Brazil Discussion 5/13
May 12, 2008 Brazil Discussion- The Visualization of Nietzsche
Andrew D. Whitacre
May 13, 2008
The film “Brazil” features the portrayal of a dystopic, autocratic regime seemingly concentrated in the fictional “Ministry of Information.” The action of the film, and the interaction of the main characters, stems from a botched execution of the criminal law. Instead of arresting and violently interrogating the “terrorist” Archibald Tuttle, the innocent working class Archibald Buttle is subjected to the implicitly coercive tactics of the Department of Information Retrieval (this leads to Buttle’s death). This sparks the entry of Department of Records employee Sam Lowry, who is madly in love with a “terrorist” woman living in the building of the deceased Buttle. The film permits the viewer to be placed in the perspective of Sam as he discovers the inner workings of the government in which he is employed, and comes to recognize the decaying and absurd nature of the society in which he resides. The film “Brazil” illustrates many of Nietzsche’s concerns over modernity, primarily through the eyes of the protagonist Sam Lowry.
The Nietzschian idea that modernity represents an “age of nihilism, [occurring] when the beliefs which had seemed to give meaning to existence had been irrevocably undermined, and human beings were left only with a series of shallow practices…which no longer made sense.”(p. 897) Sam Lowry’s world is filled with practices and customs that lack meaning, including the absurd pervasiveness of tubes and constantly malfunctioning machines, the excessive societal obsession with bureaucratic paperwork without accomplishing a conceivable end, the comical length to which persons will go in order to improve their physical appearance, and the focus on trivial aspects of life (at one point Sam is told that he should plead guilty and take punishment from the government because if he does not, his credit score will be damaged). Sam Lowry’s lack of ambition, as well as his colleagues lack of ambition illustrated through their preference to watch television than work, further demonstrates the lack of meaning in their world. The dystopic society represented in Brazil is indicative of this nihilistic modern state described by Nietzsche, the film through its style of black comedy and satire, continually portrays a society lacking any underlying purpose that provides human existence with any meaning.
Instead of escaping this nihilistic state of affairs, Nietzsche argues that nihilism should be embraced. In the embrace of nihilism, of the mortality of mankind, Nietzsche envisions two appropriate responses to this realization, comedy and tragedy. Sam embraces this ability to “laugh at disaster… [the practice of facing] despair and transform[ing] it into a thing of beauty,”(p. 898) by escaping reality and transforming it into a dream sequence. The end scene in which he envisions his rescue by Tuttle and his escape to a utopian existence clearly represents a Nietzschian embrace of nihilism, by evading the meaningless state of existence by “transform[ing] it into a thing of beauty.”(Id.) Sam Lowry’s transition into a state of insanity is a characterization of moving beyond morality and producing a pseudo art, consisting in beauty and the prevalence of aesthetically valuable surroundings. The insanity of Sam Lowry is an extreme illustration of Nietzsche’s belief that art gives meaning to human existence, and that “the greatest work of art is not a statue or a play, but a human life itself.” (p. 898)
“Brazil” is an illustration, taken to an absurd level, of Nietzschian modernity. The film’s protagonist grapples with the nihilism that is inevitable in his society, this realization eventually accounts for his insanity. The style of the film mirrors much of the darkly comedic tones utilized in Nietzsche’s writings, often incorporating sarcasm and extreme examples in order to convey their arguments. Instead of representing a portrayal of a futuristic totalitarian government, the film instead is a portrayal of both the current and previous generations, the one in which Nietzsche was highly critical of and the filmmaker shares that criticism towards the generation in which the film was made.
Discussion Questions:
1.) Does Jill lend meaning to Sam’s life, or does she represent a Nietzschian visualization of artistic beauty? What is the filmmaker attempting to portray by the inclusion of her character, is the character a visualized or actual person?
2.) There seems to be a lack of morality in “Brazil”, does this contribute to the state of nihilism, or is there another explanation?
3.) Is the society a state in which Nietzschian ideas would embrace or is it a state that Nietzsche would be critical of?
4.) Would Nietzsche be equally critical to modern society as he was to the society in which he lived?
