Brazil

When I think of the movie Brazil, I first think of the Visa Checkcard commercials that completely ripoff the movie and am torn on whether or not I actually like them. The internal debate most adequately makes my head feel much like the man's in the poster on your left. Second and more importantly, Brazil reminds me of the Ary Barroso song that it's named after. The first time I heard the song Brazil was the first time I watched the movie. Now I realize how bizarre that must be given Brazil's worldwide popularity. I want to blame the U.S.'s indifference towards the song but that would just seem unfair given the numerous covers of it by American musicians including Sinatra, instead, I blame my age. Terry Gilliam's Brazil came out slightly less than two years before I was born and the song predates it by 47.

The exact reason Gilliam decided to name his film 'Brazil' is not certain but some say that Gilliam imagined a man in his extremely bureaucratic future society sitting on a shore with an old radio finding solace in the song. However given the extremely patriotic aspects and history of the song, I like to think Gilliam used it in a more troubling manner. The song could very well represent the patriotic propaganda used by the Orwellian government but also the main character, Sam Lowry's means of escaping the horrible world he lives in. His reliance on the song for his fantasy world shows just how entrenched the government is in the lives of its citizens.

The song itself is quite entertaining and its interesting to listen to the many variations of the classic. Here are three of them:

Michael Kamen - Brazil (from the Brazil OST)
Frank Sinatra - Brazil
The Arcade Fire - Brazil

Note: I may have dismissed America's indifference towards the song, however last summer I traveled to England for three days and heard the song on the radio twice. Coincidence? Or do the Brits truly have a greater appreciation for Brazilian fanfare. I have no idea.