A throwback to the book 1984 by George Orwell, this Terry Gilliam cult classic is not just a movie ahead of its time but also some fantastic movie making. The designs in the film are sumptuous, whether costume they be set or just plain concept. Cowritten by Gilliam, playwright Tom Stoppard, and Charles McKeown, the script is pure brilliance. Brazil is considered by some to be Terry Gilliam’s masterpiece. I would add to that the movie Twelve Monkeys.

Our story finds us following Sam Lowry who is mired in a futuristic society consumed with paperwork and procedures. He dreams of a pretend life where he can literally fly in the face of oppression and rescue the girl. There has been a wrongful arrest of a Harry Buttle. Sam Lowry (played by a brilliant Jonathan Pryce) who is just another cog in the system. Lowry gets connected with figuring out the confusion and finds himself more mired than before.

The design of Brazil is a constant in your face experience. Every inch of each set is covered in technology or some design element. Watching the movie once just doesn’t cut it. There is always something new to look at. The acting is flawless and includes Robert DeNiro as Harry Buttle the HVAC guy. The idea behind Brazil is a frightening one, but to watch Brazil is a truly pleasurable movie going experience. This is one of the most important films of the 1980s and should appear on everyone’s best list. 9/10*

* The poster is pure design just like the brilliance of the film itself. It’s colorful and interesting looking. Very collectible.

Hopefully everyone knows the story of author George Orwell’s novel and then the subsequent movie, Nineteen Eighty-Four. Even the cult classic movie Brazil in 1985 has an Orwellian features and themes through the entire fabric of the film. In fact the working title for for the highly futuristic Brazil was 1984 and a half.

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Brazil’s working title was 1984 1/2.

In the hypothesized future, the people of Oceania are in a endless, living in a state of poverty, fear, and oppression.  Even personal will and thought are monitored for the common good. Meals are rationed and virtually every move is monitored through video cameras and police agents. Winston has memories of when life was better and he expounds about it in a private journal that he keep hidden. Winston begins making eye contact with a younger woman named Julia; it’s not long afterward that they are part of the rebellion against the state.

There was a BBC version of the movie followed by the 1956 Edmond O’Brien film. Together the movies were able to cause only a minor stir and that was for sending people back to the book to read the full story. This version was directed by Michael Anderson who did such films as Around the World in 80 Days and Logan’s Run in 1976. This movie is just not well done, it lacks timing and any degree of suspense. If you can find the BBC version try that one first. Even though there is some combining of characters, Donald Pleasance is in it and does a pretty good job. 6/10*

British First Edition Cover

In the 1984 released film Winston Smith (John Hurt, from 1979 Alien fame) is a worker for the state, one of many whose task it is to literally rewrite history, changing names and events to suit the needs of the will of the Party.  Winston remembers what life was like before Big Brother and loathes what his government has become. He philosophizes about these ideas in private and in a secret journal he hides in the walls of his apartment. Winston begins making eye contact with a younger woman named Julia (Suzanna Hamilton), and soon the two begin exchanging private notes which in turn leads them into becoming part of the rebellion against the state as their actions are viewed as subversive.

This movie follows the book on a much closer level. John Hurt does a wonderful job in the lead. He carries the movie in the direction it needs to go. Unfortunately, the movie didn’t make very much money and found itself on a shelf rather quickly. It generally only makes it off the shelf when some poor sap has to write a report on 1984 and they don’t want to read the book. Even though the BBC version has the least budget of any film mentioned, it is worth seeing. If you’re looking for an exact book copy then read the book. This 1984 movie is okay, worth seeing for John Hurt and Richard Burton who plays O’Brien. In any account with words like Orwellian and Big Brother in the lexicon of American culture, it’s best to know where the roots lay. 7/10*

* The 1956 poster is really cool and outweighs the movie. It is very collective due to its tie with 1984, the book. The 1984 version of the poster is also desirable but clearly not as eye appealing.

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1984 B Style Poster