Brazil (1985) (Criterion Collection) (Blu-ray Review)
Directed By: Terry Gilliam
Starring: Jonathan Pryce, Robert De Niro, Katherine Helmond
Rated: R/Region A/1:77/1080p/Number of Discs 2
Available from Criterion Collection
Sam Lowry is a harried technocrat in a futuristic society that is needlessly convoluted and inefficient. He dreams of a life where he can fly away from technology and overpowering bureaucracy, and spend eternity with the woman of his dreams. While trying to rectify the wrongful arrest of one Harry Buttle, Lowry meets the woman he is always chasing in his dreams, Jill Layton. Meanwhile, the bureaucracy has fingered him responsible for a rash of terrorist bombings, and both Sam and Jill’s lives are put in danger.
Terry Gilliam has been a master behind the camera more than once and here with Brazil he earns that title again. Brazil is a film that might seem a little odd or awkward at first, but once the viewer adjust to just what type of environment this movie tosses you into it become much more enjoyable. In a lot of ways the move is a bit of a tragedy. A play of sorts that plays its way on screen with the only way to really enjoy it being its original cut and not the American version you find that is a bit more cheery on the second disc. The tone and the outcome really drives home the overall feel when it wraps, but there is a lot to enjoy before that.
From the acting to the sets to the atmosphere, this movie really brings it all to you. While it isn’t easy to pinpoint a performance since they are all so good, Robert De Niro plays a character I really found funny and entertaining. There is a good mix of comedy, drama, and some action as well. If the movie does have a fault it may be the running time in some ways. Could a little have been cut here and there? I’m sure it could, but let us not get carried away. The film is a bit of an odyssey and those things do take time. Also, we have a great transfer here bringing the sets and environment alive with detail. Criterion really takes its time making sure you get top quality on Blu-ray and here they have done their job perfectly.
– Restored high-definition digital transfer of Terry Gilliam’s 142-minute director’s cut, supervised by Gilliam, with DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 surround soundtrack
– Audio commentary by Terry Gilliam
– What Is “Brazil”?, a thirty-minute on-set documentary by Rob Hedden
– The Battle of “Brazil”: A Video History, a sixty-minute documentary by author and film writer – Jack Mathews about the controversy surrounding the film’s release
– The “Love Conquers All” version of Brazil, a ninety-four-minute cut of the film produced by the studio in an attempt to make it more commercial, with commentary by Brazil expert David Morgan
– The Production Notebook, a collection of supplements featuring a trove of Brazil-iana from – Gilliam’s personal collection: a short documentary on the screenplay, featuring interviews with screenwriters Gilliam, Charles McKeown, and Tom Stoppard; Gilliam’s storyboards for unfilmed dream sequences, animated and narrated by Morgan; visual essays on the film’s production design and special effects; a visual essay on Brazil’s costumes, narrated by costume designer James Acheson; and interviews with Gilliam and composer Michael Kamen on the score
– Trailer
– PLUS: A booklet featuring an essay by film critic David Sterritt
