Brazil / Gilliam

["Andy Gough, x4-2906, pager 420-2284, CH2-59" <@hermes.intel.com:AGOUGH@AZ.intel.com>]

Merideth Tarr sez...

>Date:	Mon, 23 Mar 1992 09:13:51 -0800
>From:	MTARR@EAGLE.WESLEYAN.EDU
>Subject: Re: Brazil
>To:	love-hounds@wiretap.spies.com
[...]
>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

Not only was the "true" ending edited off, it was changed to an ending that:
	1) changed the conclusion of the true film to its exact opposite
	2) didn't make any sense

I'm just as pissed off about it as you are--I don't know how they could have
done it.  In fact, it was shown on TV by a local Phoenix station last night--I
didn't watch it--the bastardized ending would have made me too mad.

>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               |

I'm curious to know what the two missing scenes were about.  I saw the 
"American" version, I suppose--as I saw it in the Detroit area theaters (twice).


And then Dan Riley sez...

>From: riley@theory.TC.Cornell.EDU (Daniel S. Riley)
>Subject: Re: Brazil
>Message-ID: <1992Mar24.015659.24983@tc.cornell.edu>
>Sender: news@tc.cornell.edu
>Nntp-Posting-Host: theory.tc.cornell.edu
>Organization: Cornell Theory Center
>References: <01GHZPNNGNDW99E63F@EAGLE.WESLEYAN.EDU>
>Date: Tue, 24 Mar 1992 01:56:59 GMT
>
>In January I saw a "director's cut" of Brazil at Berkeley.  The story
>we were told there was that Brazil originally premiered at Berkeley,
>and, in his introductory remarks before the movie (with all the studio
>execs and stuff there), Terry said "I hope that someday you will get
>to see *my* movie."

Ah... here is a good place to tell an amusing anecdote.  Before the film was
released, I saw a segment on Entertainment Tonight about Gilliam's fight with
the studio to release the film without making changes.  The segment told about
Gilliam taking out a big ad in Variety that said something like, "Hey Paramount!
When are you going to release my movie!"
     Later, a copy of the film was secretly shown to the Los Angeles film
critics, who voted it the L.A. Film Critics 1985 "Film of the year."  The
awarding of this prestigious award to Brazil basically forced Paramount to 
release the film--with the ending Gilliam wanted.  (I think it was 
Paramount--I could be wrong).
     Now, I don't know if the L.A. Film Critics _really_ thought it was
"Film of the year" or if they just voted it that award to force its release.
Either way, it deserved the award.
     One thing I can't reconcile is that in the clips of the film that were
shown on Entertainment Tonight as part of the segment, I remember it showing
a lasergun battles between Tuttle and government stormtroopers.  But the 
released film has nothing like this.

>Which apparently doesn't come close to expressing how furious he was.
>With some justification--the director's cut was a fair bit more
>brilliant than what got released in the US (and I don't even want to
>talk about what was done to it for television).

    Do you know if the director's cut will be released on videotape or 
laserdisc?  Hopefully letterboxed!

>Also, it sure sounded to me like the director's cut had KaTe's cover
>of Brazil for the closing titles.  I've hesitated to post this, as I
>didn't see any confirmation in the credits, and that movie (especially
>Terry's version) leaves me in enough of a daze that I could have
>imagined it.  But it sure *sounded* like KaTe.
>
>-- 
>-Dan Riley                          Internet: dsr@lns598.tn.cornell.edu
>-Wilson Lab, Cornell University     HEPNET/SPAN: lns598::dsr (44630::dsr)

     Ah, but at least you keep the search for Kate's cover of "Brazil"
alive!  Kindof like the search for the Holy Grail that's been going on
for all these centuries.

     But for all of the above praise for Brazil by three fans, I think I should
mention that typical audiences will find parts of the film boring--especially
those who are TV addicts.  In Brazil, some scenes and camera shots go on 
longer than is typical in today's movies and TV shows (although not any longer
than old movies).  This will make some people uncomfortable--but one gets 
used to it if they recognize that they've been conditioned for quick scenes
and camera shots.
     Another thing I'd like to talk about is the title--"Brazil."  After I
saw the film, I couldn't figure out why it was called "Brazil"--after all,
it's not about the country of Brazil, nor does it take place in Brazil.  But
then one day I was reading an article on the editorial page of the Wall Street
Journal, which had a sentence something like, "You know what they're always
saying about Brazil--it's the place where things are happening and growing,
where prospects are always positive--it's the Future!  It never pans out, but
people keep on saying it."  And I thought, "Aha!"  So I think titling the
film "Brazil" is a statement saying that was is portrayed in the film is 
"the future"--that, in the future, a mindless bureacracy will control everything
(and yet nothing).  Now, if I'm dead wrong about this, I'd very much appreciate
being corrected!
     Finally, some other very good Terry Gilliam films are "The Adventures of
Baron Munchausen" (1989) and "The Fisher King" (1991).  You can probably still
see The Fisher King at a dollar theater in your area--and of course, nothing
compares to seeing a film on the Big Screen.  I really, really, really like
The Fisher King--maybe even more than Brazil.  As a side note, in one scene
in The Fisher King you can see a poster for Brazil just jumping out of the
background.
     Hey, who asked the question in the first place?  Ron Hill?

Regards,
Andy

"We've gotta fight back, Sam.
 We're all in it together, kid."
			-- Harry Tuttle
			   Brazil