Brazil - Criterion Collection

Studio: Criterion
Product Type: DVD

Editorial Review:
Amazon.com essential video
If Franz Kafka had been an animator and film director--oh, and a member of Monty Python's Flying Circus--this is the sort of outrageously dystopian satire one could easily imagine him making. However, Brazil was made by Terry Gilliam, who is all of the above except, of course, Franz Kafka. Be that as it may, Gilliam sure captures the paranoid-subversive spirit of Kafka's The Trial (along with his own Python animation) in this bureaucratic nightmare-comedy about a meek governmental clerk named Sam Lowry (Jonathan Pryce) whose life is destroyed by a simple bug. Not a software bug, a real bug (no doubt related to Kafka's famous Metamorphosis insect) that gets smooshed in a printer and causes a typographical error unjustly identifying an innocent citizen, one Mr. Buttle, as suspected terrorist Harry Tuttle (Robert De Niro). When Sam becomes enmeshed in unraveling this bureaucratic glitch, he himself winds up labeled as a miscreant.

Customer Reviews:

Another prediction of the future proven wrong.......2007-06-22

Every century has spawned its own genre of art and literature. The 20th century saw the rise of many genres; the most notable being works about the future. Many of these have become respectable mainstays of popular culture and include the likes of The Time Machine, 1984, Blade Runner, I Robot, and this cult classic by Terry Gilliam; Brazil. Based in the early 21st century, it is a paean to the common man's fight against bureaucracy, red tape, and an intrusive government whose powers have no limits. Overall, this movie is a more tragic and more comedic version of 1984.

This movie can be viewed in two ways. If one approaches it as pure entertainment, it is a very good movie. The acting is good and the plot line is interesting and very original. The comedy is funny and unique; not quite British in style, but more of a synthesis of many forms. The action scenes and special effects look real enough, and the ending is unexpected.

If one views the movie as social commentary, as a prediction of what the future might be, then this movie fails on many accounts. First of, the primal point of this movie; the rise of an overarching and all-powerful government, is totally misplaced. If anything, government agencies in modern industrial societies are often weak and serve the whims of the private market. The US provides many great examples. The US Department of Agriculture is nothing more than a communal office for multinational food product corporations. Likewise, most national legislatures are run by corporate lobbyists.

Second, the movie portrays government as highly responsive to any threat real or imagined; one phone call and government agents are at your door in 5 minutes. Ask anyone who has filed a complaint to their city about a water main leak, or an open manhole, or a downed electricity line; and chances are they waited for hours or days, not minutes. Even the 9/11 attackers left tons of clues that were reported to authorities, but nothing ever happened. So the image portrayed by this movie of a lightning fast government that can disappear its citizens at will is utterly false. Third, the character played by Robert DeNiro is totally unreal. His character is a plumber - janitor, and leads an underground resistance to the government. Political revolutionaries have historically been either close to the power base or are academic thinkers; not blue-collar workers. Last, this movie is presumably commenting on the future of Western society. A visit to any Western city will reveal a melting pot of races, ethnicities and languages. If anything, cities are only going to become more heterogenous with time. Yet somehow everyone in this society is white; Western European white most likely.

The point is that the social commentary provided by this movie is all wrong. Overall, an entertaining movie, but not too accurate in its portrayal of the future.

Rating for the DVD, not the movie........2007-05-30

Let's be clear on one thing: The movie Brazil gets SIX stars out of FIVE in my book. This review is not about the movie, but the DVD.

I already owned the standard Brazil DVD but wanted the Criterion Edition because I'd heard good things about their releases. I am very disappointed because there isn't a dime's difference between the Criterion and the regular DVD. All I can see from the box cover is a slightly different widescreen aspect ratio and the time is a bit longer (perhaps some added scenes?). The sound is still in lame 2.1 stereo, not 5.1 Dolby Digital or DTS . I see no excuse for this; Even the H.G. Wells' "First Men In The Moon" DVD, a movie filmed in 1964, is in 4.0 discrete surround.

Brazil, excellent movie, but buy the regular release and a couple of other movies instead of the Criterion version.

The Horrors and Humor of Modern Bureaucracy........2007-04-16

After various European and American versions, this is the "fifth and final version of 'Brazil'". Scenes have been restored and the ending is in tact as director Terry Gillam intended. "Somewhere in the 20th century", Sam Lowry (Jonathan Pryce) is a distinctly unambitious bureaucrat with the Ministry of Information. He works in Records and stubbornly resists advancement in spite of his mother's (Katherine Helmond) prodding. Sam is a romantic at heart, a knight in shining armor in his dreams, where he struggles heroically to reach his damsel in distress. When Sam spots Jill Layton (Kim Griest), the woman from his dreams, in real life, he agrees to a promotion to Information Retrieval so that he might track her down. But Jill's persistent complaints about the wrongful arrest of a neighbor have made her a terrorist suspect, along with freelance heating engineer Harry Tuttle (Robert DeNiro) and everyone else who exposes the system's inefficiency.

The most memorable and amazing aspect of "Brazil" is undoubtedly its overloaded visual style. Gillam puts so much information in every shot that the audience can hardly take it all in. Wide angle lenses are required. I don't think I've ever seen wide angles used this extensively. The actors must have been inches from the lens. The result is that we are placed in the middle of this busy production design, a mass of modern amenities and ubiquitous, intrusive ductwork. "Brazil"'s bureaucracy assails the audience as it satirizes the modern systems that both enable us and bind us. We feel as trapped by it all as Sam does. Gillam drew on real and fictional settings in creating "Brazil"'s intricate, despotic realm: the technophilia and haberdashery of post-WWII America, Fritz Lang's "Metropolis", Margaret Thatcher's Britain, Orwell's 1984, and Nazi Germany.

"Brazil" expresses Gillam's feelings about the film studios that he has fought with for most of his career and a cynicism toward the improved efficiency that technology is supposed to bring us. In its lighter moments, "Brazil" is quite funny. In its creepier moments, it is consciously repulsive. The only fault I find with this version of "Brazil" is its length. The longer dream sequences slip into tedium and could have been shortened. Apart from that, I think that Gillam made the right decisions in this edit. The intent, the humor, and the visual banquet are preserved. The characters are fleshed out as much as possible. And we get the point. This extraordinary achievement in visual impact and sly humor is a must-see for all film lovers.

The DVD (Criterion Collection Single Disc 2006): The single disc edition contains the final version of "Brazil" and an audio commentary by director Terry Gillam that was recorded in 1996. Gillam's discussion is thoughtful and constant. He compares different versions of the film, tells us why the film is called "Brazil", talks about his inspirations, the film's' themes, sets , actors, and how the shots were accomplished. English subtitles are available for the film by pressing the "subtitle" button on your remote.

Futuristic film.......2007-03-15

This very surreal social commentary on a society more concerned with proper paperwork than their citizens has a certain 'timeliness' to it that prompted me to watch it twice. Underneath the fantasy elements is a very realistic statement on corrupt and inefficient governments who hide mistakes, even at the cost of innocent human life. When an average civil servant finds a mistake in the arrest of a Mr. Buttle (was supposed to be Tuttle), he notices the girl of his dreams. The couple's happiness is trampled under the control freaks who run the society they live in. Even if you don't like the movie, it'll definitely infiltrate your thoughts.

Chrissy K. McVay - Author

I love this movie.......2007-03-14

This edition was a nice surprise for me as i grew up watching the VHS version. There are significant clips included on this DVD that must have been edited out from the old video cassette tape. The new footage is excellent and I was very happy they decided against excluding it from the new format.

Average customer rating:

Best foreign film 1960
Black Orpheus
Beautiful is an understatement...I can't put it in words
SHORT ON STORY; LONG ON STYLE AND PERCUSSION
Colorful

Black Orpheus - Criterion Collection
Starring: Maria Alice , Elizeth Cardoso , Aurino Cassiano , Alexandro Constantino , and Arlete Costa
Manufacturer: Criterion
ProductGroup: DVD
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Black Orpheus (Orfeu Negro): The Original Sound Track From The Film
Grand Illusion - Criterion Collection
The Seventh Seal - Criterion Collection
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Bicycle Thieves (Criterion Collection)

ASIN: B00000IOUX
Release Date: 1999-06-08

Amazon.com

Marcel Camus's 1959 update of the Greek myth features an all-black cast and a story set in the frenetic energy of Carnival in Rio de Janeiro. Orpheus, a trolley car conductor and superb samba dancer, is engaged to Mira but in love with Eurydice. For his change of heart, Orpheus and his new doomed lover are pursued by a vengeful Mira and a determined Death through the feverish Carnival night. Camus at once demystifies and remystifies the old story, shifting not only its location but its tone and context, forcing a reevaluation of the legend as a more passionate, pulsing, sensual experience. The film is really one-of-a-kind, an absolute whirl that barely needs words. --Tom Keogh

Description

1960 Academy Award Winner and winner of the Palme d'Or at the 1959 Cannes Film Festival, Marcel Camus' Black Orpheus retells the Greek myth of Orpheus and Eurydice against the madness of Carnival in Rio de Janeiro. With its magnificent color photography and lively soundtrack, this film brought the infectious bossa nova beat to the United States. Criterion is proud to present the extended international version of Black Orpheus in a gorgeous new transfer.

Customer Reviews:

Best foreign film 1960.......2007-06-27

This is one of the most beautiful romantic movies I have ever seen.
The cinematography is very poetic and the culture is rich and people are gorgeous!

Black Orpheus.......2007-06-25

Marcel Camus's rich, vibrant film takes your breath away. The dazzling ritual of Carnival is captured in a swirl of breathtaking color and kinetic energy. The actors are uniformly excellent, with Dawn's Eurydice a particular stand-out, and Camus manages to build considerable suspense as the tragic tale plays out. A.C. Jobim and Luis Bonfa's pulsating soundtrack helped launch the Bossa Nova craze at the dawn of the sixties.

Beautiful is an understatement...I can't put it in words.......2007-06-11

Very touching and unforgettable film! I am so thankful it is now available on DVD. This is truly a love story beyond Romeo and Juliet...It is not just about death but about life, love and the rebirth of life. It encompasses so many emotions and feeling and the physical beauty in the film by the actors is breathtaking! :) I fell in love with Orpheus. True love is never ending. If you have never been in love this film with make you believe and if you have ever loved and lost this film will make you remember and if you are currently in love this film with make you appreciate your love so much more!!!
Truly Amazing Film!!!

SHORT ON STORY; LONG ON STYLE AND PERCUSSION.......2007-04-23

I had seen BLACK ORPHEUS (1959) in the late 1980s, and remembered being underwhelmed, but I procured a copy from my library to see it again as I've just discovered that I've been in love with Bossa Nova music most of my life. (A long story and not worth retelling.) But my impression of the film remains mostly unchanged.

BLACK ORPHEUS is of course based upon the Greek myth in which Orpheus - the offspring of the god Apollo and Calliope - is able to tame beasts and alter nature with his music, but is unable to save his true love. In this movie, the "beasts" are represented by roosters, goats, kittens, song birds, and puppy dogs (they ALL taste like chicken), and the manipulation of nature is the belief amongst the poor children residing in the hills above Rio de Janeiro that the sound of Orpheus' guitar and songs cause the rising of the sun.

The story takes place in the days leading up to Rio's famous Carnival, and thus, the sights and sounds of that festive event just explode on the screen. The cinematography is a delight, featuring imaginative camera angles, compositions, and movements, and gorgeous panoramic shots above and around Rio de Janeiro. I have very little desire to travel outside of the U.S. (Egypt and The Holy Land being my dream destinations), and other than a couple of misadventures South-Of-The-Border, I've stayed "home." (The accommodations in a Mexican calaboose leave EVERYTHING to be desired - another long story not worth retelling ... or reliving.) But my second viewing of BLACK ORPHEUS has convinced me that an all-expenses-paid trip to Rio offered by a wealthy Brazilian woman desiring a (tired & old) kept man/love slave isn't something I would automatically reject. ; ) Additionally, this is one of the most colorful movies I've ever seen; there's enough color on the screen to turn Walt Disney from blue to green with envy in his cryogenic tube!

Most of the acting is of the amateur variety and it's apparent (in ANY language). BLACK ORPHEUS sports two of the more annoying female film characters in my recent memory: Mira (played by Lourdes de Oliveira) and Serafina (played by Lea Garcia). But despite the non-professional status of their performances, Breno Mello (as Orpheus) and Marpessa Dawn (as Eurydice) are watchable: Mello for his charisma and handsome looks, and Dawn for her innocent charm and exotic attractiveness (pretty features and dark skin dressed in a crisp, virginal white dress. Yikes! Put me on her dance card!)

Orpheus' true love, Eurydice, is pursued by a mysterious man (the personification of Death) throughout the picture, but nobody - including Eurydice - bothers to inquire why. (Ah, them Greek myths - never overburdened by genuine character motivations.) And there are a few other problems: during the Carnival, it goes abruptly from morning light to the black of night while we're in the midst of a single dance (man, the days are short in Rio, and when its sun falls, it falls FAST!), and the story (what there is of it) periodically bogs down in excessive lingering over some sequences. (Say what you will about what a moral cesspool the U.S.A. has become, but when we tell stories well on the silver screen - an increasingly uncommon occurrence in recent decades - no country tells `em better.)

The truth (according to Stephen T.) is that, really, unless the viewer is paying their admission fee to vicariously experience Rio's Carnival and/or to enjoy the complex rhythms of the Bossa Nova beat and the simple beauty of composer ANTONIO CARLOS JOBIM's melodic lines, there isn't a great deal of reason to spend 107 minutes with BLACK ORPHEUS. The score, however, is the main attraction here, and the payoff is rewarding if you're a fan of Brazil's great music. (I myself would be willing to view this movie yet again someday.)

I'll add that the final scene wherein three small children begin to reprise the Orpheus/Eurydice story theme while the sun rises to illuminate them gave me a wistful, inarticulate joy - a kind of Saudade. Their enthusiasm was infectious, making a lovely ending to a so-so movie. But of course, we know that ultimately Enduring True Love, the "Happily Ever After", will slip through their hands like a ... well, like a myth ... as it does to us all. (But I suppose that for me, living in Rio and listening to Bossa Nova daily as a wealthy Brazilian woman's kept man/love slave would be the next best thing.)

GOT BOSSA NOVA?
Bossa Nova for Lovers
Nova Bossa: Red Hot on Verve

Colorful.......2007-04-10

Colorful and joyous, this movie is a pure pleasure to watch. Not only is it beautiful, but the mythical story and characters are excellent as well.

Brazil - The Criterion Collection (3-Disc Boxed Set)

Average customer rating:

excessive to say the least
One Line Review of "The Love Conquers All" version
Thrilled and disappointed
Amazing Set for a Classic Film
The Best Movie of All Time!

Brazil - The Criterion Collection (3-Disc Boxed Set)
Starring: Roger Ashton-Griffiths , Jim Broadbent , Anthony G. Brown , Virginia Bruce , and Patrick Connor
Manufacturer: Criterion
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B000G8NXZK
Release Date: 2006-09-05

Customer Reviews:

excessive to say the least.......2007-04-18

first off, the movie Brazil..aka the first disc or disc 1 is an easy 5 stars. i saw this movie when we rented it and immediately fell in love with its quirky weirdness.

now i would recommend this set to 4 types of people. 1.) completist criterion collectors 2.) someone doing a research essay on this 3.) people who can throw around 50 dollars like it is 20...or 4.) someone who lives, breathes, and worships brazil and/or Gilliam movies.

otherwise, in my honest opinion, the single disc is all you need...it has commentary, a nice booklet, and the superb transfer. disc 2 is excessive to the max...aka more than i want, care, or need to know...and the "love conquers all" ending thing could have been added as a deleted scene on disc 1 or something.

anyways, brazil is a great movie and worthy to be in any collection, but the single disc, in my opinion is all you really need.

One Line Review of "The Love Conquers All" version.......2007-03-01

Whoever thought that this beautifully dark movie could ever be glossed over is delusional to the point of madness.

Thrilled and disappointed.......2007-01-14

What can I say about Brazil that hasn't already been said. Yes this may be a difficult movie for some to understand, but it is well worth the time.

While I was thrilled with the extras included by Criterion with this release, I was disappointed as well. The feature about the problems with the US release of the film were informative and entertaing. I also enjoyed the studios hack job to redesign the film for US release.

However, I had hoped for a bit more, while the transfer of the film was good, I had hoped that the audio would have been remixed to Dolby Digital 5.1 as least, considering the cost.

Still all in all this is an excellent film and a must for any collection

Amazing Set for a Classic Film.......2007-01-09

After I first watched Brazil about a year ago,...I was rather confused. The plot seemed like it was supposed to make sense yet I couldn't get my head around a few points in the film and their meaning. Several discussions later I got it and the 2nd and 3rd viewings have only brought more elements of the film to light. This interesting presentation by Terry Gilliam based somewhat on 1984 is often considered to be one of the top 100 films in the 20th century.

Regardless of the films merit, this particular collection is well worth the wait and the extra cash. The video quality is far superior to the original Criterion release while the rest remains relatively unchanged. All the extras, while very interesting, are the same except that the essay on the film is this time included on the extras disk instead of as a pamphlet like in the original release. The slip cover also has a different piece of artwork but neither are far superior to the other in my mind.

If you don't already own the first edition of the Criterion release, this is a good edition and generally cheaper than the original release. If you do, Criterion also sells disk 1, the feature film, by itself. Giving you the option of upgrading to the cleaned video and true wide screen without re-buying the set.

The Best Movie of All Time!.......2007-01-05

Next to "All About Eve," Terry Gilliam's BRAZIL is the best movie of all time. This Criterion Box set has it all, every version, including the botched "family friendly" version edited for American TV. Gilliam takes George Orwell's story of 1984 turns it upside down and inside out creating a masterpiece of dark comedy and horor that you won't soon forget. Many people who have seen BRAZIL only one time really haven't seen it at all. This DVD is a keeper to watch again and again. Katherine Helmond is priceless, ("I know simply everybody!") and Johnathon Pryce as the "fool in love" Lowry gives a heartbreaking but brilliant performance. Robert DeNiro as a renegade plummer gives a smashing cameo performance. Although Gilliam says that BRAZIL should not be compared to political events happening in the world today, it's kind of ironic due to all the similarities...you be the judge.

Average customer rating:

A fairly decent collection
Don't drink with this one.....3 1/2 * really
An Absolutely Terrific Film: Nightmarish And Surreal!
One Of The Greatest Movies Ever
Ehm...what the hell?!

Brazil - Criterion Collection

Manufacturer: Criterion
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Comedy | Genres | DVD | Video

Black Comedy | Comedy | Genres | DVD | Video

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The Adventures of Baron Munchausen

ASIN: 0780022181
Release Date: 1999-07-13

Amazon.com essential video

If Franz Kafka had been an animator and film director--oh, and a member of Monty Python's Flying Circus--this is the sort of outrageously dystopian satire one could easily imagine him making. However, Brazil was made by Terry Gilliam, who is all of the above except, of course, Franz Kafka. Be that as it may, Gilliam sure captures the paranoid-subversive spirit of Kafka's The Trial (along with his own Python animation) in this bureaucratic nightmare-comedy about a meek governmental clerk named Sam Lowry (Jonathan Pryce) whose life is destroyed by a simple bug. Not a software bug, a real bug (no doubt related to Kafka's famous Metamorphosis insect) that gets smooshed in a printer and causes a typographical error unjustly identifying an innocent citizen, one Mr. Buttle, as suspected terrorist Harry Tuttle (Robert De Niro). When Sam becomes enmeshed in unraveling this bureaucratic glitch, he himself winds up labeled as a miscreant.

Description

Pitting the imagination of a common man against the oppressive storm troopers of the Ministry of Information, this bitter parable for the Information Age is more relevant than ever. Gathering footage from both the European and American versions, Terry Gilliam has assembled the ultimate 142-minute director's cut of his most celebrated film, then annotated it with a shot-by-shot commentary on an alternate audio channel.

Customer Reviews:

A fairly decent collection.......2007-04-09

I bought this as a gift for my boyfriend's birthday/Christmas (they're pretty close together, so I can't recall which). He's a huge Gilliam fan, and he loved it so much, he actually told other people what I had got him (which he doesn't often do). He seemed to really like this particular collection; the only issue he had with it is that it included a DVD of the Hollywood "Love Conquers All" version of the movie, which he esteemed good enough to be used as a coaster.

Don't drink with this one.....3 1/2 * really.......2007-03-01

Alright, I watched this in great great great anticipation. So I decided to have a couple before and while I watched it. Big mistake. Drinking wasn't smart because I couldn't keep my eyes open after awhile. This is not your typical slap-stick humor type movie. It's a very intellectual flick that a lot of people may not like or even get. And that's ok. I can see why this movie wouldn't click with people because it barely clicked with me and I think I have good movie smarts. The disappointing part was how terms like "important film" or "best film of the 80's" was used. I expected to see one heck of a movie. And it was in some ways, but very slow in others to the point where you don't have a clue what's going on.

It is very very original and you can appreciate it if you like "Time Bandits" and "The Adventures of Baron Munchausen". In that sense I can see how it is good and how it ties in with the movies mentioned above. "The Dream Trilogy" as it's called. On the plus side. DeNiro's character was perfect and Pryce played the perfect Sam Lowry. Another thing is a lot of people can really relate to the Bureaucratic "b.s." we have to put up within our jobs a lot of times. It also has several really funny/quirky characters in this one.

Also on the upside, they say to watch this one only once is a mistake because it gets better with each viewing, which I need to try. If I do, then I'll revise this whole review. Hopefully for the better.

An Absolutely Terrific Film: Nightmarish And Surreal!.......2006-11-12

After reading many of the reviews of "Brazil" here on amazon, I decided to take out the film and give it another viewing. As I know from my own experiences, that many films I once liked no longer appeal to me. Maybe it's my age? Therefore, I decided to have another look at the film. Maybe time had lessened the film's greatness to me? No, "Brazil" is still as great as when I first viewed the film. I have noticed that there is to be another release of the film, due to the poor quality of the original DVD. Those who have the original CRITERION will know what I am writing about. One of my major gripes with the original Criterion release have been given full vent by other reviewers, and with good reason. I could not believe the transfer of the DVD, especially at the cost!

I will purchase the newer DVD, that CRITERION has recently released, as this film is too great not to be issued in anamorphic. Moreover, for the price I orignially bought the DVD for, I was astonished at the so-called globs [for want of a better term] that were in the film. This film has been discussed here at length on Amazon, however, for those of you who did not purchase the earlier DVD, good for you, as I have it and it is not what one would expect from CRITERION. As for the film itself, it has stood the test of time for me at least, and I find it just as great as I did when I first viewed it many years ago. The film is for acquired tastes, and may not appeal to all audiences, but it appeals to me. Highly recommended. [Stars: 5+]

One Of The Greatest Movies Ever.......2006-10-17

Terry Gilliam is my favorite director and here he is at his best. At first the movie just seems like a dark comedy but as you watch later on you realize the absolute genius and how close this is to reality. Even if you don't really understand Brazil(and I don't quite understand it either) you can still admire the amazing art in the film and just some of the amazing visuals.

Ehm...what the hell?!.......2006-10-08

This is the sort of movie where if you go "nah, didn't really like it" people will just say that you didn't get it as if you're some sort of moron, who's incapable of comprehending a movie with a more complex plot than Star Wars. The movie does have a couple of upsides (that's why I gave it 2 instead of 1 star) namely Michael Palin and the stunning visuals. The rest is dismal at best. The movie is way too long and I felt no connection to the characters whatsoever. I also don't think that Gilliam is some sort of visionary for creating this movie...does the # "1984" ring a bell? Now that was a visionary book while this is a halfhearted attempt to copy it (along with some personal additions here and there).

And don't be fooled by people telling you that it's a black comedy either. There are some midly amusing scenes in it, most of them involving Michael Palin in one way or another, but even those don't deserve much more than a casual smile.

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