Dystopian Society Exposed In Terry Gilliam's Brazil

Terry Gilliam’s Brazil, released in 1985, is a science fiction film that centers on a dystopian society where everything is controlled and yet there is still this strong sense of lawlessness and chaos that goes along with it. The movie focuses on Sam Lowry, played by Jonathan Pryce, who is an unambitious employee of “Information Retrieval”, a department in the ministry. He lives in a world that is simultaneously futuristic and primitive; they have access to progressive technology, yet it is clunky and inconvenient. In the film, the citizens are tricked into believing that they live in a progressive world, when in reality they have no agency as a result of their heavy reliance on the aid of technology, governmental restrictions, and refusal

It is absurd fiction that becomes fact as the viewer finds themselves relating the content to current issues. Historically and presently there has always been a problem with individuals who fail to think for themselves, and mindlessly cooperate with the system without considering its faults and trying to resist it. If it isn’t harming them, it doesn’t matter to them, even if other people are being treated unfairly. This is shown in Sam at the beginning of the film. He is perfectly content to work at his dead end job without trying to challenge it. It can also be seen with his coworkers, there is such a large number of them, and yet none band together and revolt. Their only “crime” is when they watch television when Mr. Kurtzmann isn’t looking. His other coworkers in information retrieval also fail to think for themselves and are shown mobbing their boss, asking for his opinion on every little thing. Because Sam is so willing to conform and relinquish his individuality, he is giving up his agency and handing it over to the government without so much as a squeak of resistance. The ease and comfort in which he does this speaks