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Brazil

Brazil

1985
Comedy, Drama
2h 12m
Brazil is a surrealistic nightmare vision of a "perfect" future where technology reigns supreme. Everyone is monitored by a secret government agency that forbids love to interfere with efficiency. When a daydreaming bureaucrat (Pryce) becomes unwittingly involved with an underground superhero and a beautiful mystery woman, he becomes the tragic victim of his own romantic illusions. (Universal Pictures)
Your probable score
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Brazil

1985
Comedy, Drama
2h 12m
Your probable score
Avg Percentile 69.67% from 8751 total ratings

Ratings & Reviews

(8751)
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Rated 17 Feb 2007
100
99th
Terry Gilliam's masterpiece brings his wacky Pythonesque humor and his trademark larger-than-life fantasy imagery into a futuristic bureaucratic dystopia. The story centers on an accused everyman (perfectly played by Jonathan Pryce) and is not just Kafkaesque but evokes Orson Welles's adaptation of The Trial specifically. Smart, imaginative, exciting, directed with astounding attention to detail and featuring a magnificent cast, this was my single favorite movie when I was in my teens.
Rated 27 Apr 2008
6
95th
The elements of comedy, tragedy, and fantasy are so perfectly strung together in this surreal mind-fuck of a film. So so so many intricate details that makes this one of my absolute favorites, just about too much to take in one viewing. The only thing keeping this from perfection is a regrettable female character.
Rated 21 Apr 2007
98
99th
An amazing take on an Orwellian nightmare. A little slow at the beginning, but quickly grows into a dark comedy that is both exciting and terrifying. One of the greatest twist endings of all time, too.
Rated 06 Sep 2008
92
99th
Quite possibly one of the best movies to come out of the 80's. Takes imagination and future as separate aspects of a movie rather than one thing, hellish and amusing at the same time, like watching a cold sweat on TV.
Rated 14 Aug 2007
99
99th
I often cite this as my favorite film (but I'm really unable to pick one). I can't give much of an itelligent sounding review, but this film overwhelms me with its visuals, its music, its characters, and its dreams both nightmarish and lovely. If I have some gripes they're minor, like a few moments of weird foley work and an ill-fitting musical cue, otherwise I love this film to death and watch it a couple of times a year.
Rated 27 Jul 2009
5
93rd
The work of a rampant imagination and unbridled creativity. Gilliam creates a fascinating and engrossing world; a chaotic, cluttered, scathing indictment of shapeless and impersonal bureaucracy. Often appropriately compared to The Trial, Brazil is oppressive and surreal, but so absurd that it is extraordinarily funny. Pryce is good as a sympathetic point of view compelled to defy the red tape, and it boasts De Niro in a small but unforgettable role.
Rated 11 Sep 2020
95
96th
A visionary achievement in dystopian world-building and funny as any Python flick. The future is a technofascist nightmare of pneumatic tubes and plastic surgeons. Dream sequences shine - the golden winged hero, De Niro dissolving in a tornado of paperwork, the pink coffin full of what I can only describe as bone soup (this is why you never peek at a closed-casket service). The lady with the fancy shoe hat made the ultimate fashion statement in a world turned upside-down.
Rated 14 Aug 2007
100
99th
Terry Gilliam's brilliant, horrifying and hilarious glimpse into an evil future reality. Hits disturbingly close to home some 25 years later. #2 in my all time top 10.
Rated 14 Aug 2007
95
94th
Often hilarious, sometimes frightening, always utterly surreal. Terry Gilliam's vision is awe-inspiring.
Rated 24 Mar 2008
100
99th
Combine the surreal humor of monty python, the totalitarian nightmare of Franz Kafka & George Orwell and the extreme vision of director/ professional madman Terry Gilliam. The result, a masterpiece of poetic fantasy.
Rated 08 Jul 2008
9
90th
I wasn't really informed about the comedic element of this film, which became quite pleasant in the end. I was expecting another dark dystopian film à la "Blade Runner" or "City of Lost Children", but this film undoubtedly joins their rank. It's very hard, putting the film together, mostly surreal in vision but keeping its undertone in line with the world we live in today. The ending was wonderful, unexpected but perfect; fans of Monty Python will be really entertained with this one...
Rated 17 Feb 2007
96
98th
Kafka meets Orwell meets Dalí. Unique and amazing. A thought-provoking film that can be watched over and over and over again and never gets boring. Both hilarious and tragic.
Rated 14 Apr 2007
88
81st
As visually stunning as it is creative, Terry Gilliam creates a world that is both haunting in its fantasy and reflective of what many believe modern society to be like. Brazil is excellent really in every way that matters with its great acting, writing, and direction. There really isn't anything to dislike about this surreal sci-fi comedy.
Rated 27 Jul 2009
6
98th
Quite possibly the greatest triumph of imagination ever committed to film. It's a work of perfection operating at an insanely high degree of difficulty, a cinematic high-wire act that somehow nails the execution from start to finish. It's at once a scathing satire of ineffectual bureaucracy, consumerism, and totalitarianism; an inspired visual comedy; a visionary work of dystopian sci-fi; a suspenseful wrong-man thriller; and ultimately, a tragic tale of man vs. technology. It's...well, perfect.
Rated 31 Mar 2019
95
91st
A loony, off-the-wall fantasy; feels like a hallucination fever dream version of 1984. So bizarre and unique that it's difficult to properly dissect or analyse on a first viewing - suffice to say Pythonesque humour sometimes played straight to an uncomfortable degree (Tuttle/Buttle opener) merges with a cock-eyed Lynchian/Kaufmanesque fable. The committed performers are all terrific; **SPOILER** great use of Palin's inherent affability to give his grand inquisitor a truly diabolical edge.
Rated 26 Mar 2007
100
95th
Monty Python does George Orwell. Absolutely captivating from start to finish. Be sure to see the European version
Rated 08 Jul 2007
100
99th
I don't know why this film hits me the way it does, whether it's the depiction of the protagonist or the deterministic despair that slowly grows as one watches. All I know is that in all its aspects, from production design to script to score this film is as close to perfect for me as something is liable to get.
Rated 14 Apr 2008
85
91st
orwellian dystopia done better than orwell. just make sure you dont end up watching that crap "happy ending" studio edit.
Rated 23 Apr 2009
100
90th
Gilliam's art style is genius. However, most of the characters didn't make too much sense and the lighthearted/Pythonesque dark comedy didn't really fit in my mind - it all got a bit too silly at times as opposed to being darker throughout which I think would have suited it. The visuals, plot and setting make up for it though and indeed the entire film is redeemed through the utter brilliance of the last mere 30 seconds. Certainly, definitely, not a film for everyone. Not Gilliams best, either.
Rated 12 Sep 2009
10
97th
Gilliam has made one of the most weird and surreal films ever. Had so many elements melded together. There was just so much to take in.
Rated 27 Sep 2009
83
67th
This was a great movie! I was happy everything worked out in the end and that he got to go off and be happy with his girlfriend.
Rated 07 Feb 2010
95
99th
Absurd, dark, haunting, humorous, surreal, strange, and satirical. Must be a Terry Gilliam film.
Rated 14 Mar 2014
100
99th
What a thick movie. Few have intimidated me so much to find something to say about, but I will say that it's Brazil's unique world design and sets that blow me away the most. People love to feel as though they've been taken inside what they're watching, and Brazil's world feels so full and complete that forgetting reality becomes mandatory. Dripping with a satirical Douglas Adams-like coyness, the conclusion strikes like a sudden bullet. Brazil haunts in many special ways.
Rated 30 May 2016
72
78th
In the end the mechanism that makes this film work best is the lack of one, namely a sense of community via which the protagonist would be able to at least have some grasp on the mad jungle he resides in.
Rated 11 Jun 2007
84
85th
More here than in 10 hollywood blockbusters, which is the main strength and weakness of the film. Tries very hard to put a lot of ideas on screen, which makes the pace go a bit wonky. I was pleased with the ending, I was just thinking "Well that can't be it" and it isn't. Good show Terry Gilliam.
Rated 14 Aug 2007
95
99th
A wonderful and imaginative tale of romance in an unfeeling bureaucracy. Gilliam's imagery is both fun and bizarre.
Rated 14 Aug 2007
90
95th
while Jonathon Pryce is good as the hapless everyman caught in this visually stunning vision of Burocracy gone mad, Kathleen Helmond steals the show as his youth obsessed mother. But see it more than once to get all the little nuances
Rated 31 Dec 2007
99
96th
Simultaneously my favorite Sci-Fi and fantasy film. The image of the torture room will never leave me.
Rated 21 Dec 2008
95
97th
Just when you thing Gilliam is throwing the film's whole greatness away with that feel-good ending... Bang!
Rated 23 Jun 2009
94
95th
When I started this film I was expecting an ultra serious gritty vision of the future. What I got was a surreal vision of the future, that at times was very comical. The special effects and set design are brilliant.
Rated 25 Sep 2010
92
98th
There is so much going on here you really have to view it multiple times in the hopes of catching everything. It takes its influence from multiple sources but has also influenced so many films after it.
Rated 14 May 2011
97
99th
A sweet sugar plume ended up with a heartbreak. Maybe the only movie on earth that could have ended like this.
Rated 02 May 2012
88
92nd
I knew very little about this movie before watching it and I was left wanting more. Gilliam's mind works in incredibly interesting ways. This movie is both hillarious and thought provoking as it attempts to satirise a dystopian future. Brillianly shot, great sets, a strong cast (DeNiro is outrageously funny in a small part) and witty dialogue make this a sci-fi/comedy classic
Rated 27 Jan 2007
61
67th
there are better movies about 1984
Rated 05 Feb 2007
97
98th
A dark and hilarious dystopian masterpiece. The visual design is awe-inspiring. Jonathan Pryce is noteworthy as the lead.
Rated 01 Mar 2007
70
82nd
Great film.
Rated 17 Apr 2007
10
96th
I think we can all agree this is Gilliam's best movie.
Rated 14 Aug 2007
84
95th
Re-watching in 2021, it seems to have a lot more references to other movies than I had remembered: the last sequence alone seems to reflect the ending of both SOLARIS and SECONDS, in ways that I don't think had occurred to me before. In some ways this film is a highly prescient expression of the problems that arise when bureaucratic rationalisation combines with repressive politics, but it underestimated the degree to which our contemporary problem would become the intensification of regression.
Rated 14 Aug 2007
96
99th
A surreal movie/perfect blend of plot and looks/ Must See to Believe
Rated 14 Aug 2007
90
94th
The dystopian film by which all other dystopian films shall be measured. Gets better every time I see it.
Rated 14 Aug 2007
86
84th
Amazing style and ambience as we ussally see from Terry. I ejoyed this film and it's pokes and quirks.
Rated 06 May 2008
0
1st
This is HANDS DOWN one of the worst movies I've ever seen. And before everyone starts with the "It was on AFI's top 100 of all time" mumbo jumbo, AFI is wrong.
Rated 10 May 2008
90
91st
So compellingly bizarre that it's impossible to look away.
Rated 22 Jun 2008
5
4th
Probably the most overrated movie ever. The movie fails as a comedy and the political satire is weak.
Rated 27 Oct 2008
100
98th
My favorite soundtrack in a film ever, and amazing set pieces and story.
Rated 27 Nov 2008
70
70th
Oh oh oh what a strange movie ! The first hour was good but then the story was getting more and more crazy.
Rated 12 Jan 2009
98
80th
Brazil is surrealistic dystopic version of Don Quixote
Rated 05 May 2009
99
99th
Wonderfully bizarre with an excellent script about a nightmarish future world. There is something very kafka-esque about the entire movie, where the main character sort of wanders around not noticed by anyone, sort of bumping into people in a completely impersonal world. The art is amazing and the movie has a wonderful sense of black humour about it and is just, in all honesty, a hilarious yet dark film.
Rated 01 Aug 2009
7
88th
Endlessly imaginative and cleverly constructed, but the overall plot loses steam during its final act (it feels like it ends about 4 times) and the humour throughout is somewhat lost on me (I've never been a fan of Monty Python). I prefer this story when it's not played for laughs, dark as they may be (i.e. The Trial). Despite those reservations, it pains me to not love this, which speaks to its strengths.
Rated 10 Aug 2009
94
97th
One of the greatest and most believable sci-fi environments of any movie that I have ever seen. The sets were amazing, and nothing ever appeared out of place. The acting is wonderful, and the surrealism greatly enhances the movies dark humor and eerie charm. My only gripe (a small one) is that I felt the dream sequences dragged on in a bit.
Rated 16 Oct 2009
83
88th
Sometimes it feels like trying to be a bit tóó grandiose and bombastic. Despite that, it has a wonderfully mean sense of humor that mixes nicely with this bureaucratic nightmare. Great collection of excellent British actors as well.
Rated 08 Feb 2010
96
99th
Gilliam's wonderful satire looks incredible and has never been more relevant.
Rated 13 Mar 2010
85
92nd
A film that demands repeated viewings for you to comprehend what your eyeballs are seeing. Gilliam combines elements of Kafka, Dali, and cinematic madness of one man involved with authoritarian government and corporate insanity. The entire film feels exactly like a fever dream.
Rated 12 May 2010
75
35th
A glimpse into an Orwellian future, where bureaucracy reigns surpreme, and you need 3 forms signed, dated and stamped in order to get a cup of tea. Terry Gilliam did a great job of creating a sense of helplessness, however the film suffers from its own sense of wackiness.
Rated 16 May 2010
80
58th
Possibly 'City of Lost Children meets Orwell's 1984'. With some comedic inputs, obviously. A pessimistic look into the future and also a great and very much overreacted view (and critique) on today's society. I loved some of the political posters that showed up in the back.
Rated 27 Aug 2010
98
99th
Some of my favorite movies have terrible flaws that just make me love them more. The vision and imagination overflowing onto the screen just makes this film a joy. In the end I don't really care that it's too long, or confusing, or has pacing issues. These problems are for people who wanted the film to end... Magnificent satire, incredible characters, and a fantastic and memorable musical score. I don't know what more I could ask from a film.
Rated 11 Oct 2010
50
10th
Liked it better on a rewatch, but not much. The setup and world-building is fun, as is Harry Tuttle. But the Kim Greist obsession (she is so, so bad) and everything interesting happening off-screen, among other complaints, made me hate the second half almost as much as last time.
Rated 11 Dec 2010
75
82nd
One of the most visually intensive films I've ever seen (I havn't seen lots of films, though). Sometimes it becomes so flamboyant that I stop being excited about it. Amazing, anyway.
Rated 26 Aug 2011
92
94th
Incredibly surreal Terry Gilliam film very reminiscent of 1984. This is Gilliam at his finest.
Rated 17 Oct 2011
85
90th
A film that deftly manages to mix elements of sci-fi, fantasy and noir with some wicked satire and richly detailed visuals. It's a world where red tape is king, people literally drown in paperwork and no-one goes anywhere without the right signature. An attack on faceless bureaucracy, it also poses questions on consumerism, vanity, as well as conformity versus personal responsibility. Oh, and funny too... the two and a half hours zipped by.
Rated 22 Feb 2013
100
99th
A strange and wonderful film. Amazing visuals and an aesthetic of dark absurdity that the film really makes its own. I'm amused by the idea of incompetence being as much of an antagonistic force as intentional malice. The ending is so perfect that I can't believe anyone wanted to change it.
Rated 21 Jan 2014
7
92nd
a near perfect realisation of gilliam's aesthetic and humour. there were maybe times when you thought it sidled up a bit too close to hollywood, but mostly it remained that perfect distance as to be ironic. and where most future worlds are presented as efficient, clean and shiny, this one, despite its wacky surrealism, captures a far more realistic possibility where everything works about as well as necessary to prevent everything from collapsing upon itself, and that's it. perfect ending.
Rated 06 Feb 2014
45
18th
The impressive, imaginative sets and visuals cannot hide that there is very little substance to Gilliam's Orwell-inspired story, with most characters fleetingly involved and barely developed. The twist ending is indeed surprising but doesn't make up for the preceding scenes, and the elaborate dream sequences never materialize into anything (maybe that's the point?). Pryce is solid however and De Niro adds some much needed humour.
Rated 17 Aug 2014
83
95th
It's Orwell meets Weber: a nightmarish depiction of a dystopian society ruled by an impersonal and ruthless bureaucracy, heralding the triumph of instrumental reason over human values. Dazzling and imaginative retro-futuristic production design is wedded to a sharp social satire that finds both humour and tragedy in a world dangerously obsessed with technologically driven efficiency. Gilliam's solution: insanity is the only escape from the iron cage of subordination. It's beautifully bleak.
Rated 08 Jul 2017
80
88th
It's official. Terry Gilliam is a genius and "Brazil" is a directorial masterwork. The art direction is amazing, each and every shot is priceless, there's just so many things going on, so many beautiful little details and Easter eggs to feast your eyes on, each frame is unique in its conception and execution. The cast is excellent, the characters stand out, the story is very intriguing and, even if the symbolism is pretty clear, the tone is never preachy, forced or blatant. A world of its own.
Rated 16 Jul 2018
60
20th
Rich and inventive, but it's way too obnoxious to truly enjoy. I was literally exhausted by the end of the movie.
Rated 04 Sep 2018
80
79th
What a film. It's strange, surreal, nightmarish, funny. I enjoyed it for the most part, the ending is great too. The thing I didn't like was the running time. It felt far too long. It would've been better if it was shorter. Still, a really great watch.
Rated 26 Sep 2023
88
70th
A highly unusual mixture of styles and genres so different from each other that, at several points the presentation almost seems to be failing and regressing into empty cliché - but not really. The enormous amount of paper hopelessly flying around is like an illustration of how information processing would look like without supercomputers, and their actual existence only means our problems today of calculability, particularly of calculated regression, are far graver than presented in the film.
Rated 17 Oct 2023
20
12th
"1984" meets "Monty Python". But with no laughs. Just weird imagery. Only wonderful bit was the "necrophilia" line, but not worth watching all the rest of this. Ebert is literally the only critic that didn't like it, that's why he's the best ever.
Rated 03 Jan 2007
85
78th
Em honra de Ian Holm (1931 - 2020). Não via esse filme desde os anos 90 (ainda tenho o VHS) e apesar de fazer parte do rol excepcional de distopias do Gilliam, não é o meu favorito dele. BlurayRip RARBG.
Rated 20 Jan 2007
88
80th
Aged badly, but still good.
Rated 27 Jan 2007
100
98th
Best.Movie.Ever.
Rated 27 Jan 2007
70
22nd
Blade Runner did it better
Rated 13 Apr 2007
76
45th
Kind of makes you feel like you need some fresh air afterward. An impressively strange and compelling film.
Rated 08 Jul 2007
90
96th
Surreal, tragic, Orwellian vision of a fascist bureaucracy. Gilliam did an amazing job. Watch the Criterion version.
Rated 14 Aug 2007
94
99th
Terry Gilliam's best film, Brazil is strange and marvelous, even essential. However, no film is perfect and as such I cannot award Brazil a full 100 point. Still, if there are films deserving the honor, this may be one of them.
Rated 14 Aug 2007
100
71st
i cried, did you?
Rated 14 Aug 2007
79
65th
Really strange.
Rated 14 Aug 2007
100
91st
Best film ever made
Rated 14 Aug 2007
90
64th
Terry Gilliam is insane.
Rated 14 Aug 2007
75
60th
Flawed but loveable. This movie made a huge impression on me when I first saw it.
Rated 14 Aug 2007
96
99th
The great opus which brought Hollywood to it's knees, what a great and powerful feature film Gilliam has made. Its distinct style and message can only be overshadowed by the pure creative juices it cooks up.
Rated 14 Aug 2007
90
95th
beautifully done.
Rated 14 Aug 2007
100
99th
Absolutely love the bit when the dream gets stuck on Niro drowning in newspapers. There's some many tiny things in this movie, yet it has a strong story. It is *the* picture for me.
Rated 14 Aug 2007
90
94th
Brilliantly written and skillfully directed by Gilliam. I'm glad he managed to keep the original ending.
Rated 14 Aug 2007
50
43rd
It's like someone tried to recreate 1984 and failed at it.
Rated 14 Aug 2007
89
75th
Very near brilliant.
Rated 14 Aug 2007
30
10th
I didn't really understand it and I really don't care. I couldn't stop dozing off
Rated 14 Aug 2007
85
91st
Be sure to watch the original European release, not the totally gay "Love conquers all" American release. That way, the horrible tragedy that is human life will not be lost on you. Unfortunately, much like catch-22 (the book), no one can explain the plot of this movie to you, you just have to see it.
Rated 14 Aug 2007
96
96th
One of my loved movies. Gilliam is really good in making his world fabulous, consistent and interesting. Whole film is so pleasingly depressing!
Rated 14 Aug 2007
80
73rd
Trying to be little too clever for its own good.
Rated 14 Aug 2007
98
97th
The greatest film in the history of cinema. Almost perfect craftsmanship, boundless ambition and a never-ending supply of philosophical and intellectual ideas.
Rated 14 Aug 2007
85
74th
Really strange movie, which makes it interesting. Robert De Niro has a whacky part, but then so do most others.
Rated 18 Aug 2007
100
66th
A film that is horrific, funny and quirky all at once. A masterpeice that can be watched and rewatched. It's on my personal top 10. I prefer the film as Terry Gilliam intended it to be. So dark, scarey and paranoia inducing that there's really no other choice but to laugh. I first saw it in 1985 in Japan and while I laughed I found myself leaving the theatre thinking that there was something more to it all than just the comedy. I have since watched this film at least 30 times and each ti
Rated 19 Aug 2007
40
9th
Depressing and a little too weird, if possible. Terry Gilliam is an acquired taste.
Rated 22 Aug 2007
70
40th
Wierd....
Rated 28 Aug 2007
90
96th
9- excellent, awesome
Rated 16 Sep 2007
60
39th
Looks great, but the structure is weak.
Rated 15 Oct 2007
98
97th
Brilliant. Simply Brilliant. add this to your list now.
Rated 24 Oct 2007
92
85th
Gilliam's powerful Orwellian satire. Even a bit (as usual) clumsy on the technical side, the thought-provocativeness flows like a torrent. A must for political wannabes.

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