Brazil
1985
****½
Director: Terry Gilliam
Cast: Jonathan Pryce, Robert De Niro, Katherine Helmond, Ian Holm, Bob Hoskins, Michael Palin, Ian Richardson, Peter Vaughan, Kim Greist
In an Orwellian society characterised by oppressive bureaucracy and surveillance, a low-level bureaucrat, who wants to track down a woman that appears in his recurring dream, is drawn into a conspiracy to overthrow the regime. Terry Gilliam's dark science fiction comedy is highly original and visually rich, if a bit long. In this inventively realised world, technology is everywhere but, more often than not, it is malfunctioning. This dystopia is often very funny and occasionally very grim, and Jonathan Pryce gives a terrific performance in the lead. Scripted by Gilliam, Tom Stoppard, and Charles McKeown. The title comes from the 1939 song Aquarela do Brasil, which recurs throughout the film.
