Brazil [2 Discs] [Criterion Collection] [Blu-ray]

Brazil [2 Discs] [Criterion Collection] [Blu-ray]

Director: Terry Gilliam Cast: Jonathan Pryce
Jonathan Pryce
, Robert De Niro
Robert De Niro
, Michael Palin
Michael Palin
, Kim Greist
Kim Greist
Terry Gilliam
Brazil [2 Discs] [Criterion Collection] [Blu-ray]

Brazil [2 Discs] [Criterion Collection] [Blu-ray]

Director: Terry Gilliam Cast: Jonathan Pryce
Jonathan Pryce
, Robert De Niro
Robert De Niro
, Michael Palin
Michael Palin
, Kim Greist
Kim Greist
Terry Gilliam

Blu-ray (Color)

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Overview

Brazil constitutes Terry Gilliam's enormously ambitious follow-up to his 1981 Time Bandits. It also represents the second installment in a trilogy of Gilliam films on imagination versus reality, that began with Bandits and ended in 1989 with The Adventures of Baron Munchausen. To create this wild, visually audacious satire, Gilliam combines dystopian elements from Orwell, Huxley and Kafka (plus a central character who mirrors Walter Mitty) with his own trademark, Monty Python-esque, jet black British humor and his gift for extraordinary visual invention. The results are thoroughly unprecedented in the cinema. Jonathan Pryce stars as Sam Lowry, a civil servant who chooses to blind himself to the decaying, drone-like world around him. It's a world marred by oppressive automatization and towering bureaucracy, and populated by tyrannical guards who strongarm lawbreakers. And Lowry is stuck in the middle of this nightmare. Whenever real life becomes too oppressive, Sam fantasizes (to the tune of Ary Baroso's 1930s hit "Brazil") about sailing through the clouds as a winged superhero, and rescuing beautiful Jill Layton (Kim Greist) from a giant, Samurai warrior. The omnipresent computer that controls everything in the "real" world malfunctions, causing an innocent citizen to be arrested and tortured to death. When Sam routinely investigates the error, he meets - and pursues Jill , literally the girl of his dreams. But in real life, she's a tough-as-nails truck driver who initially wants nothing to do with him. It turns out that she is suspected of underground activities, in connection with a terrorist network wanted for bombing public places. The price Sam pays for his association with her is a close encounter with the man in charge of torturing troublesome citizens (Michael Palin). He is rescued - at the last minute - by maintenance man Harry Tuttle (Robert de Niro) who moonlights as a terrorist, but that only represents the beginning of his plight, for now the "system" is onto him. Gilliam ran into enormous problems with Brazil. Universal - which produced the picture - originally slated it for release in 1984, but the studio - intimidated by the film's whopping length of 142 minutes - demanded that Gilliam trim the film to bring it in under two hours and alter the pessimistic ending. Gilliam refused; Universal shelved the picture for a year. In response, the director took out a full page ad in Variety asking studio president Sid Sheinberg when the film would be released. Sensing tremendous pressure, Universal bowed to Gilliam's insistence on fewer cuts but still demanded a happy ending. Gilliam trimmed only eleven minutes and altered the conclusion just slightly (instead of cutting to black, it fades into puffy white clouds on a blue sky, with a reprise of the title tune). It was thus released in early 1985 at 131 minutes, and of course became a seminal work; many critics regarded it at the time as the best film of the eighties.

Product Details

Release Date: 12/04/2012
UPC: 0715515086714
Original Release: 1985
Rating: R
Source: Criterion Collection
Region Code: A
Sound: [Dolby Digital Stereo]
Language: English
Time: 2:22:00
Sales rank: 3,530

Special Features

Disc 1 - Audio Commentary by Gilliam; ; Disc 2 - What is "Brazil"?, Rob Hedden's on-set documentary; The Production Notebook, a collection of interviews and video essays, featuring a trove of Brazil-iana from Gilliam's personal collection; ; The Battle of "Brazil," a documentary about the film's contentious release, hosted by Jack Mathews and based on his book of the same name; ; "Love Conquers All" version, the studio's 94-minute, happy-ending cut of Brazil, with Commentary by Brazil expert David Morgan; Trailer; ; Plus: A booklet featuring an essay by film critic David Sterritt

Cast & Crew

Performance Credits
Jonathan Pryce Sam Lowry
Robert De Niro Archibald 'Harry' Tuttle
Michael Palin Jack Lint
Kim Greist Jill Layton
Katherine Helmond Ida Lowry
Ian Holm Kurtzmann
Bob Hoskins Spoor
Ian Richardson Warrenn
Peter Vaughan Helpmann
Jim Broadbent Dr. Jaffe
Barbara Hicks Mrs. Terrain
Charles McKeown Lime
Derrick O'Connor Dowser
Kathryn Pogson Shirley
Bryan Pringle Spiro
Sheila Reid Mrs. Buttle
John Flanagan TV Interviewer/Salesman
Ray Cooper Technician
Brian Miller Mr. Buttle
Simon Nash Boy Buttle
Prudence Oliver Girl Buttle
Simon Jones Arrest Official,Basement Guard
Derek Deadman Bill, Department of Works
Nigel Planer Charlie, Department of Works
Gordon Kaye MOI Lobby Porter
Tony Portacio Neighbor in Clerk's Pool
Winston Dennis Samurai Warrior
Diana Martin Telegram Girl
Jack Purvis Dr. Chapman
Elizabeth Spender Alison/Barbara Lint
Anthony Brown Porter, Information Retrieval
Myrtle Devenish Typist in Jack's Office
Holly Gilliam Holly
Ann Way Old Lady With Dog
Terry Forrestal Burning Trooper
Don Henderson Black Maria Guard
Howard Lewis Black Maria Guard,Second Black Maria Guard
Oscar Quitak Interview Official
Patrick Connor Cell Guard
Roger Ashton-Griffiths Priest
Bill Wallis Bespectacled lurker
Antony Brown Porter, Information Retrieval
Sadie Corré Midget Woman
Michael Kamen Composer
Walter Scharf Composer

Technical Credits
Terry Gilliam Director,Screenwriter
Charles McKeown Screenwriter
Tom Stoppard Screenwriter
Arnon Milchan Producer
Richard Conway Special Effects
George Gibbs Special Effects
Bill Weston Stunts
Patrick Cassavetti Producer
Vic Armstrong Stunts
Rodney Glenn Sound Effects
Rosie Straker Sound Effects
Robert North Producer
Laura Kerr Screenwriter
Irene Lamb Casting
Frank Gill, Jr. Screenwriter
Tip Tipping Stunts
Joseph Grace Producer
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