Brazil 4K Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		4.5
Video		4.0
Audio		5.0
Extras		5.0
Overall		4.5

Brazil 4K Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Dr. Svet Atanasov June 4, 2025

Terry Gilliam's "Brazil" (1985) arrives on 4K Blu-ray courtesy of Criterion. The supplemental features on the release include audio commentary with Terry Gilliam; archival documentary produced by Rob Hedden; various archival materials; alternate version of the film; and a lot more. In English, with optional English SDH subtitles for the main feature. Region-Free.

Sam Lowry, the main protagonist in Terry Gilliam’s Brazil, lives in an industrial world where privacy is a thing of the past. He is a loner without any friends who dreams a lot -- even when he is awake. Most of the time, his dreams are so vivid that he has an incredibly difficult time telling whether what he experiences is real or a product of his imagination.

His world is monitored and controlled by intelligent computers that have everyone’s personal information. The computers are controlled by an elite group of bureaucrats, who are protected by leather-clad soldiers equipped with ultrasophisticated weapons. No one questions their authority. The few brave souls that occasionally do are quickly eliminated.

The agency that employs Sam collects and processes all of the data that goes into the computers. He is a low-level employee there who makes sure that everything runs smoothly, without errors. He likes his job because it maintains a steady rhythm in his life.

One day, Sam discovers that one of the agency’s computers has made an error which has resulted in the elimination of an innocent man -- Archibald Buttle. The last name of the man that should have been eliminated, a criminal with a long record, is Tuttle (Robert De Niro). Sam quickly informs his boss (Ian Holm) and he authorizes a refund check. While delivering the check to Buttle’s widow, Sam encounters the stunningly beautiful Jill Layton (Kim Greist), who looks a lot like the girl he has been spending time with in his dreams. When he attempts to find out more about her, his life spirals out of control.

Brazil is not an easy film to categorize. It seems fairly lighthearted at times, but it is loaded with prophetic messages that have predicted a lot of things right. For example, Gilliam’s vision of a future world where privacy essentially no longer exists and data could be instantly manipulated is simply fascinating because our personal data is already stored in computers operated by different agencies. We are what the data tells we are.

There is also that maddening suspense element that reminds of Orson Welles’ The Trial, another great prophetic film that gets many things right. Even after the final credits roll, it feels like there is still a lot left to deconstruct because the fine line that separates reality and the colorful dreams is practically erased.

Two more great films that Brazil has plenty in common with are Michael Radford’s 1984 and Rainer Werner Fassbinder's World on a Wire. The former is a much darker film, but its observations about an inevitable totalitarian future are very much in sync with those that emerge in Brazil. The latter has similar subversive themes. Brazil lacks the depth and complexity of Fassbinder’s film, but it compensates for them with an abundance of spectacular visuals.

Gilliam cowrote the screenplay with Tom Stoppard (Fassbinder’s Despair) and Charles McKeown (Liliana Cavani’s Ripley's Game). The fantastic production designs were created by Norman Garwood (Steven Spielberg’s Hook).

*Criterion’s Blu-ray release presents two versions of Brazil: the longer director’s cut, which is approximately 143 minutes long, and the alternate "Love Conquers All" version, which is approximately 94 minutes long. The latter was created under the direction(s) of former Universal boss Sid Sheinberg, who wanted a more commercial cut of the film.

Brazil 4K Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Criterion's release of Brazil is a 4K Blu-ray/two-disc Blu-ray combo pack. The 4K Blu-ray is Region-Free. However, the two Blu-rays are Region-A "locked".

Please note that all screencaptures included with this article are taken from the 4K Blu-ray and downscaled to 1080p. Therefore, they do not accurately reflect the quality of the 4K content on the 4K Blu-ray.

The following text appears inside the booklet provided with this release:

"Supervised and approved by director Terry Gilliam, the new 4K restoration presented on the 4K Blu-ray disc was created from the 35mm original camera negative. A 35mm interpositive was also used to include a few shots to create this director's cut. The 2.0 surround soundtrack was remastered from the 35mm magnetic track. Please be sure to enable Dolby Pro Logic on your receiver to properly play the 2.0 surround soundtrack.

Mastering supervisors: Lee Kline, Giles Sherwood.
Colorist: Greg Fisher/Company 3, London.
Image restoration: Prasad Corporation, Burbank, CA.
Audio restoration: The Criterion Collection."

Brazil entered the Criterion Collection with this Blu-ray release in 2012. I still have it in my library and think that it offers a good presentation of the film. However, even in 2012, it was easy to tell that it was sourced from an older master with limitations. The same presentation is offered on the Blu-ray included in this combo pack.

In native 4K, the new 4K restoration can be viewed with Dolby Vision and HDR grades. I chose to view it in its entirety with Dolby Vision, but also sampled various areas of it with HDR.

Brazil has a dramatically healthier and much more attractive appearance now. The gap in quality between the new and older presentations is routinely so big, I do not think that a large screen is needed to instantly recognize and appreciate the superiority of the former. Indeed, there are substantial improvements in all major areas we address in our reviews -- delineation, clarity, depth, and color reproduction. Many different parts of the film easily convey far better density levels, too. As a result, virtually all of the darker footage, which is a lot, boasts clearer, tighter, and ultimately more pleasing visuals with wonderful organic qualities. (One of the biggest weaknesses of the previous presentation was its tendency to produce noisy visuals from the same darker footage). Some density fluctuations are retained -- see the clouds in the dream sequence in the very beginning -- but they are different fluctuations that are part of a stylistic preference. Also, various primaries and supporting nuances have vastly improved saturation levels. I think that a few are a tad warmer now, but the overall balance is right and there are no distracting anomalies. Also, in native 4K, the color palette is expanded, so there are some new ranges of supporting nuances, many of which help the darker footage quite a bit by further strengthening the dynamic range. The Dolby Vision grade is gentle and effective. However, I tested some parts, mostly darker footage again, without it and liked a lot what I saw there, too. There are no traces of problematic digital corrections. The entire presentation looks spotless as well. In summary, I think that folks who have patiently waited for Brazil to be redone, either in 4K or 2K, will be enormously satisfied with its transition to 4K Blu-ray.

Brazil 4K Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

There is only one standard audio track on the 4K Blu-ray: English DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0. Optional English SDH subtitles are provided for the main feature.

Before I sat down to view Brazil on 4K Blu-ray, I wondered whether it may have been a good idea to give it a new Atmos track. However, I must say that the 2.0 track is outstanding, so the more exotic dream sequences and action material can be pretty impressive. (In 2014, I had a different audio system, so the upgrade is certainly a factor as well). Unsurprisingly, the 2.0 track is very healthy, too.

Brazil 4K Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

4K BLU-RAY DISC

• Commentary - Terry Gilliam recorded this audio commentary exclusively for Criterion in 1996. It offers a lot of interesting information about the genesis of Brazil, its visual style and how it was influenced by other films, its narrative construction and various messages that channeled through it, the conception of its characters, etc. The commentary has appeared on various other Blu-ray and DVD releases of Brazil.

BLU-RAY DISC ONE

• Commentary - Terry Gilliam recorded this audio commentary exclusively for Criterion in 1996. It offers a lot of interesting information about the genesis of Brazil, its visual style and how it was influenced by other films, its narrative construction and various messages that channeled through it, the conception of its characters, etc. The commentary has appeared on various other Blu-ray and DVD releases of Brazil.

BLU-RAY DISC TWO

• The "Love Conquers All Version" - presented here is the alternate "Love Conquers All" version of Brazil, which is approximately 94 minutes long. The version was created under the direction(s) of former Universal boss Sid Sheinberg, who wanted a more commercial cut of the film. It includes various alternate takes, new footage, and dialog. With optional commentary by Brazil expert David Morgan. (94 min, 1080i).

• What is "Brazil"? - in this archival documentary produced by Rob Hedden, Terry Gilliam, editor Julian Doyle, co-writer Tom Stoppard, co-writer Charles McKeown, co-producer Patrick Cassavetti, and actors Jonathan Pryce, Katherine Helmond, Kim Greist and Michael Palin, among others, discuss Brazil is and its message. In English, not subtitled. (30 min).

• The Production Notebook - in this archival documentary produced by Rob Hedden, Terry Gilliam, editor Julian Doyle, co-writer Tom Stoppard, co-writer Charles McKeown, co-producer Patrick Cassavetti, and actors Jonathan Pryce, Katherine Helmond, Kim Greist and Michael Palin, among others, discuss Brazil is and its message. In English, not subtitled. (30 min).

• What is "Brazil"? - in this archival documentary produced by Rob Hedden, Terry Gilliam, editor Julian Doyle, co-writer Tom Stoppard, co-writer Charles McKeown, co-producer Patrick Cassavetti, and actors Jonathan Pryce, Katherine Helmond, Kim Greist and Michael Palin, among others, discuss Brazil is and its message. In English, not subtitled. (30 min).

• The Production Notebook - a collection of original documents, storyboards, photographs, and interviews compiled by Criterion and Brazil expert David Morgan.
  
  1. We're All in it Together: The Brazil Screenwriters - Terry Gilliam, Charles McKeown, and Tom Stoppard discuss the screenplay of Brazil. (11 min).
  
  2. Dreams Unfulfilled: Unfilmed Brazil Storyboards - a collection of nine storyboards by Terry Gilliam with an introduction. These storyboards have been animated and include narration by David Morgan. (22 min).
  
  -- Introduction
  -- The Eyeballs
  -- The Storeroom of Knowledge
  -- The Cages
  -- The Stone Ship
  -- The Fall
  -- The Samurai
  -- The Sky Cube
  -- The Forces of Darkness
  
  3. Designing Brazil - a visual essay by David Morgain focusing on the style and look of Brazil. Also included are audio excerpts from interviews with director Terry Gilliam, production designer Norman Garwood, costume designer James Acheson, etc. (21 min).
  
  4. Flights of Fantasy: Brazil's Special Effects - in this visual essay, David Morgan discusses the special effects in Brazil. Also included is an excerpt from an audio interview with second unit director and visual effects specialist Julian Doyle. (10 min).
  
  5. Fashion and Fascism: James Acheson on Brazil's Costume Design - designer James Acheson discusses Brazil's costumes. Also included are original design sketches and research materials. (7 min).
  
  6. Brazil's Score - director Terry Gilliam and composer Michael Kamen discuss the genesis of Brazil's score. The interviews were conducted by Criterion in 1996. (10 min).

• The Battle of Brazil: A Video History - an in-depth look at the controversy surrounding Brazil's U.S. release, with Terry Gilliam, producer Arnon Milchan, and studio executives Frank Price, Marvin Antonowsky, Bob Rehme, and Sidney Sheinberg. The documentary was produced by Criterion in 1996 and based on Jack Mathews' book The Battle of "Brazil". (56 min).
  
  -- Introduction
  -- The Filmmakers
  -- Cannes, 1983
  -- The Executives
  -- Mr. Gilliam and Mr. Sheinberg
  -- Guerrilla Tactics
  -- Clandestine Screenings.
  -- Release

• Trailer - an original trailer for Brazil. In English, not subtitled. (3 min).

ADDITIONAL CONTENT

• Booklet - 20-page illustrated booklet featuring critic David Sterritt's essay "A Great Place to Visit, Wouldn't Want to Live There", as well as technical credits.

Brazil 4K Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

How close are we to the dystopian future that is revealed in Brazil? Global AI juggernauts have already developed ultrasophisticated facial recognition and data collection systems, and some of the best among them, like Palantir Technologies, are openly promoting their relationship with intelligence agencies. The rest of the math is easy. So, Brazil gets a lot of things right, even in its most outlandish prophecies, about the inevitable emergence of the ultimate authoritarian state. Criterion's combo pack introduces a fabulous new 4K restoration of Brazil, available only on the 4K Blu-ray, that is guaranteed to thrill its fans. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.