To whom it may concern,
Brazil is turning 40 this year! Can you believe it? It seemed it only came out yesterday – kooky kid.
Brazil, where hearts were entertaining June
We stood beneath an amber moon
And softly murmured
“Someday soon” (someday)
Few movies operate entirely in a league of their own; Brazil is one of those movies. To describe it would be an injustice to the film itself. Even 40 years after release, the nightmarish and claustrophobic picture strikes a chord with me and most individuals who watch it now. I first watched it a couple years ago, and while rewatching it in preparation of this piece I had a sickness overcome me. I originally chalked up the ideas of fascist directives to some silly fantasy because “how can something so totally incompetent and ridiculous become this evil force?”
I digress – I mean if we got pushed into fascism, I’m glad it was this stupid version and not the Salo version of it. ANYWAYS anyways (anyways) back to the main point. In the time since Brazil’s release, the line between film and reality has begun to blur. Terry Gilliam created a world that is equally as inventive as it is horrifying. In doing so, he has accurately predicted the state of our world and also the treatment of his own film. Bureaucracy is a fickle thing, and to put it simply – it’s bullshit.
We kissed (we kissed)
And clung together
Then, tomorrow was another day
Ironically, the original release of Brazil was riddled with obnoxious and unnecessary hurdles – like the ones depicted in the film. The ending to the film is bleak, to the point where the air is sucked out of you. When the US release strategy was being determined, the distributor, Universal, fought director Terry Gilliam due to poor test screening reception of the ending. Universal dragged their feet and nearly stonewalled the film from being released. Eventually, in an act of Archibald Tuttle-esque of defiance, Gilliam took out a page in Variety saying –
“Dear Sid Sheinberg
When are you going to release my film, ‘BRAZIL’?”
At this point Brazil had already released in both France and the United Kingdom – original ending and all. However, stubbornness from American executives and unfounded metrics nearly caused the film to take on a new form entirely. Sure, you shouldn’t walk away from Brazil feeling like you can take on the world; you’re supposed to sit there and sulk for a few moments after the credits roll. But what kind of message is it sending if there’s a happy-go-lucky ending? A broken bone isn’t fixed with a band-aid, and a broken system isn’t fixed with a simple slap on the wrist.
The morning found me miles away
With still a million things to say
What exactly is ‘Brazil’? Sure, the movie, and the song that it’s so aptly named after, but what does it mean? Stay with me here, have you ever looked outside your office window thinking about what you’d rather be doing? Maybe you see yourself riding the waves with your wife or husband, or maybe you see yourself sculpting pots out of clay. That’s Brazil in the essence of this movie. An escape from the strenuous and obnoxious bureaucracy in which we’re forced to participate.
Disclaimer: Could I have simply said ‘escapism’? Yes, absolutely, but did you see those waves or clay pots when I asked you to envision them? The power of your imagination is escapism, in its own right. Okay, back to the show!
Now, when twilight dims the sky above
Recalling (thrills) of our love
There’s an intoxicating aroma to Brazil. 40 years since release and the love for the film has only grown by each passing year. Without Brazil we wouldn’t have Tim Burton’s Batman, and without Tim Burton’s Batman there would be no modern superhero film (for better or worse). The singular style and look to the film is inimitable and has aged like wine. Its humor, albeit a little sadistic at times (complimentary), has only become funnier. Lastly, its messaging has only become more relevant. An unfortunate reality that only steeps as each day passes until morality becomes as opaque as the individuals running this country of ours.
While films that tackle totalitarianism and capitalism aren’t uncommon, rarely do they marry the two together – almost joined at the hip. In combining the two Terry Gilliam and the rest of the crew create something that is as relevant in 1985 as it is today. The president of the United States in 1985 was Ronald Reagan and the president of the United States today is….yknow, this guy! To sum up, in a swift 40 years we have gained nothing and only lost more – a feeling that’s easy to sink into but hard to dig out of. Hell, Brazil’s idea of society is only removed from our own by its irreverent production design and peppy demeanor.
The movie starts with a man in a nondescript white box of a room, whose sole job is to blast out arrest warrants. Unfortunately, a bug jams the machine and causes a married man with children, Archibald Buttle, with no relation to the actual suspect, Archibald Tuttle, to be killed by the authoritative government. It is delivered in a way that seems so regimented, as if this death is just commonplace and unavoidable. It is chased by zany visions derived from the depths of low-level government employee, Sam Lowry (Jonathan Pryce). It’s just an “oh shucks!’ moment and pushed away as each minute of the runtime passes.
An innocent man is senselessly murdered by a system of brutality and policing and is pushed into obscurity as if nothing had happened (hah). The consequences of this event are seen as Sam speaks to the grieving wife regarding a financial refund on her husband’s life due to mix-up. What transpires, while brief, is gutting and filled with enough palpable anguish to fill a funeral chapel. Then, in some type of sick magic, this feeling is washed away and never spoken of again. Much like in our own reality, we are shown atrocities that are committed by people in power and chased with easy distractions such as reality television or sh*tty drink recipes. Brazil’s lasting power isn’t just in its look and humor, but also in its tether to reality.
There’s one thing that I’m certain of
Return, I will, to old Brazil
Lean in for a second, there’s a beautiful cocktail recipe you have to try! The world is getting warmer and the only way to beat the heat is by trying my improvement on the Aperol Spritz (yeah, yeah, how can you ‘improve perfection?’). First things first, you have to have Aperol, of course. Some good Prosecco; the non-vintage Bisol Crede Prosecco Superiore Brut from the Valdobbiadene village in Veneto is damn near delectable! Who cares if it’s ridiculous to spend $30 on Italian sparkling wine as one component of a cocktail – the world won’t turn forever! A little club soda and an orange slice for garnish to make it pop. Now, here’s where we get freaky with it, cut a third of the usual Aperol you’d use and add limoncello instead. Dash in some orange bitters, smother the whole affair with ice, and you’ve got the perfect cocktail to lobotomize those feelings of dread!
But no more of that, as I wish to return to my world of fantasies and delight. What did I accomplish today? Doesn’t matter, for I’ll return to Brazil regardless. Should we be subjugated to the mercy of malignant individuals to ensure corrupt organizations can maintain public favor? All of this junk and moral juxtapositions that we have to live through just so we could afford rent and maybe feed our interests with the pennies and pocket lent we have left. I won’t take up more of your time, tomorrow is a work day!
Best,
Jacob
 | Jacob Mauceri | Writer |
| InSession Film | |
| Website: insessionfilm.com |
return
(I will) I will
(To old) to old
Brazil
