pagos77

I am looking at buying Brazil: CC as a blind buy, it is pretty pricy so I am wondering if I should take the plunge. I have just watched Fear & Loathing and didnt really like it, I liked its style but wasnt too impressed with it entirely.

I love all Lynch and Kubrick movies, if that helps you answer my question.

LBPound

Hmm, you'll probably like it if you like all Lynch and Kubrick. I really like 12 Monkeys, and liked some of Brazil, but on the whole I was left cold and disappointed.

I haven't seen Fear & Loathing though, so I'm not much help, I suppose.

RevLiver

Brazil is also interesting when you compare to the situation today, what with terrorist alerts and the government granting itself broad powers to combat a terrorist threat. I like it a lot, and I also enjoy Lynch (my favorite director) and Kubrick. I say, give it a shot. If you don't like, you could always sell.

mcarver

I think Brazil is a better film than Fear & Loathing (though I like them both). For the full appreciation of Brazil, the Criterion package is the only way to go... It is spendy, but worth it...

Though if you can find a place to rent it, you may be able to get away with the movie only version...

grunter

"12 Monkeys" is "Brazil" lite.

"Brazil" is, by far, Gilliam's masterwork.

Saxofonix

Regardless of whether you end up liking Brazil or not .. you HAVE to see it. It is one of the few essential movies, imho.

btw, it is one of my all-time favourite movies .. a real mind-f.

Amadeus

Excellent movie,Brazil is.Highly recommend,i do.

Numanoid

This movie also takes several viewings to be able to truly grasp and enjoy it. I wasn't thrilled the first time I saw it back in the day, but many viewings later, I agree that it's one of the great underrated films of all time.

RyoHazuki

Store clerk: Can I help you sir?

Steven Wright: Ya, do you have anything I'd like?



So funny that Steven Wright is.

Khan

I recommend checking out one of the dozens of other Brazil threads. Click on that little search button at the top right, you should be able to figure things out from there.

I got about 45 minutes through it before switching off. Found it excruciatingly tedious. There wasn't the slightest indication that anything interesting, entertaining or meaningful would ever happen. In the past dozen years or so I'd say that Brazil and 2001 are the only well regarded movies I've been unable to endure. And the Whole Wide World too, but I don't think that quite counts.

Or course this is only my opinion. Plenty of people disagree, as you'll see if you master the Art of Search.

Johnny Zhivago

Difficult question... I would certainly not recommend the CC as a blind buy since it's so damn_expensive. You may love it or hate it but it's a lot of cash to fork out blindly IMHO... Others will tell you differently.

Short answer... I hated it (and yes, I saw Gilliam's cut).

Take that for what it's worth... Kubrick is my favorite director of all time. Gilliam is one of my favorite current directors (I personally loved Fear & Loathing) and I loathe David Lynch (one great film, The Elephant Man, everything else I've seen him do is dreck) and avoid him completely now.

new2theplace

I'd guess that you'd like Brazil. I would guess that the issues you had with Fear and Loathing are not issues you'd have with Brazil. And as others said, if you liked 12 monkeys, all Lynch and all Kubrick, you'll probably like Brazil.

I also suggest picking up the CC set. If you go to DeepDiscountDVD, it's only about $40 shipped. For multiple versions of the film in a nice 3-disc set, I don't think it's too expensive.

joeydaninja

Brazil is visually beautiful. That alone is worth buying the DVD for. So I'd say yes. Brazil is worth buying. But 40 dollars is a lot of money. But if you've got money to spare, go buy it.

pagos77

I have skimmed through all the previous threads on Brazil...skimmed through them to try and avoid spoilers. Anyway my question was if I would like Brazil in relation to my recent so-so viewing of Fear and Loathing. Thanks for the replies all and I think you have talked me into a blind buy. Here goes nothing!!

I am sure I will treasure it...but if not I will be looking for refund from all those who recommended it!!

Jackskeleton

You wont like it.

Hokeyboy

Brazil is absolutely brilliant, and only becomes more brilliant upon each sucessive viewing.

When you first watch it, don't try to understand it. Just let it wash over you.

Then review some of the supplementary material: the documentaries, the battle with Sid Sheinberg, the commentary.

Then watch it again: you'll get it, and you'll love it.

Finally, watch the "Love Conquers All" version.

Trust me. It will blow your mind.

zig

I bought it blindly a couple days ago. Even if I don't love it, I've been really into Gilliam lately, so I felt like I have to have it. Then again, I loved Fear&Loathing, so maybe my opinion isn't too helpful.

mllefoo

I love the film, but I'll try to be a bit more objective.

Brazil is, as someone else pointed out, visually beautiful. It also has a lot of very dark and very subtle humor, mostly regarding how the government works and their definition of terrorism. The acting is superb, but then I've always been a little partial to the Sam Lowry kinds of characters. Katherine Helman (a lady who appears in nearly, if not all Gilliam films) was terrific.

There is a lot of sarcasm, biting wit, and sadness to the movie.

It's very difficult to enjoy at first. It may take a few viewings to appreciate it for what it is. I remember wanting to see this film when it came out, but it never made it to theaters out here (to my knowledge). When I finally did see it, I vaguely understood it (caught it near the middle on tv the first time). I really didn't know what to think of it for the longest time but I had friends who quoted the movie incessantly, so I got wrapped up into seeing the movie several times anyway.

I wouldn't buy the expensive version if I wasn't sure about the film. Just get the plain DVD, give it a whirl or two, then upgrade if you find yourself liking the flick. This isn't a movie for everyone, but it is certainly a science fiction classic.