I stayed up to watch it but slept like a log afterwards. Gilliam didn't impress me with his Monty Python work so I missed this when it was first released. Time Bandits and Life of Brian were good, though, so when I heard Brazil was about a state which had become totalitarian through excessive bureaucracy, I had to take a look.
The society the film portrayed resembled so many aspects of our own. Skilled mechanics who couldn't do their jobs because they were overwhelmed with paperwork, government departments that couldn't function properly because they were all trying to get information held jealously by other departments, a police force which was focussed on people who didn't complete the paperwork yet ignored violent crime. Finally, there was the detention and interrogation of those who fell foul of the system, often for no reason of their own.
It reminded me of Guantanamo Bay and 'Extraordinary Rendition". It also reminded me that the Nazis, like many fascist societies, were rigorous bureaucrats who kept impeccable records of all their actions. That's how so many were eventually convicted of their crimes. Just as scary was how everyone in the film reacted to what was going on around them and was happy to do so - the biggest threat to them was a civil servant who wanted to take the initiative. Gilliam's Brazil described a totalitarian state which had become immobilised by its own fearful, reactive bureaucracy but which wasn't particularly oppressive so long as individuals didn't rail against the blundering system as it meted out injustice.
Sadly, Gilliam is a visionary; he foresaw what a awaited society which could no longer dream safely. This film should be viewed by anyone who wishes to consider themselves educated. Yes, Tony - I recorded it
The theme tune - fantastic! It's the perfect samba.
Gill
Topic: Brazil (Read 1072 times)