Re: Brazil

[MTARR@EAGLE.WESLEYAN.EDU]

Hi!

Ron asked about two different versions of _Brazil_.  I haven't gotten a chance
to go off on this lately, so I'll answer it:

The TV version of _Brazil_ is an abridged version designed to lower itself
to the intelligence of the average American television viewer, i.e. all the
ambiguities were taken out of it, things were explained that were intended
to remain enigmatic, etc.  It is *not*, I repeat, NOT the movie Terry Gilliam
produced and released, and to this day I'm still trying to figure out how
the hell it happened.  The ending was edited off, for goddess' sake, and
I'm not going to go into the other ways in which it was destroyed.  Suffice
it to say it's analogous to a version of _The Ninth Wave_ released for mass
consumption where instead of _HoL_ the A-side consists of Kate explaining
every detail of the songs, the concept, and giving an involved key to the
listening of "Waking the Witch" etc., so you don't have to tax your brain trying
to figure the whole thing out.

Rent the movie version, Ron, of which there are three I can think of- the
American version is missing at least two scenes, one of which is insignificant
but the other is kinda enlightening.  I managed to see these two different
versions in Europe.  Just the inclusion of the ending makes it a completely
different movie from the one shown on TV.  It's my favorite film of all time,
I've seen it 27 times now, and I'll never get enough... :)  You'll see what
I mean, and you might just be as pissed off about the edited version as I
am.  I really wonder what Gilliam thought of it...
	    +----------------------------------------------+
	    |   	    Meredith A. Tarr               |
            |                      +++                     |
	    |   "Oh let me fly, give me something to show  |
	    |      for my miserable life..." -Kate Bush    |
	    |		           +++                     |
	    |	         mtarr@eagle.wesleyan.edu          |
	    +----------------------------------------------+