies & TV > Comedy > Satire
- Movies & TV > Criterion Collection > All
- Movies & TV > Criterion Collection > Art House & International
- Movies & TV > Criterion Collection > Comedy
- Movies & TV > Cult Movies > Comedy
- Movies & TV > Cult Movies > Landmark Cult Classics
- Movies & TV > Cult Movies > Psychedelic
- Movies & TV > Drama
- Movies & TV > Science Fiction & Fantasy > Fantasy
- Movies & TV > Science Fiction & Fantasy > Science Fiction > Comedy
- Movies & TV > Science Fiction & Fantasy > Science Fiction > Futuristic
Feedback
Would you like to update product info or give feedback on images?
|
