Essay about Analysis of Brazil, Directed by Terry Gilliam

Analysis of Brazil, Directed by Terry Gilliam As a child develops into an adult there are critical developmental steps that are necessary for a complete and successful transition. The physical transition is the most obvious change, but underneath the thick skin and amongst the complex systems, exists another layer of transitions. Ideas, rationales, ideologies and beliefs all dwell within this layer of each being. It could be said that a nation can also fit this transitional framework. A nation grows in both size (wealth, population, power), and in ideological maturity (emancipation of slaves, civil rights, women’s rights†¦etc). This constant evolution of ideas and size is the foundation of a successful government. Without change and†¦show more content†¦The film is riddled with disturbing parallels to current governments close to home. In Sam Lowry’s peculiar world, he works as an employee of the Ministry of Information’s Department of Records. The Ministry is the umbrella corporation/governmen t that runs everything from utilities and credit ratings to enforcing the confusing laws that they themselves have created. The working environment is presented to the viewer as efficiency at its finest. His office shows every person engaged dutifully in their quest for filing the right papers into the right files. Not a paper is discarded on the floor; every paper is clearly accounted for. The man who is in charge of the operation, Mr. Kurtzmann, is seen standing next to his office door holding a militant stance, watch in hand, suspiciously supervising his lively mechanism. The whole environment exudes subtle nobility in working for a greater good. This is quite typical of what would be considered a utopia for government offices. The employees participating in the great American Dream, chasing the promotion, the bigger house down the block. Yet before long Gilliam shows that the efficiency is purely superficial. Once Mr. Kurtzmann steps inside of his office the televisions are flic ked to life and the whole machine stops. The workers show no difficulty in ignoring their duties. The truth behind this once seemingly perfect workspace shows itself only moments later, as