| Brazil - Criterion Collection |  | Actors: Jonathan Pryce, Robert De Niro, Katherine Helmond, Ian Holm, Bob Hoskins
Studio: Criterion
Category: DVD
List Price: $59.95
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Rating:  414 reviews
Sales Rank: 27,253
Format: Box set, Closed-captioned, Color, Director's Cut, Dolby, DVD, Letterboxed, Widescreen, NTSC
Language: English (Subtitled)
Rating: R (Restricted)
Region: 0
Discs: 3
Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1
Running Time: 142 Minutes
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.9
Dimensions (in): 7.3 x 5.6 x 1.9
ISBN: 0780022181
UPC: 037429138526
EAN: 9780780022188
ASIN: 0780022181
Theatrical Release Date: December 18, 1985
Release Date: July 13, 1999
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
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Showing reviews 1-5 of 414
 Great August 26, 2010
Cosmoetica (New York, USA)
Critics (such as the film's most famed detractor- Roger Ebert, whose only point worth noting is his likening the film to Charlie Chaplin's Modern Times) have often compared it to George Orwell's 1984, but, naturally, this is a rather facile comparison, and made mostly because of the plethora of insipidly quotable state sponsored apothegms, like `Don't suspect a friend- report him,' `Be alert- some terrorists look normal,' and `Suspicion breeds confidence.' The state that Sam lives in, in the film, is rather inept (witness the ease with which the rather bumbling Tuttle thwarts the authorities at almost every stage). Sam fails not because the state overpowers him, like Winston Smith to the Oceania authorities in 1984, but because his bumbling and idiocy is even more pathetic than the state's. In effect, Sam fails because he's even more inept and personally weak than the system that subjugates him- he wins the devolutionary race to the bottom (is a Lowest Common Denominator society the cause or result of its citizens?). This is especially true in contrast to De Niro's Tuttle; which augurs well for the citizens of their inept state; whereas the residents of the dismal Orwellian Oceania are doomed.
The DVD package comes in three disks. Disk One has the Final Cut, in a 1.85:1 aspect ratio, as well as an audio commentary by director Gilliam. It is lucid, passionate, engaging, and truly a delight. Rare is the filmmaker, outside of Werner Herzog, who seems engaged by discussing both his film, its circumstances, and its art. Gilliam also dispels the myth that the film was named after the title song, Aquarela Do Brasil; instead claiming the title was gotten first (after a dream Gilliam had of the film's opening in a rain forest about to be techno-plundered) and the song added afterwards. It's interesting that in the few dozen reviews I looked at of this film, not a single critic gives the correct provenance for the film's title- even after claiming to have reviewed the DVD. The transfer is very good, and Gilliam gives so much engaging information that it almost makes the special features on Disk Two seem persiflage by comparison. That disk has two excellent documentaries- a contemporaneous 30 minute long What is Brazil? film that serves as a de facto Making Of featurette, and a 60 minute film, called The Battle Of Brazil, that details the film's struggles against its studio, Universal, and its idiotic empty suits, as well as a piece of grandstanding by the Los Angeles Film Critics Society (of which host and film critic Jack Mathews was part of), which chose Brazil as best film of the year to force the studio to release the full version. Other features include the theatrical trailer, storyboards and assorted crew recollections and discussions of the film. Disk Three has the bowdlerized 94 minute version, and a commentary by David Morgan- a film expert on the works and career of Gilliam. While he is dutiful in pointing out when and where the two films diverge, Morgan is rather useless in discussing other aspects of the film, like some of the moments that are unaffected by the changes, and a few actual improvements- such as the substitution of a few close-ups for long shots, or certain angles the camera shoots at, which give a deeper `in' to the `moment.' His high point is catching the biggest error Gilliam's bowdlerizers made- leaving in the `dream sequence' shot of Tuttle getting devoured by windblown newspapers. In the longer version we see this as one of the first hints that Sam's `escape' from captivity is not real. But, in this version, where the escape is `real,' Tuttle's demise is more than incongruous, it's an actual thumb in the eye. He follows that up by ending his commentary asking which of the two films is the more subversive- the bowdlerized cut which suggests that power can be subverted, or the final cut which shows the only `escape' from authoritarianism is death or insanity?
As for the film itself, there is no great nor memorable camera work to speak of- the odd angles Gilliam uses are all rather standard fare from his Python days, for this film is almost wholly dependent upon the great screenplay by Gilliam, playwright Tom Stoppard, and Charles McKeown, as well as some truly outstanding (and subtle) comic acting by the stars and supporting cast, which included Ian Holm, Bob Hoskins, Ian Richardson, Peter Vaughan, and Jim Broadbent. And, when I say `acting,' I truly mean it. This is acting not built on melodramatic high points, but on often fleeting moments of sardonism where the turn of an eye, or the tic in a face can convey something, both from the main and supporting cast. Pryce, as example, was relatively unknown before this film, while De Niro was in his post-Taxi Driver-Raging Bull heyday as `the greatest actor in the world,' yet it is Pryce's acting that dominates the film, whereas De Niro's is a supporting role in all measures of the term.
Brazil is a theatrical film that is unique. Despite constant and wrongheaded comparisons to other dystopias, it is a film that clearly inspired later filmmakers- most notably Canada's Guy Maddin. But, it also clearly had an inspiration few have noticed- the classic 1967 British television series, The Prisoner. Both works essentially end with the destruction of the individual (even if The Prisoner's lead character `escapes'- he still is destroyed for he is revealed as the villain) in response to modern society. The only essential difference is that more inept and cowardly Sam Lowry never quite realizes he's a prisoner in The Village (or perhaps does, but refuses his reality, thereby deepening his pathos). All in all, The Criterion Collection's DVD set of the film is equal to the film it presents, and that is something all cinemaphiles can celebrate. Get to it!
Escape... July 17, 2010
Andrew Ellington (I'm kind of everywhere)
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
To label `Brazil' a masterpiece seems almost cliché. To say that it is brilliant seems almost like a lazy cop-out. Standing back and reflecting on the film as a living entity, there seems to be something almost entirely alien about it, as if it were a specious all its own. There is nothing like it, yet it bleeds familiarities that make it almost comforting to the eyes. While under its spell I must say that I found myself fascinated, the entire time drawing comparisons to other more commercially acceptable work (this film, for me, feels like what would have happened if The Coen brothers rewrote `V for Vendetta' in the vein of a 40's film noir with `The Fifth Element' close in mind). With the smoke cleared though, this films complexion reads something entirely its own; something I have never seen before and may never see again.
I am not an expert on director Terry Gilliam's work, but the four films I've seen of his (`Monty Python and the Holy Grail', `Brazil', `The Fisher King' & '12 Monkeys') are sheer brilliance in their respective genre's, all of which proving him to be not simply a mere film director but a visionary, an auteur much as the same way that Michael Haneke or Lars von Trier are auteurs.
Terry Gilliam is a storyteller, not a mere movie-maker.
`Brazil' tells the complex story of a man named Sam Lowry who works for an intelligence agency working to fight terrorism. When a mistake costs an innocent man his life, Lowry finds himself trapped in the center of government cover-up; something that he seems almost naïve to. When he falls in love (through his constant day-dreaming) with a belligerent woman seeking justice, his life spirals out of control as he is forced to recognize the condition of his own country, something he has feigned ignorance to for so long.
The world that Gilliam creates here is one that is an obvious satirical exaggeration of modern society, at times even more appropriate today than it was twenty-five years ago.
`Brazil' is not a commercial film, not an easily accessible film to say the least. It is not something you can switch off your brain to and then appreciate, understand or enjoy. `Brazil' is a film that you need to absorb in order to grasp its complexities, but it is well worth the extra brain-power used to understand it. With gripping performances (especially by Jonathan Pryce) as well as a slew of supporting roles by some heavy hitters (Robert De Niro, Ian Holm and Bob Hoskins), `Brazil' has it all. The sets may be dated, and the overall conceptual outlook of a futuristic metropolis may seem old-fashioned, but the way that Gilliam weaves his tale makes up for any minor details.
I promise you this; `Brazil is unlike anything you've ever experienced before.
 Fascinating, Sad, and Fanciful June 18, 2010
Monty Moonlight (TX)
Jonathan Pryce stars as Sam Lowry, a bureaucrat growing frustrated in a quasi-futuristic parallel world where paperwork has gotten out of control. You need a form to do nearly anything, and trying to do your job without a form makes you an enemy of the state in danger of capital punishment, like the superhero-esque air condition repairman, Harry Tuttle (Robert De Niro). Having a normal life isn't easy in Sam Lowry's world, so when he falls in love with a suspected terrorist he has been having dreams about, things really get crazy for him, not to mention dangerous!
With a star-studded cast and written and directed by Monty Python alumnus Terry Gilliam, 1985's "Brazil" comes off as a fascinating and much more fanciful take on Orwell's "1984", with bureaucracy itself taking the place of Big Brother. To answer a common question, the title of the film comes from the recurring tune, "Aquarela Do Brasil", so it's not due to the film taking place there. Having said that, the movie itself is a justified cult classic with it's fascinating world and characters, including a troubled but likeable everyman lead whom we are able to attach to for the entire ride. The only drawback is that even for the viewer, the world presented can get difficult to take after a while. Yes, you can get tired of watching all the paperwork and demands for paperwork. Perhaps the narrative could have been a bit tighter to avoid this frustration spilling over to the audience, but maybe then the point wouldn't have been made as strongly as Gilliam wanted. Regardless, a very good film if this is your cup of tea, with wonderful performances, a sharp and disturbing exaggeration of the world we live in, and that very catchy, dreamy old song.
 Weird May 19, 2010
J in Texas (Texas)
0 out of 8 found this review helpful
Pretty much the weirdest movie I've probably ever seen. Some goodstuff in it, but, well, it's just weird.
This is the long version, and the shorter version is better February 13, 2010
Ran Prieur
1 out of 3 found this review helpful
Brazil was originally released in two versions: the 142 minute European theatrical cut, and the 131 minute American theatrical cut. Terry Gilliam approved both. Then there was the 94 minute "Love Conquers All" version shown on American television, which everyone agrees is dreadful. Brazil is one of my favorite films. I've seen the 131 minute cut about ten times, and the Criterion "director's cut", which is closely based on the European theatrical cut, two or three times, and I think the shorter version is better. We should learn from George Lucas that it is not necessarily good for the director to get everything he wants. The stuff added to the long cut is not that good, not necessary for the plot, and drags down the pacing. Another difference is that in the shorter cut, in the final shot, Sam is surrounded by clouds. It doesn't change the story but I think it's a better presentation of the ending. And there's one bit that's only in the shorter version: when Jim Broadbent slaps the plastic over Katherine Helmond's face, Sam says (ironically) "My God, it works."
The item description says that the 1998 DVD is 131 minutes (or 132). This is incorrect. All DVD's are the long version, although the 1998 stand-alone DVD might be slightly different from the one in the Criterion collection. The 131 minute version was released only on VHS and videodisc.
Showing reviews 1-5 of 414
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