It’s only a state of mind.|Feb. 20, 1985|United Kingdom | United States|143 Min.|R
Genre: Comedy;Science;Fiction
Description: In a dystopian, hyper-consumerist, and bureaucratic future of the 20th century, Sam Lowry, a low-ranking government worker, often dreams of himself as a heroic winged savior rescuing a woman in distress. Close to Christmas, a fly gets stuck in a teleprinter, causing a misprint in an arrest warrant. This error leads to the wrongful arrest and subsequent death of Archibald Buttle, a cobbler, instead of the intended target, Archibald Tuttle, a heating engineer suspected of terrorism.
Sam uncovers the mistake when he notices the wrong bank account was charged for the arrest. Visiting Buttle’s widow to process a refund, he spots her neighbor, Jill Layton, a truck driver, who strikingly resembles the woman from his dreams. Determined to find her, Sam discovers that Jill has been attempting to uncover the truth behind Buttle’s wrongful arrest but is obstructed by bureaucracy. Unknowingly, her efforts label her as a terrorist accomplice of Tuttle.
Meanwhile, Sam reports a malfunction in his apartment’s air conditioning. Central Services is unhelpful, but Tuttle, a former employee who left due to frustration with paperwork, steps in to fix it. When Central Services workers arrive, Sam distracts them to let Tuttle escape. Later, the workers return to dismantle Sam’s apartment under the guise of repairs.
Sam learns that Jill’s records are classified, accessible only with a promotion to Information Retrieval. Initially rejecting a promotion arranged by his influential mother, Ida, who is fixated on cosmetic surgery, Sam changes his mind and secures Jill’s records. After tracking her down, Sam clumsily confesses his love, and they evade government agents together. Their escape is interrupted by a terrorist bombing, and Sam is eventually captured, waking up briefly in police custody.
Set in a grim and oppressive world, the story explores themes of love, rebellion, and the struggle against totalitarian control.
Cast director: Terry Gilliam
Cast actor: Jonathan Pryce, Robert De Niro, Katherine Helmond, Ian Holm, Bob Hoskins, Michael Palin, Ian Richardson, Peter Vaughan, Kim Greist, Jim Broadbent
Original name: Brazil