In a highly structured and bureaucratic state, the government has installed extreme and highly counterproductive measures for which to track down terrorists. A "bug" in the system mixes up the last name of a terrorist (Tuttle) and an innocent man (ironically enough Buttle). Thus, the wrong man (Buttle) is arrested and killed while Tuttle continues to roam free. Sam Lowry, an average man with a mother who "knows people", is assigned to investigate the error. At the same time, Jill layton , Buttle's neighbor, is trying to report the mistake to authorities. Due to the extremely inefficient bureaucracy, she finds the process to be very tedious. Meanwhile, Sam Lowry, who has been dreaming about Jill, gets sidetracked by his fantasies and ends up also being a victim of the counter productivity of the government.
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0088846/plotsummary
Brazil , one san say is a commentary on the ultimate dystopian society. Architecture within that dystopian society is very important in the set of this movie. Overall we can say that strong geometric forms are used to evoke the facelessness and brutality of the society. Also, it is curious that none of the characters in the movie are inherently evil or bad, but are instead part of a maniacal system, where they are simply doing their jobs. This is a large part of the impersonation inherent in each individual. It is as if they all recognise a need to play the part articulated by the faceless, evil system that has determined their occupation in society. Sam Lowry, the main character attempts to escape the pattern predetermined for him by society, but cannot be released from its grips, even within his dreams.
The dream sequences in Brazil therefore express the main characters fantasy world, which in the beginning is the opposite of his real life: a Romantic pursuit of an elusive but beautiful woman, flying over rich green fields. These sequences contribute a great deal to character development in the film. They provide an excellent window into the fantasies of Sam Lowry, this outwardly ordinary man, as well as showing insight into Jill Layton (his imagined damsel in distress) and Harry Tuttle (a rogue to the system). The dream sequences are especially important because Lowry is a man who was satisfied to live in the limitless world of his dreams, until parts of that dream world began to appear in his well ordered, but limited life.
The impersonation of the individual as a free organism in this society is the lie that Sam hopes to evade, but is hopelessly trapped in. The masks of the creatures in his dreams and that of his friend who finally tortures him into insanity is of a distorted baby face. These masks pervert the image of childlike innocence or laughter into something macabre and unrelenting. They invert what is the most innocent in humanity into something that would torture and destroy us. The role of the mask is seen most clearly in the scene with Sam in the torturer's chair, where the mask is the face of the societal madness. The alteration of people's faces to look younger is another level of this madness. The women who attempt to make themselves look differently than they do naturally move toward a mask of flesh that is created for them.
The use of masks are therefore key to the idea of impersonation and pretense in this dystopic society. Gilliam presents us with a society who's humanity is quickly fading in preference of an anonymous militaristic force that seeks to cage each person in his allotted square footage.
