Why was the movie ‘Brazil’ named that?
I’ve seen it 2-3 times over the years, but can’t recall any connection or mention of the country with the same name.
Any connection whatsoever?
Why the name then?
(Or am I completely missing something in the film?)
There’s a song titled “Brazil” in the film. The main character listens to it in his car and it’s also sort of a fantasy song for him.
WAG
That’s where a lot of Nazis hid after the war. There were (unsubstantiated) rumours that Hitler himself fled there.
Yep, BobT got it in one. The film takes its name from the song, ‘Brazil’, which features throughout the story.
:o
Wait, maybe I was thinking of ‘The Boys From…’
D’oh!
Brazil…
Where hearts were entertaining June
We stood beneath an amber moon
And softly murmured someday soon…
We kissed…
And clung together
Then…
Tomorrow was another day
The morning found me miles away
With still a million things to say
Now…
When twilight dims the skies above
Recalling thrills of our love
There’s one thing I’m certain of
Return…
I will…
to old…
BRAZIL.
It’s essentially a song about escape, fantasy, and memories of a better life filled with love and hope.
Brazil is truly a wonderful escapist song which perfectly captures the main character’s longing to escape.
Brazil has always been one of my secret guilty pleasure songs, the ones you really enjoy but don’t admit because it would shatter your perceived image of being cool. (Possible thread) I used to have to content myself with Geoff Muldaur’s version until Micheal Nesmith recorded an excellent version on “Tropical Campfires.”
(Damn, now I want to hear it!)
Regardless of the song, I think it’s b/c the name ‘The Other 1984’ was altogehter too transparent. This was the Deep Impact to 1984’s Armageddon. Hollywood does this all the time.
Plus the Nazi/Totalitarian vision would make a certain relevant historical leap as Hombre pointed out. Didn’t the Israelis nab Eichmann there?
Terry Gilliam wrote a book about the making of the movie. A quick look at evil Amazon turns up this one, which he is a co-author of. (It’s been about 12 years since I read it, I’m not 100% sure if that’s it. Think so though.) Mostly, it’s a lot of griping about changes he was obliged to make. The one that I remember the best is the opening of the film. He originally wanted to start with a shot of logging in a Brazilian rain-forest. A tree is felled, and crashes down with the top just in front of the POV. The camera tracks a fly as it escapes the path of the tree, and flies away. As the opening titles roll, we follow the path of the fly over the ocean, where it finds it’s way into the ministry workers office, and where it is killed and falls into the printer, causing the Tuttle/Buttle confusion. (Sort of a variant on Edward Lorenz’s Butterfly, I guess.)
The studio insisted that the opening was abridged because it was so extravagant and didn’t add much to the story, not because of political sensitivity. Gilliam wasn’t convinced.