The Social Theory of Brazil
Imagine a world where bureaucracy has run amok and created a system congested with “red tape.” A world where the state and capitalism have operated unchecked and have created a society of false consciousness. This is the world of Brazil. I am not referring to the South American country but the 1985 film written and directed by Terry Gilliam, formerly of Monty Python. The title refers to the song "Aquarela do Brasil” which is used as the soundtrack for the film. Brazil is a satirical vision of bureaucracy in the near future. As I viewed the film numerous times, I imagined that my mind was being taken over by one of many social theorists. I focused my theorists to Max Weber, Karl Marx, and Sigmund Freud.
The film starts as a clerk is printing forms for the order to arrest, detain, interrogate, and exterminate the terrorist Tuttle. The clerk is annoyed by an insect flying around his small cubicle. Successfully killing the insect causes its remains to fall into the printer. This causes an error on one form changing the name from “Tuttle” to “Buttle”, an innocent family man. The innocent Mr. Buttle is arrested, dramatically, and eventually terminated during interrogation due to an unknown heart condition. His neighbor, Jill Layton, is determined to free the wrongfully arrested Mr. Buttle. …show more content…
I will simply say that his dreams are condensation, referring “to the ability of the mind to make one event or object in a dream stand for many things simultaneously” (Ashley & Orenstein, p303). Sam dreams of a fantasy world where he has mechanical wings and can soar through the clouds. This can represent Sam’s desire to be free from the bureaucratic world or his discontent with his current life status and desire to achieve more. The green landscape erupts into pillars of metal representing how his modern society has no connection with nature or how Sam feels trapped in his bureaucratic
Imagine a world where bureaucracy has run amok and created a system congested with “red tape.” A world where the state and capitalism have operated unchecked and have created a society of false consciousness. This is the world of Brazil. I am not referring to the South American country but the 1985 film written and directed by Terry Gilliam, formerly of Monty Python. The title refers to the song "Aquarela do Brasil” which is used as the soundtrack for the film. Brazil is a satirical vision of bureaucracy in the near future. As I viewed the film numerous times, I imagined that my mind was being taken over by one of many social theorists. I focused my theorists to Max Weber, Karl Marx, and Sigmund Freud.
The film starts as a clerk is printing forms for the order to arrest, detain, interrogate, and exterminate the terrorist Tuttle. The clerk is annoyed by an insect flying around his small cubicle. Successfully killing the insect causes its remains to fall into the printer. This causes an error on one form changing the name from “Tuttle” to “Buttle”, an innocent family man. The innocent Mr. Buttle is arrested, dramatically, and eventually terminated during interrogation due to an unknown heart condition. His neighbor, Jill Layton, is determined to free the wrongfully arrested Mr. Buttle. …show more content…
I will simply say that his dreams are condensation, referring “to the ability of the mind to make one event or object in a dream stand for many things simultaneously” (Ashley & Orenstein, p303). Sam dreams of a fantasy world where he has mechanical wings and can soar through the clouds. This can represent Sam’s desire to be free from the bureaucratic world or his discontent with his current life status and desire to achieve more. The green landscape erupts into pillars of metal representing how his modern society has no connection with nature or how Sam feels trapped in his bureaucratic