Criterion Retrospective - Brazil

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The Battle of Brazil: Terry Gilliam vs. Sid Sheinberg: • The Battle of Brazil: ...
Brazil (1985)
Directed by Terry Gilliam
Starring Jonathan Pryce, Katherine Helmond, Kim Greist & Robert De Niro
Music by Michael Kamen
After suffering a decade of censorship under the hollywood system, one former member of Monty Python decided to make a film that reflected his awful experiences with bureaucracy. Thing is, most people didn't see that. Nor did the distributors. Thirty years later, the film became one of the most beloved cult films of all time.
The purpose of this video is educational. Although I do not own any of the properties displayed within this video, fair use law deems that my use is just.

[@onstr]

You've also gotta love that Mario cameo. Proof that Brazil takes place in the same universe as Super Mario Bros. I just wonder why there are so many British accents in Brooklyn.

[@CricketEngland]

You wouldn’t think Brazil was a Christmas movie.

[@MartinParsons-tr6wi]

Good point, mate. And there was me thinking Die Hard was my favourite Christmas film. (Brazil, just being the finest of all time). ( ! - )

[@therealpils]

I realise this is six years late, but, if I may, I believe the only detail you didn't pick up on is the complicity of all of the members of the "brazil society". Case in point, Mr. Kurtzman clearly had not hurt his hand, thereby forcing Sam to forge his signature. Evidenced later by the paper trail and the charge of forgery, which could only be known if Kurtzman told them. All the characters, living in societal madness, are merely attempting to prevent their own descent in to utter madness by some means or another. Even the children are feral. *Genius*

[@MartinParsons-tr6wi]

Nicely put

[@johnblack4307]

Brazil is probably my favorite film of the 80’s, I can’t believe nobody ever talks about it or told me to watch it.

[@802Garage]

My favorite movie period. What a gem.

[@Arcsprite]

My favourite film full-stop

[@rockets4kids]

You need new friends.

[@retrothing]

One of my absolute favorites. That film is one of the reasons why I went to film school. I had little choice.

[@teddratch_owner_signature_4920]

My mom rented Brazil when I was a kid and none of us could make heads or tails of it at the time. We ended up turning it off and it went into my brain as one of the worst movies I've ever seen. She rented it because we were all Monty Python fans. However, later in life I became a Gilliam fan and begin to appreciate his work more as an adult. so I figured I'd give Brazil another go-around to find out why it was I thought it was so damn weird and not worth watching. I wasn't into surrealism in ass-backward mindholes back then but now I can really appreciate them and this film is amazing the way his dreams cross over into his reality and he seemingly goes insane. The film is an absolute masterpiece, I can't believe it was on my list of hated movies. Even the explosion scenes are reminiscent of Luis Buñuel.

[@mattwaits5841]

I know you probably won't see this but I just wanted to let you know how much your videos really help me. My boyfriend recently killed himself. It was devastating to me. But seeing that you had posted a new thoughtful intelligent video brought a little joy into my life for an hour. Thank you so much for that dude. Much love. Keep doing whatcha doing.

[@theoisgod7201]

Matt Maus That’s tough dude, good luck moving forward

[@prismer]

Glad I could help. I hope I can make the future just a little bit brighter.

[@jayTheMightyRoadflower]

Matt Maus ... the deep resonance of great filmmaking is truely transcendent & unifying; hope you're doing well sir! sending gidvibes to you friend! sincerely, all the very best to you & yours, j...

[@joanofarc33]

Matt Maus How are you fairing these days?

[@SAFbikes]

damn bro I hope things are going better 2 years on

[@brettsalter3300]

Thank you so much for posting this and your efforts producing it. Working in the Taxation dept. when Brazil came out, I used to play the 'typewriter' office scene every morning before heading off to work, as well as decking out my one room apartment in 'ducting' and a 'replica' Bush television (the model used through the film).It was bittersweet though, I felt sad during this time, but could see the humour in my weird bureaucratic dream

[@ΑύραΚατσαντώνη]

Harry Tuttle: Listen kid, we're all in it together

[@enhaxed7839]

You're a good man in a tight corner Sam Lowrie.

[@roxyamused]

I can't remember when was the first time I saw Brazil was on VHS after renting it randomly without even reading the back It's always haunted me to some degree, as I was a teenager and the themes are dystopian so it was a little freaky. Really it blew me away, and shaped the way I saw the world. Not a bad deep dive, though Gilliam absolutely at least knew about 1984 and George Orwell. 27B-6, the form the central services creeps have to come back, was one of George Orwell's apartment number. That number is an Easter egg in many films including even the Star Wars: Force Awakens movie. Also a working title for the film was "1984 1/2". So he at least knew what the film was, but I'm guessing he had read the book. Doesn't take away from anything but it's not convergent evolution. Totalitarianism might look as mundane, as the privilege can look down on those without like the shopping throng looking down on Sam when he tried to free Tuttle from the papers. It's easy to get sucked in to being a cog in the machine if it means a bit more material comfort. It's almost a lesson in complacency and how that can make us lose our humanity. Brazil is a beautiful film, and my favourite of any of Gilliam's project.

[@oldmangamer8656]

Brazil was probably my one defining movie growing up, the one I was most passionate about and would tell EVERYONE to go see, and cemented me as a Gilliam fan for life. Funny thing is the movie was sat on the shelf for over a year recorded on VHS and I never watched it because the title sounded boring... I finally watched it one day when I couldn't think of anything else to watch - total revelation!

[@thecoldglassofwatershow]

I think a lot of people are turned off from watching it from the name. Boy are they missing out lol

[@Uriel.Cinema]

Gilliam himself would be proud

[@trevordistance4170]

How the hell does anyone know this much about the production of a film?

[@jordanbottini9803]

Standing at the precipice of a vortex, cinema's infinite potential swirling violently beneath me. Brazil pushed me over that edge. Watching this video brought back that utterly awestruck feeling that washed over me as those end credits rolled. Thank you.

[@CarlosRiveraFernandez]

Dat boi made a mini movie about a movie

[@johnrichardson7629]

Saw this multiple times in vinema and then more times on tape. One of the most brilliantly constructed films ever.

[@NoahSpurrier]

Favorite movie as a kid. Still one of my favorites.

[@jacksonvega7751]

As a kid Brazils grey future beurocracy properly filled me with dread. Its vision of the future unsettled me the most.

[@RamblingGreek]

I will never understand why peoppe on youtube video essays go through every minute of a movie the viewers have already watched The recap ends at around 33:00

[@renhansen1246]

59k views in 3 and a bit years is far fewer than this video deserves. Well done that man.

[@KillerBebe]

I’ve been looking for those baby masks for years, I still want one.

[@johnduncan4387]

Terry Gilliam’s unrestrained imagination and creativity has resulted in nothing less than cinematic magic

[@themachineeatsitself]

Why hasn't this channel blown up? This is a superb review/retrospective that doesn't just regurgitate Wikipedia articles or easy to find info. Fantastic. Hope you do more someday.

[@petar4onachev]

This is an amazing analysis of a masterpiece!

[@richardbenitez7803]

Local theatre in Sacramento showed Brazil last night. Small older crowd. I had seen Brazil when 1st released. Then as now, the movie was brilliant. As old fart, I was raised on these deep thought pics many of which where Italian. Watching movie in way was lonely experience. I am as my generation hostile to being managed and watched by big entitles. I work for largest federal agency in the world. We know depths about folks and manage their lives ( tell them how live). People love it. . .

[@wrockage]

masterful, well done, sir! i was a teenager when i saw/taped this from showtime and i was like, what the heck? much was lost on me then and even now perhaps but it is memorable - i think of this movie often. really enjoyed your insights, thanks for sharing!

[@wekka]

still one of my favorite all-time KZbin videos. Hope everything has been well with you and I look forward to anything else you release in the future.

[@adamcohen2632]

The film changed my life forever. I just happened to be in London when it was released and saw his cut instead of the American one. I saw it 3 times that week.

[@hollywoodnights]

Brilliant! Nobody I know in real life has ever watched this, despite my recommendations. It's not the easiest film to follow, so it's nice to see it broken down and discussed in depth.

[@zetetick395]

I'd never noticed that the dream antagonist Samurai's armour is made out of circuit boards before! Nice spot! 👍

[@simonstory29]

Brilliant! Thank you!

[@johndelong5574]

I think this is one of the best movies ever I had to watch it three times just to take it all in

[@ltgood]

I got lost in this for the hour, just like 35 years ago when I seen this on video cassette player. I knew then there was a work of brilliance here.

[@SkelStudio]

This movie changed my life and rewired my brain.

[@kevanbrown7620]

Brazil has to be one of my all time favourite films. I love the film's of Terry Gilliam. He's a genius at making them so visual. Terry Gilliam is responsible for 3 of my favourite film's. Brazil, Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas and Life Of Brian (which Gilliam was art director and co-writer). His film's like Time Bandits, Brazil, The Adventures Of Baron Munchausen, The Fisher King, 12 Monkeys, Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, Brothers Grimm, The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus, The Man Who Killed Don Quixote are really incredible to look at. Brazil i would say is his masterpiece.

[@EmersonWyrick-ec7tg]

Same here. You can’t forget tho that terry Gilliam co directed holy grail.

[@Tom_Losh]

I'll keep this simple: Thank you, Magnus.

[@lethalmuffin101]

This video is a momentous achievement! Can't wait for the next retrospective!

[@trevordistance4170]

How the hell does anyone know this much about the production of a film?

[@stopthephilosophicalzombie9017]

I've been trying to find the Brazil baby masks for years. There's a guy on Etsy who makes reproductions of them, but they don't have the exact contours of the original (despite claiming they are made from a mold of the original).

[@mysteryminx2619]

Your spectacular documentary just made me love this film all the more. I remember seeing it when it was first released. Being a huge Python fan for their sheer insanity and stopping at nothing to make a point absurdly hilarious; I liked "Brazil" but was a fairly uncultured noob back then and my take away was "Well, that was NOT what I expecting." But I simply got lost in Sam's own dream. I somehow ended up as a TV writer and I've worked on more than 20 shows during my career. Always a reader, I discovered "Benet's Readers Encyclopedia" and (newly updated for 2022) "Dictionary of Cultural Literacy." I went on to become an ardent student of military history and the political and economic causes that lead a World to War. I've lived in the Real World now, often working at studios that operate pretty much like Information Retrieval, your tiny, cruddy desk, being abandoned in your office by your co-workers who forgot to tell you they had left three hours before, and revising and rewriting endless paperwork. And yes, I was and still am, part of the machine that grinds out someone's entertainment. Following my first two years, I never watched another show I had worked on again. I no longer cared, and yes, we have often sat at our computers, running a film over on the iPad for company. I HAVE returned to "Brazil" (one of my favorite songs) and watch it now with a very different set of eyes. I understand this entire film now. Parts of it have happened to me, and I've always known that I could crack up my boss by leaving those meetings singing or humming "Brazil", knowing that the Executive Producers will never get it. It is one of the most stunning, beautiful, honest, and heartbreaking films I have ever seen. I'm pleased and proud that I finally Grew Up and found the key to Sam's invisible shackles. They're real. Thank you so much for your beautiful love letter to this astonishingly honest film.

[@MartinParsons-tr6wi]

In a small way, you have added to the masterpiece. Thanks

[@65g4]

great video man very insight look into a classic and very informative. I love this film and Gilliam's work and understand him as a filmmaker even more thanks to you great work

[@JoshuaCraigStrain]

Great job , kid (no offense) - you did a lot of work and it shows !! I saw this when it came out as a 19 year old Punk who grew up with Python - literally from being a 70's kid and 80's teen - can you imagine !? So , I was sufficiently stoned going into this experience hearing it was trippy and controversial with a surprise ending that will blow your mind !! Well , it definitely delivered and I can only really appreciate the true brilliance and work that went into it all these decades (ouch) later ! Thanks again for helping this old geezer still Punk enjoy Terry's as usual ahead of his time genius !

[@MartinParsons-tr6wi]

I may have been in the same cinema. (having my mind blown). ( ! - )

[@wendellwiggins3776]

Great analysis and a proper detailed understanding of this incredible groundbreaking work of art!

[@Vesohag]

Oooh, CinemaTyler recommended me this video. And he was right when saying that I should definitely check it out. It was an really well done, from the information to its passing. I watched this movie for the first time a couple of years ago despite owning it for a couple years more. And immediately became one of my favorites. Again, amazing job on this!

[@florenciomarquezjr750]

Watched the film a couple weeks back and it was truly trip. This video is a great look on how the film was made and its storytelling elements. Cant wait to see more of your videos

[@802Garage]

Thank you for making this. Brazil seems to have so much meaning to me that I haven't even discovered yet. Even the part where Sam draws hair on Jill's digital mugshot seems symbolic of his self centered view and indulgence in fantasy. Getting the new suit in many films might be a chance for transformation or starting over, instead the new suit takes him right back to his fantasy. He will constantly go back to the fake world that he wants in an attempt to escape reality, even when reality keeps trying to drag him back. Is he selfish, or just broken along with society, or both? So many parallels for most of us, I would think. Not to mention, even if it's a personal journey not focused on critiquing government, bureaucracy, and classism, it does so by following the personal journey. Again highlighting problems most of us face. The use of the mill and the prop work is amazing to see too. The dream flight scenes are even more breathtaking knowing how they were made. I just love this film so much.

[@maty6799]

👏

[@802Garage]

@@maty6799 Heeey!

[@mgabrysSF]

I'm loving this series - I'd love to see your take on Fear and Loathing - or the film that nearly clobbered Terry's career - The Baron Munchausen (a dazzling film that drove everyone involved nearly nuts). I know you've got other material on this channel, but this series is addictive as hell. More pls!

[@daviddeltoro1808]

This channel needs at least ten times the amount of views and subscribers that it has for the amount of effort you put into it. Keep up the good work.

[@prismer]

Thank you! I hope I get there soon

[@SgtRocko]

I saw this the first week of its release in NYC. After having escaped from the Soviet Union, and having just finished my military service in Israel (which was still clawing her way out of the insane Soviet-style bureaucracy that had dominated the country for decades)... I can ASSURE you that this movie hit home. Bull's eye target hit home! It was immediately apparent that this was a masterpiece of cinema AND an amazing cry against the stifling of individuality and creativity. My American-born friends all found it amusing how many times I whispered "But... but this could be a documentary!" LOL It didn't hurt that I'd always loved the song Aqualera do Brasil. Later, after doing 12 years in the U.S. Marine Corps, I watched it again and once again it struck a chord. We now have a family tradition of watching this every year (which I'm happy to say my now-adult kids are continuing with THEIR families). It's an absolutely magnificent movie, and this video showing some of the background and pointing out details I didn't know before is wonderful. Thanks for such a great video!

[@patrickweyland-smith1023]

Fun fact: Mrs Lowry's hat is basically a recreation of Elsa Schiaparelli's shoe hat, allegedly inspired by Salvador Dali. In keeping with the 1940s styling.

[@zetetick395]

Happiness: *We're all in it together*

[@TOKYOTOYBANZAI]

This retrospective is amazing. Thank you!

[@mokthemagicman]

Gilliam said during his movie commentary that he thinks the film is a lot darker than if he were to make it today. He said he was really angry and was lashing out. Maybe a bit too much? He laughs.

[@jistikoff2361]

The global ministry of information retrieval is way more horrifying than Gilliam ever imagined.

[@2014dotcom]

This is the best video on my favorite movie ever made💥😁 This means so much!! You sharing the beauty of the making of Brazil, the history, and detail was so enjoyable!!! Thank you!!!! Subscribing immediately

[@benjamincrabtree1718]

These Criterion Retrospectives are fantastic. Keep up the excellent work!

[@prismer]

Certainly will!

[@RobertRFalk]

I have the 3-disk Criterion collection, and if you can get your hands on the bastardized "Love Conquers All" studio hack, I highly recommend viewing that with commentary on! I learned so much about the hows & whys of its edit.

[@JH-jh8ms]

This analysis itself is masterful and has contributed immensely toward deepening my appreciation for a film I already considered among the top 50 of all time.

[@rickytesla1470]

Fantastic work, its a crime you dont have more followers, sublime restrospective of brazil.

[@hanniffydinn6019]

My fave film. Blew my mind when I saw it as a kid in the 80s.

[@elech77]

Great work man. Keep it up! Looking forward to the next one!

[@Tobacc0]

Love the enthusiasm and in-depth detail here.

[@ChrisDragotta]

I think he unintentionally created a world very much like the one we're living in. Everybody lives in escapist imagined worlds. As we have to.

[@geoffroyclop]

Extremely rich and well presented video essay my guy, 1 hour 5 minutes of pure pleasure and interesting facts around the movie also +1 for the Enter The Void reference at the very start!

[@tehn00bdude]

My headcannon is that Bob Hoskins as a plummer in this movie is what caused him to get cast as Mario in Super Mario Bros

[@PJJBOSSVLOG]

I'm currently watching this movie and your video is the best of YT. I'm a new Subscriber.

[@josephsheldon8582]

seriously great video.

[@davidbradshaw659]

We're all in it together, kid.

[@jackson5056]

This was great and I can't wait for more.

[@j.subsinsky1054]

This is absolutely fantastic. Thank you!

[@charlesholzer2526]

It's my favorite film, it perfectly encapsulates our modern society. All the bullshit we have to deal with everyday driving everyone to madness and escapism.

[@marshmarshall4619]

I never tire of watching this brilliant film - "Genius", "Masterpiece" - words that get bandied aound far to often for works that are often disappointingly mediocre - This film came out in 1985 but it hasn't dated at all - In fact TG's vision was amazingly prescient - What's it all about ?? - Well it's about what has come to pass so chillingly in our world of 2021 - CCTV spying on everyone ; personal data manipulation ; the evil that hides behind the "friendly" (??) face of he with the Dalek voice !! - The obscene levels of wealth of billionaires whose personal fortunes ere greater than the GDP of some entire countries !!! - That 80% of the press in the UK is owned by just 4 billionaires who are not even domiciled in the UK for tax purposes !! - etc etc - Thank you so much for this wonderfully informative video that adds even more to this remarkable film's greatness - A great watch and one that deserves to be kept alongside the film...

[@octopusfly]

Brilliant! Such a deep dive! So well done. Thank you for sharing your time, energy and great research.

[@TS50ER]

A Superlative channel. A must for all movie fans.

[@timleopardxolo]

I love watching Terry Gilliam's 'Brazil', but I hate living in it.

[@tomrambaud9080]

This is amazing, very educating while being entertaining, great work!!

[@Uriel.Cinema]

Very entertaining Magnus, great video

[@prismer]

Thanks, my man.

[@trevordistance4170]

@@prismer How the hell does anyone know this much about the production of a film?

[@andrewuzcategui8744]

It was worth the wait, great video!

[@KevinStriker]

Fantastic video! You just earned yourself a subscriber. Here's to your success.

[@1qwasz12]

Love conquers all. One of the best and optimistic films ever made. Thank you, Mr. Gilliam.

[@esyphillis101]

I wouldn’t say love conquers all was the theme but ok.

[@ludrixte1938]

This film will never be dated, it will live on like the works of Homer, Mozart and Shakespeare. It’s message and ideas transcend any particular epoch’s zeitgeist and speaks about the universal philosophy. As long as human society continues, it will always be relevant. A masterclass analysis for a masterpiece.

[@MartinParsons-tr6wi]

The ghost in the machine

[@-GRXNDSCOPER-]

MY FAVOURITE MOVIE

[@davidmoog6223]

I saw this movie upon on it's original release. It never left me and I reference it on a regular basis, especially in my 35 years of public service.

[@beckettgray9515]

This is amazing, great job magnus keep it up

[@alexritchie4586]

A layer of 'enjoyment' that gets added on for a British audience is just how tediously British 'Brazil' is. From the terse, offcialised, and omnipresent manners, to the inevitable banality of hating queueing but being very efficient at it, to the strange pseudo-aristocratic upper civil service that exists purely on the basis of who went to school together, to the endless cycles of promising that more red tape will make things better vs. we need to cut red tape, to the 'mustn't grumble' mindset. 'Brazil' is Britain in so, so many ways, and one of the Brits favourite past-times is forever making things worse whilst suffering from some 'go along to get along' stiff upper lip self martyrdom that prevents us from really doing anything to stop it. For us it's much more a prophecy than a portrayal. And we always enjoy staring glazed-eyes into the managed decline of our dead empire whilst pretending it's not happening.

[@MartinParsons-tr6wi]

So true. Airstrip One

[@christinecollins6302]

Wow, hard work dude, what an extra plot

[@Lightfinger]

Excellent synopsis!

[@user-ru8wg9di1l]

Good work on this video

[@MrBGS101]

This was also one of the very first Criterion Blu Rays I bought for my birthday, along with Godzilla and The Qatsi trilogy. Best birthday in recent memory.

[@MichaelMan2000]

Wow you made a really good analysis of my favorite movie thanks

[@TheChannelofaDisappointedMan]

Great commentary. An absolute masterpiece.

[@Thomassaill]

great work, amazing how much thoughts u put in this, keep it up

[@asdasd-be5ww]

Brazil is like a bleak and dystopian follow-up to Ikiru. In Ikiru the protagonist tries to create purpose in a beaurocratic, shallow and apathetic society. In Brazil it is already too late, and our protagonist can do nothing but escape into his imagination.

[@jimisi7424]

Easily my favorite film. Watched it too many times to count. Over 100

[@jennifermachiorlatti4445]

Awesome work, innovative presentation for cinema critique!

[@acadia5898]

good video, and worth all 1 hour and 5minutes :)

[@prismer]

Glad you made it all the way through!

[@scottmcfarlane7524]

This was my 1st Criterion flim ....Amazing flim

[@joanofarc33]

Brazil was before its time. The technocratic state where capitalism exists devoid of democracy, the surveillance state with cameras everywhere, environmental destruction (no not global warming but environmental rape), using technological devices as a means of escape, constant random terrorist attacks, the ‘If you see something say something’ government sign. These were all things that were not of the time so when I first watched it I didn’t really understand what I was watching as it predates all the tech we use everyday now. So recently when I rewatched the film I was blown away by how much of the film didn’t make sense until now so yeah I’m on the “It’s brilliant” side. All of you youngins’ who weren’t young adults in 1985 but watch the film today can’t really appreciate how much this film had foreseen.

[@JenSell1626]

Sounds like we are about the same age. Maybe you had less experience with bureaucracy at the time because the world was definitely already there.

[@Symos]

I wondered on my first viewing if there are any legit terrorists. I mean the only one we see is interested in fixing stuff. I considered the explosions are caused by faulty equipment neglected due to paperwork and bureaucratic inefficiency and blamed on terrorism due to governmental blaming

[@chucklebutt4470]

There'd be no reason to keep paying the "counter-terrorist" squads if all the terrorists stopped trying to terrorize people! lol.

[@lostjohnny197]

More then anything, this film is haunting in how much of it has come to pass, the apathetic public for example. It's hard to believe it was made in 1985.

[@MartinParsons-tr6wi]

Made in 1984. ( ! - )

[@valmarsiglia]

Before Holy Grail, Python had already gained its huge cult following in the US because of the reruns played on PBS. In fact, that's what gave the Pythons the impetus to make the film.

[@dornravlin]

dope video happy new year

[@AkaNovaChan]

Great video! Can you imagine doing something like a closer analysis of Brazil one day?

[@TheTennesseeGeek]

Why did I have to see this in my subscriptions at two in the morning‽

[@TheTennesseeGeek]

@Imight Realperson You aren't wrong.