Terry Gilliam's "BRAZIL" or "1984 1/2"
Terry Gilliam's now classic film BRAZIL is out on blu-ray and I checked it out because, well hell, it's one of my favorite movies along with Kubrick's 2001, Ashby's Harold & Maude, Spielberg/Kubrick's A.I., Zemekis' Contact, and Woody Allen's Crimes and Misdemeanors. All of these films have many wonderful qualities that make them great for yearly repeat viewings and I recommend them all to anyone who has not seen them.
Now back to my current review: I saw Brazil in 1985 during its first and only 2 week limited release and I instantly fell in love with it. I saw it the first time in an otherwise empty theater and then went back twice in the following week dragging any friend I could find with me to see this incredible, absurd and surreal vision by the former Monty Python animator and then new director: Terry Gilliam.
Gilliam has continued to present feasts for the eye and the mind in the following decades, but Brazil still stands, in my opinion as his master work. The film has been released in many formats and many different edits over the years, and I have seen them all. The Criterion Collection DVD set is still the best because it has the longest and most complete cut currently available, but this new Universal Blu-ray version does look amazing! Unfortunately the Blu-ray does show some of the dirt and speckling on the transfer, and even exposes a few problems of some of the (obviously) pre-digital special effects work on a HDTV.
These problems do not distract from what is surely one of the most daft visions you will ever see from British/American cinema. The film begs for more than one viewing to catch all the subtle throw-away lines, the incredible cinematography and awesome design work and sets for what was even then a pretty low-budget movie. The themes of paranoia and loneliness still intrigue me to this day. The scenes of the main character Sam flying through the clouds in search of his dream girl are still some of the most beautiful ever caught on film, and the movie still has one of the boldest endings of any movie I have ever seen... similar in tone to the aforementioned Harold and Maude.
This movie comes very highly recommended even if you have seen it before because, like a fine wine it gets better and better with each passing year. This is not a movie to watch while making dinner, or doing your web-surfing or emailing friends. You need to please take the little over 2 hours running time, sit down in your comfy chair with your favorite movie snack and beverage, and let this masterpiece work its magic on you. Anyone who has a love of old movies, escapism, British humor, Art Design, mysteries, pretty pictures, or all of the above should buy, rent, borrow, stream or steal this movie right now! You will thank me later! - Review by XIM
Now back to my current review: I saw Brazil in 1985 during its first and only 2 week limited release and I instantly fell in love with it. I saw it the first time in an otherwise empty theater and then went back twice in the following week dragging any friend I could find with me to see this incredible, absurd and surreal vision by the former Monty Python animator and then new director: Terry Gilliam.
Gilliam has continued to present feasts for the eye and the mind in the following decades, but Brazil still stands, in my opinion as his master work. The film has been released in many formats and many different edits over the years, and I have seen them all. The Criterion Collection DVD set is still the best because it has the longest and most complete cut currently available, but this new Universal Blu-ray version does look amazing! Unfortunately the Blu-ray does show some of the dirt and speckling on the transfer, and even exposes a few problems of some of the (obviously) pre-digital special effects work on a HDTV.
These problems do not distract from what is surely one of the most daft visions you will ever see from British/American cinema. The film begs for more than one viewing to catch all the subtle throw-away lines, the incredible cinematography and awesome design work and sets for what was even then a pretty low-budget movie. The themes of paranoia and loneliness still intrigue me to this day. The scenes of the main character Sam flying through the clouds in search of his dream girl are still some of the most beautiful ever caught on film, and the movie still has one of the boldest endings of any movie I have ever seen... similar in tone to the aforementioned Harold and Maude.
This movie comes very highly recommended even if you have seen it before because, like a fine wine it gets better and better with each passing year. This is not a movie to watch while making dinner, or doing your web-surfing or emailing friends. You need to please take the little over 2 hours running time, sit down in your comfy chair with your favorite movie snack and beverage, and let this masterpiece work its magic on you. Anyone who has a love of old movies, escapism, British humor, Art Design, mysteries, pretty pictures, or all of the above should buy, rent, borrow, stream or steal this movie right now! You will thank me later! - Review by XIM