BRAZIL is a 1985 film starring Jonathan Pryce, co-written and directed by Terry Gilliam. The film follows Sam Lowry (Jonathan Pryce) trying to find the literal woman in his dreams while working at his dead-end job at a bureaucracy in a less than ideal world.
----------
The bizarrely titled Brazil is the best that Gilliam has to offer, blending elements of dystopia and totalitarianism with goofy slapstick and dysfunctional characters to create the delightful and harrowing contradictory world that is unforgettable.
Jonathan Pryce stars as the aforementioned Sam Lowry, a lowly office worker who is content with his routine until he stumbles upon the woman of his dreams. This is the breakout role for Pryce and is perhaps the best of his career. Talk about getting it right first time, the character and charm given to the Everyman Sam Lowry by Pryce is unmatchable, a role you couldn't imagine seen in the hands of another actor after seeing how it is handled. At times, intelligent and with a sharp wit, other times barely comprehending how the world around him works and how to interact with it, often breaking into bouts of sarcasm to help make sense of it all.
A majority of the cast handle their performances with ease, with the most notable performances being with Robert De Niro, Ian Holm and Michael Palin. De Niro is quirky and as meticulous as he has always been within his performance with Ian Holm being largely similar with the addition of his nervous nature and constant stuttering creating some laughs. Palin as a character is downright disturbing in this film, introduced as the higher-up and more successful friend with an air of mystery, it only gets worse for Sam from then on out. When I say a majority handle their performances with ease, that exception is sadly Kim Greist as Jill, with her performance and character left with something to be desired. It still works for the film's overall plot and tone, but most of her delivery with lines fell flat, perhaps with one or two memorable lines throughout the entire runtime.
Co-written with Tom Stoppard and Charles McKeown whilst directed by Gilliam, Brazil is a well written and directed film. The writing is where the majority of the bizarre elements come into play, the aforementioned combination of slapstick and brooding totalitarian society creates a concoction of a story that is beyond memorable. The vast majority of the dialogue consists of witty interaction between one character and another, their interaction proving one of the film’s greatest strengths, how it bounces between the characters and creates a playful tone in an otherwise distraught world.
The motives of Kim Greist’s character and the factor of terrorism is handled in a flimsy manner however, Jill effectively has her life stripped from her by Lowry and yet she is still expected to fall in love with him by the film’s conclusion, making the writing feel slightly formulaic as it could just easily be attributed to the film’s whimsical nature with Lowry having consistent daydreams and she is more likely to love his character, which is similar to the acts of terrorism seen throughout the film also. On its initial conception, it adds to the bizarre effect, with these terror attacks happening on a regular basis to the point where they are no longer frightening to the upper-class and citizens working for the government not involved. A particular scene shows a high-class restaurant being attacked with bloody and mangled survivors clamouring for help, but they give it only slight notice and continue with their meal as if nothing substantial happened.
Direction is well done with one or two mishaps, Terry Gilliam definitely surpassed his own vision while creating Brazil, crafting an almost fully realised world with some pretty excessive detail, kudos to the production design and art team with some incredible sets and matte paintings, a nod to one particular scene including Robert De Niro and a zip line. Actors are guided through the Gilliam’s vision with ample precision, albeit Gilliam himself was reportedly unpleased with Kim Greist’s performance as Jill and as a result, cut more of her scenes out of the film than is what is already in the film, which is a fair bit still, not counting the infamous “Love Conquers All” studio cut.
The score by Michael Kamen is pivotal to the film’s overall success, from the iconic theme by Geoff Muldaur that serves as the leitmotif of the film, a string of notes that follows Sam Lowry as the passes through the story, particularly during an important moment related to Lowry. The theme that plays during the office segments of the film has had a life of its own also, being used in several different projects, mostly trailers however, including the trailer for Wall-E or Being John Malkovich. A final notable element of the score is the ending track which in itself is notable for its creativity and a majority of the score serving as altered versions of one another to serve the mood of the scene on-screen.
Overall, Brazil is an exceptional example of cult cinema in which everything comes together its own wonderfully dysfunctional way. It sticks to your brain and never let’s go due to its incredibly unique nature.
No comments:
Post a Comment