BRAZIL...

Honestly, I didn't even know what to think of this movie. There are a couple of words I would use to describe it, crazy, confusing and twisted. What was with the whole Buttle Tuttle thing? And why were they after this person? And who was after this person, the government or crazy people in back suits? I mean how could a plummer or air conditioning specialist or whatever he is, be a dangerous person, or a threat to the government? And the guys with the goofy hats, why did they just bombard his house and tear apart his stuff? There are so many questions I had about this movie when it was finally over. It was crazy when he just dreamed the whole escape in his mind towards the end. These people brain washed him, at the very end he was just sitting there like a vegetable completely zoned out in his own little world. I bascially had no idea what was going on throughout the entire movie, but I guess I enjoyed it.

Brazil

Ok first I want to apologize for not being able to post this sooner, but I've been having some problems with internet at my house.

As for that movie Brazil Terry Gillian said that he wanted to make a movie where the only happy ending was where the main character went insane. To me this was quite an interesting goal, and at the end it really did exemplify the descent into insanity, but I'm not entirely sure that this was a "happy" ending. The stereotypical happy ending would have had him run off with the woman. However, having the story play out in the way it did with the Ministry capturing him and torturing him was quite the horrific ending, yet even when he went insane, I didn't feel it was a relief of the pain, in fact it almost felt like it was more anguish then physical torment, so this confused me. However, Gillian also has said that he hates being quoted so he often lies about his work. Did he maybe lie about the inspiration for this movie was that the only happy ending was the main character going insane? I'm not sure. Maybe I'm just not detached enough from the steroetypes to appreciate this ending as "happy" but maybe Gillian also meant for it to be this way.

Brazil

This movie was insane i didn't understand half of what was going on. They seemed to be in a futuristic world with type writers. I wasn't to excited to watch it. But oh well... I wonder how the movie ended will we ever know what happened to Buttle? And if so what then happens to the main character? i wonder what would happen if we allowed our government to treat us that way. What would happen? can one be okay with simple little things or does one need more? Oh and what the heck was with that giant metal man?

Brazil

Oh my goodness, that movie left me speechless.  I very much enjoyed Brazil mainly because it felt like someone took a random string of thoughts and turned them into  screen play.  I liked the fact that it wasn't your traditional sci-fi futuristic b***s**t.  There was no happy ending, and while to some this is cynical, to me it's realistic.  Things don't always work out as planned and this actually displayed one of those times.  For me this movie was comical and unpredictable, albeit at times hard to follow.  The best part of this movie was the beginning, for starters there is that fly and that fly just screws everything up, the fact that in a world so secretive, so precise, something as small as a fly can make such a big difference just goes to show, there is no such thing as perfection.  I have to say my favorite character is either the mom or the freelance repair guy.  They were both such abnormal interesting characters.  The mom displayed all things stereotypical, not wanting to look your age, not wanting to admit that your life is nearing its end.  On the other hand there was this repair guy who disregarded they system, did what he wanted and went against the flow.  I guess I liked these two characters because the mom was just mocking society and the repair guy was just degrading society.  

This seemed like a very anarchist movie, the terrorist, the security, the bombing, the chaos in general.  It was anarchy.  

I truly enjoyed the movie Brazil, despite the fact that it had nothing to do with Brazil.  The randomness, the chaos, the characters were all fabulous.  

brazil

This movie, although I only saw the beginning, was pretty interesting. I liked the new "inventions" we saw such as the one-personm car and the plastic surgery technique. these made us think the movie was set in the future, but weren't the movies the workers watching black and white? maybe the controlling government destroyed all the new films, or since this was made in the 80's the couldn't forsee the changes in motion pictures, even though they were pretty developed. I could see the post-modernist ties from the beginning. His dream seems to be his individual "truth" and by his mother trying to control his life she pushes him further away. I don't know what happens in the end, but I'm guessing its like any other part in the movie: open and confusing. Its hard to understand a movie when you don't know everything, but it makes it more interactive because you are left to come up with your own decision or view of the the events. If a movie tells you everything, it can be boring forgetable, but when it lets you think and find your own meaning, an important post-modernist theme, it engages you and I think is a better movie. Also, I like the theme song.

Ugh...Yet Again

Well this movie seemed to puzzle me just about as much as the book. This genre of postmoderism appears to be almost purposely frustrating. The lack of truths and information seems to spin ideas and concepts of what could be true in circles around and around in your head. Unlike the novel, the story did have a basic plot line that seemed to grow as the movie went on, but still the whole idea of the randomness about it just throws me for a loop. The eccentric ideas that make up the disastrous story are hilariously comical in their unrealistic nature. I'm sure if the random concepts that are toyed with in Barnes' novel were thrown onto a screen in a motion picture of sorts it would be just as comical. It's almost as though the movie Brazil is showing the unvoidable confusion of this genre. The movie shows the uncertanties that claim to be totally untrue. Whatever the message that is trying to be portrayed, it is confusing, messy and somewhat frustrating. The novel, not being able to connect text with a picture is even more so, the genre absolutely falling on my bad side.

I thought movies like this didn't exist.

At last! A movie that stimulates the mind! Typically films tend to tell a story without invoking thought upon viewers. Only the best of movies can entertain and stimulate the viewer at the same time. Brazil is an ironic film that posed an extremely interesting and valid depiction of the future. This society is one in which nothing can be done without the proper paperwork, people solely care of material possessions, women think of their bodies as works of art that can constantly be improved upon by plastic surgery, and a militaristic government uses "Marshall Law" to enforce order that turns citizens against eachother, you're either a conformist patriot or a terrorist rebel. In many ways a stereotypical American embodies the ideas revealed in Brazil. Is it not true that in America, for anything to get done it must first be made official and for anything to be officialized the proper paperwork must be completed? Is it not also true that many wealthy Americans would buy a 4th home before donating to a charitable cause? These are just some of the questions I thought of while watching Brazil. I wondered just how accurate this depiction of the future really was, I contemplated the ironies involved, and I mused over the ridiculous nature of the film itself.

I could go on and on about how much thought Brazil invoked but I'd rather just hope you trust me and appreciate a rare, stimulating film.

brazil

at first i didn't really understand the movie but as it went on i really enjoyed it. i thought that this movie was good, but there where definitely times where i had no idea what was going on. i like the way that in the end you walked away not knowing how it ended or if he was really getting tortured the whole time. i think that he was tortured from the beginning and he just made up that story in his head to escape what was really happening. Good movie made you really think.

Brazil

I really liked this movie because of the way it made you feel. Sometimes the movie made you pissed off and frustrated at what was happening and sometimes it made you laugh at what was happening. The structure of the movie was very chaotic and at no point did you really know what was going on. It seemed that the movie was trying to show that obeying the system is not always the best thing to do. Somtimes it's good to be independant. In the movie, their world had so much order that it backfired and made everything very unorderly and it seemed that nothing really went the way it should of. In the end of the movie, the main character is sitting in the chair and he is about to be tortured but Robert Dinero comes and saves him. Then you find out that he really wasn't saved and that he is still in the torture chamber. I like the ending because it leaves you thinking. You never really know whether the whole movie was in his head or if all of it really did happen.

Brizil

This movie was one of the most random things i have ever read? what was the point behind it? What would happen if we lived in a futuristic world with typewriters? Would we have the technology that we have today? Will we ever truly know what happened at the end of the movie? What is one to do when they watched a whole movie without the end? can one preclude what happened with the information given? Not in this movie obviously.

brazil?

After watching Brazil, i felt as though i had been sucked into an acid addict's attic worst nightmare. The whole movie was just twisting my mind and contorting my inner thoughts. Ultimately i feel like there was defiantly some underlying themes, of which i did not understand. It defiantly depicts a totalitarian government that censors and abuses natural right of the people, hence why there are constant terrorist attacks. There is defiantly a "fight for what you believe in message", but i feel it is heavely watered down by a confusing plot and random inserts of useless information. I feel the approach to this movie almost hid the message and rendered it almost useless. Rather than a theme and massage people can easily walk away from, they are instead walking away confused and wondering if someone put acid in their cereal this morning. I'm defiantly not a huge fan of the post-modernistic style of writting and movies. It can defiantly work, I would defiantly say Flaubert's Parrot was succsessful in it's intent because i walked away form the book knowing more about the author and his sence of humor.

The Brittish

Alright, let me start off by marking that Brazil, was the best movie I've seen in awhile. After seeing a few of my peer's faces, they didn't seem to agree, and then reading the little pink packety thing, turns out a common consensus among Americans is that Brazil is just too weird. According to the pink thing, Universal Pictures of America wasn't interested in promoting the film. Brittan on the other hand was warm-welcoming the film of many faces, crazy, iron man meets fairy world and all. Then I got to thinking...wait, isn't Flaubert's Parrot British as well? So, not that I want to jump to some huge conclusions but, are the English the birth place of post-modernism? Some more thinking and, wait, isn't England and that general area the birth place of literature in general? So basically, they figure, eh...well Shakespeare did that romanticism thing pretty well, realism you go Flaubert (granted he's French...but that goes with the "general area" quotation), and now they're bored with their normal fiction, and want to switch it up a bit. Leave it to the British to turn a story topsy-turvy in hopes of something "bloody brilliant". Gotta hand it to them, it worked. Now how long before we see a huge Po-Mo (quoted by Lav-Dog) spree in our homeland? How long before Americans bust down their walls of what's real, what's acceptable, and embrace off-the-wall. Keep in mind I'm not generalizing the whole nation into the classification of, well, blah...but this is the nation that sees radical book-burnings and what not, of classical literary fiction...not even controversial works like the Bible or something. We are the people that burn The Lorax because it could imply homosexuality (I'm not saying it does, I'm just trying to bring it home). Basically we could look at this as a double blow to our society that wanted to break from the evil throne so badly; now they are much more creative, accepting and witty (not mentioned above, but noteworthy) than we are...and our land of tolerance and freedom is all a sham. Bloody hell.

the break down on Brazil

At first  really didn't understand the movie and I found little interest in the plot. It confused me because I didn't know when the movie was produced and all of relations to time did not make since to me. Then over the weekend we had to read "Kitsch and Postmodernism in Brazil" by Kieth James Hamel. I have to say that I enjoyed this a whole lot more than watching the movie. This actually gave me the answers to why the movie was so odd. I began to understand the movie a little bit more and the plot and characters grew on me a little bit more after I gave it a chance. when I first watched the movie I was confused about the odd dreams that kept on occurring. In the midst of the average all day workers and huge boring cit he has these intricate dreams of him flying and attempting to save a women. Is this just his escapism from the ever day hell that he has to deal with. I also noticed that His dreams were from a different time period. He was fighting monsters with a sword in stead of the modern day weapons. This tied in with the odd assortment of gadgets in the movie that were from different time periods. For example, It seems that the director of the movie was attempting to make a "future like scene" in the whole movie. Although a lot of the gadgets are from the future like computers and such, their are some from the past  like the old typewriters. The middle of the film was good but then when we were edging to the end I was simple tired of a everything about the movie. Too much weird stuff was going on and it became hard to follow. 

Brazil

The film Brazil was certainly an interesting one; though I suppose it's fair to say that all post-modernist creations are fairly interesting by nature. Much like in Flaubert's Parrot I felt lost in the story's complicated ups and downs. I was even more confused when Robert DeNiro showed up and the main character spun an entire fantasy ending for himself. I will say, however, that the movie was pretty amazing. The futuristic-esque setting really brought the characters and plot to life and I couldn't help but laugh at the random pipes and tubes dropped into the film at completely awkward moments. Still not sure what the overall theme (or should I say themes?) of the film was—but being as it is post-modernist, I suppose the point is not to convey some sense of a universal truth, but rather to complicate matters to such a high extent that a universal truth is neither universal or the truth.

Completely Confused!!

To be honest, I really didn't understand this movie at all. I entered halfway into it, and the first scene I saw was his room covered in exposed piping. The characters were dressed weird and the scenery was really out there, so I couldn't help but be completely bewildered. As the movie progressed however, it became more and more intriguing. I could tell that the plot was playfully bouncing between reality and fantasy. This part of the movie I didn't fully understand until the very end when Sam had a wild fantasy of escaping with his dead beloved through the bottom of a coffin and off into a beautiful billboard landscape, when in reality his mind was being broken by the torture. As far as sci-fi movies go, I thought Brazil was interestingly filmed and its setting oddly charming. The office scene, where the twenty men follow the head of the floor around, is pretty interesting when the office people go behind pillars and disappear: reappear, disappear. I will have to go back and watch the entire movie so that the intricate plot makes sense.

"Po-Mo" and Brazil

I began to understand more of the artistic and creative side of the film after reading "Kitsch and Postmodernism in Brazil". Hamel helped me understand what this movie was trying to achieve as far as postmodernism goes. The futuristic past is achieved well but at the same time helps to confuse the viewer. After reading the Frequently Asked Questions, I can understand more of both what Gilliam has achieved with his main character and also the multiple problems going on world-wide. As trippy as this movie was, one could really get inside of Lowry's head and kind of see why he became so crazy. The world in which he lived was wild, with censorship, lust, comedy, and killing. Reading those handouts really helped me realize that this movie is actually really good. i'd like to see it again so I could pick up on some of the clues that the packet was talking about. Still though, it helped me understand postmodernism a little bit more.

Brazil

Although I was only able to see the beginning of the movie, it definitely helped me perceive what postmodernism actually is. Like most of the other students, I found it a little confusing. It was corny filming, but still acceptable. Like Hamel points out in his review, the "past/futuristic" combo makes the film idealistic and kinda cool. It's interesting to see how the future is really turning out, with the terrorist, innovative technology ect. I really liked the beginning because as a viewer I felt like the film was completely crazy, but super engaging.

This Post-Modernism Thing

Looking back, I really did enjoy Brazil. For some reason, it didn't really register at the time of viewing, but in retrospect this film was so intricate and thought-out to a tee that I feel like... how could you not like it? I think the reason I like it now is because I understand it a little more (I just read both of the handouts on it) and simply thinking about all the different messages and events in the film makes my mind spin...in a good way. At the time, I was taking it all in: all the action and obscurity, combined with the obvious confusing nature of it. It's so interesting to think that every single background image or seemingly unimportant character had so much significance and that each and every one of the events and every bit of dialogue fit into a, not the, larger theme. That's another fascinating thing: there are so many themes and subtle hints to direct the viewers to these. All those odd quotes above doors and on crumbling brick walls in back alleys have significance: they either help "explain" a theme such as time or are simply post-modern-like phrases. I completely agree with the author of the answers to that Internet Brazil blog: you definitely have to see the movie more than once. I mean, I feel like I picked up on a few of the themes even without reading the handout or at the very least, saw some common aspects with Flaubert's Parrot, but it's like I almost want more. I know there is more out there to figure out and find in the film that I didn't see at all. Finally, actually seeing images of " this whole 'po-mo' thing" helped me appreciate Barnes' book a little more. Understanding, little by little, is still understanding. Ha.

Brazil and Post modernism

The movie Brazil was a interesting and insightful look into the harmoniously random and sublimely odd. While at a first hurried glance the movie may look like a badly stitched patchwork quilt the reality is quite different. Just like Flaubert's Parrot the jumpy sequence is full of meaning. Each transition is intentional and each coincidence real. The beauty of Post Modernism is that a work does not have to make sence or righ true to everyone, but to those that enjoy it the reward is greater. Brazil represents it, having thrilled some critics and been despised by others. It is a simple proble of how far you are willing to let reality stretch. the further, the better. Post modernism lets you, the reader or viewer, choose how compare the mediums reality with your own.

will on Brazil

i watch movies to be entertained, which this movie was very good at. However, i thought it was very confusing. I thought i had a good grasp on it in the beginning but as the movie progressed i founded it harder and harder to keep pace with what was going on. And i'm sorry to say that I'm still not completely sure why you showed this film to our class. Is postmodernism just all over the place and hard to keep up with? or is it like a weak attempt at showing what the future might be like? but one thing is for sure.. no straight guy would have dreams like sam, maybe thats why he chose the chick with the dude hair cut.

Emma G's thoughts on Brazil

Gilliam uses an arresting and original cinematic style to "demonstrate the demoralizing and oppressive nature of social modernity".  This is especially true for his movie, Brazil.  It is clear that while producing this film he took advantage of his choices as director and solidified his themes through setting, colors, dialogue etc.  Gilliam successfully bags on modernity throughout the movie, however, some specific examples include; a) when Sam Lowry wakes up late because his alarm clock is broken, then his breakfast is ruined from all of the modern technology that was initially invented to make his life easier--it clearly only made things more difficult in Sam's case, b) when a tiny insect created a huge flaw in the system and had catastrophic results for many many people, and c) when Sam's mother dies because of her plastic surgery addiction. 

I liked how Gilliam parallels Lowry's daydreams to his real life;  the contrast between Lowry's paradise and his reality clarify Gilliam's message tremendously.  

I also liked how Gilliam used different versions of the song "Brazil" to set the tone for each scene, playing it slower, faster etc... 

I am a little confused about his subtitle in the beginning "Somewhere in the 20th century" because it sounds to me like he was pretty insistent on the title 1984 and 1/2 for his movie. This is obviously a play on George Orwell's 1984 and not specifically a reference to the date, but it's still confusing.  If they wanted the date to be unspecified, why did they have to mention the 20th century at all?  Did Gilliam want the audience to think this movie is of the past, present or future? I personally prefer to believe the movie is of the present/future because then you can make connections to our own government/society and hear the sad truths of our time.  But who knows?  As Lavender mentioned, he does say "Somewhere" not "Sometime" so maybe the beginning subtitle has nothing to do with the date but only with the place...  The ending subtitle does indeed say "Sometime soon", this subtitle to me epitomizes post-modernism.  I say this because the movie was created in 1985, about the future, but still in the 20th century (which is now in the past).  This is JUST like 1984, a futuristic novel written in the 50's, but is now in the past.  I'm not entirely sure, but those subtitles definitely sent me for a spin. 

OVERALL- I was very very impressed by this film. 

ill Brazil

Wow! Brazil what a crazy futuristic film. At the very beginning I was extremely confused, but then all of the pieces came together. When I was watching this film it was interesting how they thought the futuristic world would be. They did predict about the terrorist attacks, but the way they thought the futuristic world would look like was way off. From the cars to the computer screen and everything else was way off then it looks today. About the terrorism they were right about it happening, but the way the government handled it was kind of bizarre how they put the bag over their face and took them to get tortured. At the same time the torturing is kind of like the current Guantanamo Bay prison. The only part I didn't like was the dream at the end and how they ended the film. I thought it was going to be way more clever than how it did end. Overall I enjoyed the film.

movie

so that movie was pretty confusing. i cont confused as to when he was dreaming and when he wasnt. especially during the end of it. like how he escaped from Jack and then all of a sudden he was back into that chair singing. I did feel kind of bad for him though becuase if he had not make his dream girl crash that truck and cause a big scene, she would have no bad record. but becuase he assumed she was the bad one, which caused her to die in the end. also im still confused to why the creachures with the baby faces in his dream kept on saying "what have you done." that was left unanswered. it wasnt a bad film though.

Brasilia!

Brazil, to say the least, was a very interesting movie.  Although really farfetched and awkward, I did enjoy the movie.  Overall, the plot was intriguing, and it was very nice to watch a movie like to as a change in pace of all of the other movies I watch.  Although inaccurate, I enjoyed the futuristic aspect of this film.  I am not sure what time period the movie was set in (was it ever mentioned?), but I liked how it attempted to create an image of the future.

What really bothered me about this film is the recurring dream that Sam had.  It was so ridiculous to watch him battle a machine that spews fire when injured, or watch his "dream" woman being help captive by what appeared to be babies.  The fact that he somehow stumbled upon this woman is completely farfetched, and it really bothers me that he did find her.  When would this ever happen in real life?  Coincidence or irony?  

I noticed many instances in this film where the thoughts were parallel with that of Barnes and Flaubert.  The most prominent one that I noticed was the events that questioned coincidence or irony.  Like I noted in the last paragraph, when Sam found his "dream" (literally and physically), this could either be coincidence or irony.  Another part of the film that begs the question coincidence or irony is the presence of Harry Tuttle.  He was there whenever Sam needed to get out of a tough situation.  Another similarity that I noticed between Flaubert's Parrot and Brazil is the disorder of both.  They are both very scatterbrained jump from scene to scene very frequently.  In Brazil, this left the viewer trying to piece together scenes at the end of the movie, in order to understand what the hell was going on.  

Overall, I enjoyed the film Brazil, despite the disorder and farfetched plot.  It was interesting to see a film that was unrelated to Flaubert's Parrot, but yet had similarities.  

Brazil?

I'm not really sure what to say about this film. It was very odd and confusing and jumped around a lot. It was interesting how the main character Lowery had a series of strange dreams where he was always some hero, almost replacing his real life. His regular day to day life was very monotonous and routine, so it's almost like he is, just like Barnes, replacing life with fantasy. However by the end of the movie Lowery's real life starts to intertwine with his real life. I guess its trying to prove a point that life is only as exciting as you make it. You could just sit around and dream about the life you want to live, or you could go out there and make your dreams into reality.

Parrotry at it's... finest?

I did not respond to the end of the book, so I thought I would do so now.  Flaubert's Parrot was an awkward book at best; the entire premise of the book was very strange.  For someone to be so obsessed with someone to write a book such as this about someone else is a little obsessive.  Barnes explored many parts of Flaubert's life, in some cases revealing how obsessed he actually was.  Take, for example, chapter 12 in Flaubert's Parrot, Braithwaite's Dictionary of Accepted Ideas.  In this chapter, Barnes goes through many people, places, and events that are related to Flaubert's life.  Although I liked the definitions provided for each letter of the alphabet, it was a very strange chapter.  I believe that Geofrey's character is actually Barnes's attempt at showing his obsession with Flaubert, without revealing that he is actually the one infatuated with Flaubert.

I really did enjoy the content of chapter 14, Examination Paper, although I don't believe that it was sufficient in wrapping up the story.  I enjoyed how it offered all of the different analysis on the different matters, and related them back to Flaubert's life (ie. criticism, economics, psychology).  This was great, but it was sort of a strange ending to a story with characters.  I understand that the overall point of this book was to offer an analysis on Flaubert's life, but it didn't really end the story of the characters.  Chapter 13 did this to some extent, telling the story of Ellen's death and Braithwaite's feelings on it, but I feel like some more closure is necessary. 

Overall, this was a very awkward book due to the Braithwaite/Barnes character and the infatuation with Flaubert, but I did enjoy some parts of it.

Era and Plot

As soon as the movie Brazil started it was odd. The tiny computer screens but set in a more futuristic time period while using decor and dress from the past. These changes in setting confuse viewers and make it difficult to assume ideas about that era. Furthermore, you wonder if it is set before the constitution and bill of rights were written because for some reason the government has the right to break into homes and capture citizens. Yes these citizens may have done something "wrong" according to them but people still individual rights. These men in suits break into houses through windows, drill out the ceiling, and throw bags over their prisoners. This is a traumatic experience and for the bagged and those in the area. Additionally, the "crimes" these people commit are not necessarily wrong but according to this group they are. The part about "we never make mistakes" is incredibly hypocritical for us viewers we see the mistake in names. They capture and mix up Tuttle with Buttle and do not even care to fix or admit their mistake. This frustrates us viewers and the movie never cares to explain why. Another part that does not particularly contribute to the plot is the whole part about his mother having humerous plastic surgerys. I do not understand how his mother needs to look younger or how it affects her son in any way. Lastly, all these day dreams or visions of his with wierd men in armour attacking him of flying away to his angel in white. These do not help the plot but just seem to waste our time with what would happen in fantasy movie.

Flauberts Parrot Call and Response

Life is eternally in balance. People are scales with life in one hand and imagination in the other- trying to figure out which is heavier without confusing one for the other. Life is heavier than imagination. It is like a dead weight pulling your hand to the ground, while imagination is like a helium balloon trying to pull you into the sky. Humanity does not like to be held down. Continually it searches for enough helium balloons to be lifted off the ground. Our minds do not like to be pinned down, and that is exactly what the reality of our existence does to us. We don’t like to think about what we have done, what we need to get done, and what has happened; instead, our minds want to drift into the fantasy of what will happen. This continual game of tag is “childish, even for adults. Especially for adults” (189). But we do it anyways. We want to pretend that we can fly, and we use books as our wings. Books are “a bit more cheerful, a bit more… life enhancing” than merely living (133). But the ball and chain of reality kicks in when we set the book down and “that happiness exists only in the imagination” (119). We prefer life through this skewed looking glass of imagination that makes everything seem more beautiful, and makes everything seem so much more related. Novels tie imagination and reality together so that we don’t feel stretched in the widening gap between the two. This idea is reinforced in the scene with the reflection in the train window. The man says that to look at him is “misleading”; to see him for only what reality can portray, somehow is not enough to capture the essence in him (96). “Study[ing his] reflection in the window” is much like reading books and chasing our imagination- “you know its presence is conditional” (96). But when the transparent reflection of the man has passed, we still know that it was there. This is why “directness also confuses” (102). When we look at “full face portrait staring back at you, [it] hypnotizes” you into imagining what its reflection would reveal (102). We cannot see a person without creating a persona, because we don’t see ourselves only as reality portrays us. Sometimes, we don’t want to face reality, and this is what has happened to Braithwaite and his wife. He is stuck hiding in a novel, for fear of his return to reality. He has removed himself of the reality that bounds him to the ground, and is floating on the balloons of Madame Bovary.

Bizzare Brazil

To be completely honest, I have no idea what to think of the movie Brazil even after seeing it twice. The part about it that I find most similar to Flaubert's Parrot is the chaos of both. Both seem to jump around a bunch and seem as if they are purposely meant to confuse the viewer/reader. Just as with the book, after seeing Brazil I'm left with no definite idea, theme, or explanation as to the craziness. Perhaps the oddest part in Brazil is Sam's dream of him flying and fighting that odd creature who ends up being him. I don't understand what this is supposed to tell the viewer. Not only is this whole dream scene confusing and whatnot, but it turns out in the end that Sam is killed and his escape is also a dream. Maybe Gilliam was trying to tell us that we can't escape from some things in life. As I said before, I really have no idea. This whole post-modern thing is throwing me off guard and I don't know what to think of it. It is an interesting yet bizzare topic which I have yet to understand. Perhaps Mr. Lavender can help enlighten me.

This was a very unique and interesting movie. I found it to be kinda good dispite its confusing plot to follow, romantisism and post modernism. I even found humor with Sams fantasys of being to romantic charming man who saves his love. Then in reality Sam isnt that person. He is awkward during most his time while chasing after the girl he loves. I also found the older ladies like his mother and her friends to be very funny because they are so caught up in looking good even though they are neirly elderly. What made this movie interesting to me is how the world evolved in such a dark way. Sam fit as a good character because he wasnt satisfied with the susiety and couldnt conform to it dispite his mothers wishes. When he worked for the government the offices, building and pace at which it operated would have been terrrible to work in. The halls were dull and empty until a group franticly walked though trying to talk to a man. I liked the individuality of this movie because is different from any movie we are used to and takes us into a society that we have never seen. I didnt like how it scattered its sences which forced you to focus closely on what was happining.

O

I enjoyed this movie.  Although the story was interesting and the scenes were odd, my favorite parts were the cinematography, all of the camera angles and lighting, and the music.  Brazil was very similar to other futuristic stories but was also a little bit unique in its own way also. 

Brazil

Brazil was a really strange movie. I found it to be very similar to Flaubert's Parrot. The smaller themes, and instances that took place didn't make much meaning, however, the main ideas were clear. Brazil, was one of those movies that are just so different, they keep you interested. It was so random that it kept you wanting to watch more. I liked the part about the people who came to fix the heat. They wouldn't go through with it without a document. That is how the world is becoming, we are so untrusing of everything that we need documents to keep order. I thought that it was interesting that the creators of this movie were able to predict so much about the future. All in all this movie was, random, yet it held my attention. I enjoyed taking a break from work, and kicking back and watching a movie.

Brazil

At first this movie makes not much sense. When you sit down and really interpret what you have watched it starts to make sense. He is a government employee stuck with his job, and escapes it by dreaming into a fanasty world of love and adventure. Which I believe is where the title Brazil comes from. He flys over beautiful greenlands. His life just gets increasingly worse, they accidentally kill Buttle in mistake of a man Tuttle. They kill him because Tuttle is a terrorist and the system mixes up the names. In the end killing an innocent man and letting a guilty one roam free. This mistake helps out Sam. In the end I begin to believe that he might be schizophrenic. When he is at the chair in the middle of the room Tuttle comes down to save him. But before the credits he is still in the chair. So maybe he had one of his spacy dreams while he was going to be interrogated. The ministry is basically a giant office that runs everything. It is efficient and everything gets done, except for when the workers watch TV. The ministry is like a government that cannot be overthrown. If something breaks or if someone complains they have to get a lot of paperwork to get something simple accomplished. For example when Jill goes into to complain, they tell her she has the wrong papers and she needs to get them stamped. In numerous plot analogies of this movie, they all say its dark comedy. I did not find anything funny about this. This was directed by the same guy who did Monty Python and the Flying Circus. Brazil really was not funny it was just bizarre and strange.