Ideology and Brazil (Terry Guiliam)

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Kristine Schӧfmann Student No: 201110379 Date: 17th June. 2013 1st Year Film - Degree City Varsity Film Appreciation Ideology and “Brazil” In this essay I will discuss the film Brazil (1985) directed by Terry Gilliam and I will be analysing the communicated marxist ideology in the film and how the film addresses and comments implicitly on the dominant American ideology. I believe that this film attacks the capitalist system in a Marxist manner. The whole film is a satirical metaphor for the system or the state. He does this by showing us Sam Lowry who represents the individual who versus the state. Another representative from the film is Tuttle, a repairs man, who quits his job working for the state because of the paperwork and is therefore seen as a terrorist of the state. In addition Guilliam depicts the way that people have accepted their “place” in the hierarchy of society without questioning it. How social relations overpower capability and efficiency concerning achieving something in life. That there are a few people who are the elitists who dominate the ideal lifestyle and are in charge of the working class, manipulating them to work harder, giving them hope of reaching the “American Dream”. Sam Lowry’s mother insistantly attempts to set Sam up with a promotion that he does not want. He has no skills to take the job but everyone insists he accept the promotion. This proves that the working class is controlled by the enforced ideology of the dominant group in power that one must aspire to work hard for the state in order to move up the hierarchy ladder and thus be “noticed” and have more power and be respected by society. Interesting is the way that Gilliam depicts that when Sam Lowry does accept the job at the Ministry of Information retrieval, he becomes something resembling a prisoner: receiving a miniscule office in a cement structure and a
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