Brazil — A Totalitarian Dictatorship
Brazil (1985) is a dystopian science fiction film written and directed by Terry Gilliam. It had mostly positive reviews over time and was ranked as the 54th best in the American-British category. It also received the ‘BAFTA Award for the best Visual effects’ in the year 1986. Brazil is also described as a comedic interpretation of George Orwell’s popular novel ‘1984’.
The film, Brazil is set in the future. It is portrayed as a dystopian society with a totalitarian and autocratic government. It was as if the government owns the people and get whatever they wanted out of the citizens. The introductory scene of the movie shows an advertisement related to ‘Ducts’ where a man advertises the ‘hundreds of colours that you can choose’ which promotes a sense of consumer choice. However, throughout the film, it is evident that it is just a way for the government to put yet another blindfold on the people. It shows the viewers a disheartening face of our society, where there is no established sense of freedom or responsibility. It was governed by the ignorant motto that “we are all in this together”.
Throughout the movie, the government seems to be deceiving the people and making them believe that their surroundings are well maintained and taken care of. However, this is just another form of masquerading to hide the drab reality. For instance, there were multiple shots taken at this one road that leads outside the city. It had banners and hoardings blocking the view of the chronic deterioration of the environment. As the camera angle scales down, the dramatic contrast between the attractive advertisements and the ravaged land outside is revealed. Machinery and a layer of smoke engulfed the land beyond the banners of reality.
Another scene that had deceitful effects on the audience’s perspective was the introduction of the factories and their significance in the story. As the scene starts, it shows a group of clean and well-managed factories and a vivid blue sky with not a single hint of commotion or pollution. But, once again the camera zooms out and reveals a man standing behind it. Implying that this was just a model built by one of the workers to put a blindfold over the viewers.
Amidst the bedlam of society, is the story of Sam Lowry. A bureaucrat that was happy with never making advancements in his career. A man whose desire for knowledge puts him in a quarrel with the oppressive and totalitarian government. Sam often had dreams about a woman where he majestically soared over the clouds with the will to protect her. When he saw her at the Information Retrieval, he jeopardized his reputation at the ministry and set out to find her and express his feelings towards her. His love for her was depicted through a life-threatening battle with a massive Samurai and coming out on top (in his dream).
There are many close-up shots throughout the course of the movie that are suitable for the viewers to understand the characters’ feelings. These show detailed facial and body expressions of the main characters. There are scattered scenes in the duration of the film where Sam is quietly soaring across the sky looking for the love of his life while responding to her cries of distress.
There is a conscious sense of competence throughout the movie shown in all the characters. Although the government is careless and inept, their intentions with the city’s welfare are rather questionable. Their lack of collectedness is reflected upon all their pieces of work and sometimes even their workers. The start of the film highlights the small mistake caused by a fly that leads to a great deal of blaming and altercation throughout the ministry where Sam’s department blamed their irresponsibility on the Information Retrieval.
The inability to be imperfect is visible not only in the government but also with Mrs Lowry (Sam’s mother) and Mrs Terrain. Both women undertaking a series of plastic surgeries and medical treatment to look younger in order to impress society. Not only does this lead in the death of Mrs Terrain (as her procedure fails) it also provides Mrs Lowry with the incentive of continuing this kind of treatment to look even younger. Her fire was fueled by the young men that surrounded her at Mrs Terrain’s funeral.
Another key moment in the movie that shows a different face of deception is when Sam Lowry visits his friend Jack at his workplace. He appears as a nice and caring man hinted by the conversations he has with his daughter. However, it is hinted throughout the scene that Jack might not be the man he pretends to act like. The first and biggest clue are the blood stains on what looks like his lab coat. His inability to remember his own daughter’s name also reflects upon the manipulation that he faces on a daily basis.
It is amenable that the message Terry Gilliam is trying to put out through this film is the reality of the world and the oppressive dominance that the government tries to enforce upon the people. It mainly illustrates the contrast between what the people are made to think and the actuality behind it. As mentioned by Images Journal ‘Gilliam shows the negative effect of modernity unleashed upon the world.’ He uses means such as ducts or overcomplicated machinery to describe how the world in the future is complicated and manipulative. All of which adds to the grim unveiling of the reality.
Bibliography
Gradesaver.com. (2019). Brazil Characters. [online] Available at https://www.gradesaver.com/brazil/study-guide/character-list [Accessed 14 Jun. 2019].
En.wikipedia.org. (2019). Brazil (1985 film). [online] Available at https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brazil_(1985_film) [Accessed 14 Jun. 2019].
The Criterion Collection. (2019). Brazil. [online] Available at https://www.criterion.com/current/posts/59-brazil [Accessed 14 Jun. 2019].
Mentalfloss.com. (2019). 13 Fascinating Facts About <em>Brazil</em>. [online] Available at: http://mentalfloss.com/article/72844/13-fascinating-facts-about-brazil [Accessed 14 Jun. 2019].
Terry Gilliam and Brazil. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.imagesjournal.com/issue06/features/brazil.htm
Revolution from the Right in Terry Gilliam’s Brazil. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.counter-currents.com/2018/08/revolution-from-the-right-in-terry-gilliams-brazil/
