Let me tell you a few things before I
start off with the asymmetrical ideas that constitute for a film review with a
random precision.
i)
Till now Brazil –
the soundtrack – by Vengaboys was the only version of that song that I had
heard.
ii)
Terry Gilliam is
the first name I see every morning – Thanks to the big “Fear and Loathing in
Las Vegas” poster shining on my wall- when I wake up.
Ok – So Brazil(1985) is the second of
Terry’s Film that I have seen till date, first being Fear and Loathing in Las
Vegas – which happens to top the list of my personal favourites (clearly
visible by the fact that I have named it twice in some other film’s review). I
would be wrong if I would say that it took me by surprise, as I did expect some
wicked humor and a tasty blend of mind-drenching metaphors, that would put a
joyful smile on my face. The movie delivered it in the best way possible. From
the first frame of the movie where you find a TV advertisement of Designer
Ducts, you knew that you were in for a mind-boggling treat.
The movie is based “Somewhere in 20th
Century” about some totalitarian government buried deep and risen high with its
bureaucratic mess which has penetrated every inch of even any life, ranging
from Nature – to – even an insect's life.
In this dystopian world lives a man Sam Lowry, played by Jonathan Pryce,
whose life is as numb as his department – Records – a name that clearly is a
synonym for Dust and Bundles. Sam is stuck up in a job with a humorless and a
clueless boss, who would call Sam to solve even 2 + 2, and then pay off his
debt using a cup of tea, biscuits and flattering talks. But as they say –
dystopia never comes alone and a good film is always made in layers - we have
our very own Sam Lowry free from his Jacket and Record department, now flying
over and above like a mechanical eagle, looking ten times smarter with long
hair, and falling in love with an angel trapped in a cage(Kim Greist).
The movie is full of obvious satires and
a hard Huxley-like hopeless approach to life, if it can be called one in a
Society, if it can be called one. We have a bug in the system – a real bug –
drawing first blood for the Team Satire against Team Technizized society ( a
word originated on lines of Organizized, thanks to Mr. Scorcese) causing arrest
of a Mr Buttle – instead of Mr Tuttle. In an Orwellian society, a mistake like
that needs to be covered up, lest the bureaucrats may be blamed. But thanks to
the Satire no. 2, which shows symbolical baboons running the society, it leads
to another chaos. The tyrrincal guard who would welcome you with fists in
restaurants and civil workers who treat you as there shit, have forms for
everything and corresponding receipts too – yes, they make sure all the taxes
are paid by the creatures living in that society. They are, therefore, eligible
for Satire No. 3 that Terry plays. Lets move on, in the dream itself, Eagle
Sam’s green world, is penetrated by skyscrapers, and his angel love is caught
by Babombie ( a word I constructed – Babies + Zombie) well that’s how they
looked, serving a Electrical Lord –full of circuits, which is a bang on hit on
our lives – depicting how we have been enslaved by machines. Satire no. 4 shows
how Big machines rule us, while Small, unkept ones do the task of the
commander. Taking this forward comes Satire no. 5 – when Sam’s air conditioning
breaks down – we have Robert De Niro, as Mr Tuttle, fighting as a free-lancer
and “fixing people’s problems” while all government’s “Emergency Service” does
is that it sends two dickbytes to “fix” the problem. They don’t even have any
clue about even the rules. In another layer we have satire no.6 - Sam’s mother
getting beauty treatment with razors and chemicals, and “Already
she is twice as beautiful as she was before” when she has her head wrapped
in polyethene.
The list is long-
i)
Sam’s mother
wearing a sandal-shaped hat.
ii)
“Terrorists”
bombing a restaurant and people in high class section continue with their meal
– while the dead bodies are covered with a satin curtain.
iii)
Cuisines with
flashy names and delicious expectations – that look like Dog’s poo.
iv)
Children playing
Interrogation games and burning up people’s car. People paying for their own
interrogation.
v)
Receipts being
signed to commemorate a death.
vi)
Claustrophobic
cabins – and shared desk space
vii)
A time-lapsed
version of E-mails with letters, notices and memo etc travelling through
network of pipes
viii)
Interrogation- is
just another for torture and inhumane “Information
Retrieval”
ix)
Lawyers, making their pitch like any corporate
salesman
The end – can be easily predicted by
anyone who understands the source of any inspiration for this movie. It had to
be crazy, pessimistic and to certain extent fulfilling a dream of any
narcissistic society. Though many suggest it became drag because of it’s length
– I believe, that made it more interesting and stronger. At the same time I got
a feel that the entire movie was a thought process of Sam Lowry – resting in
that torture chair in the last scene. However, I have no other fact to support
it, so I would refrain from pressing it.
Terry, in his psychedelic Sci- fi trilogy
strikes beautifully with Brazil. The use of camera is brilliant, in terms of
Lenses to give the desired effect wherever required – ranging again from Wide-
Angle lenses to portray gigantic nature of the Ministry, to kinoptik lenses
giving us Claustrophobic effect in Sam’s new office. The designing of the
entire set structure was equally beautiful and composed to define required
imaginative dystopia. Tilted shots when needed, jumps and cuts to weird angles
with disturbed lightning and sounds – give it a cherry on the top.
The only drawback about the film, which
is more of a personal opinion, is that for people already having this taste –
it was a bit too predictable.
Rest all – An amazing film – and very rightly listed as a must watch. Go ahead – watch it and get screwed in Brazil.
Rest all – An amazing film – and very rightly listed as a must watch. Go ahead – watch it and get screwed in Brazil.
Akshat “The Reflection” Sharma.
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