1984 + 1/2, or 2013..? Fact or Fiction

Film: Brazil (1985 - Original Cut)

Uh, how many different films did I just watch, because I swear that there are at least 3 different plots simultaneously progressing in an interwoven matrix of intentionally created confusion?  Okay, now that I have regurgitated that out I can focus on the objective at hand, and that is the eerily close prediction of the future that Terry Gilliam has accomplished in this film; granted, many aspects are over-dramatized but the underlying foundation is quite accurate none the less.

In the film, there is a terrorist bombing campaign (versus the government) that has been going on for 13 years, and there doesn’t seem to be any kind of notion that it is close to resolution.  This is something that I could go on-and-on about with our present situation, with so-called terrorist organizations located all over the globe with the “intent to harm the United States.”  In this film, it is asked, “How many terrorists have you met Sam, actual terrorists? (time: 94:54)” -a notion that seems to be gaining sentiment across our nation today.  We are constantly told (by higher authorities…) to be aware (and scared) of something that the majority of the population cannot relate to.  Since terrorism is such a small faction type of resistance, how can we attribute large scale fear to it? But we do, and it has overwhelming affected our entire way of life, example:  When was the last time you went through an airport..?  This fear that is instilled into the general population, by means of governmental influence, is just a means within itself to control populations that then, in turn, are willing to consistently give up their own personal freedoms for a false sense of security in return. 

                False sense of security; this brings me to my next point.  I found it very intriguing that when a bomb exploded in the film, most of the people (that were not injured…) just go about their business like nothing ever happened (time: 22:12).  I find that many people do this today; they live with their heads in the sand, blissfully ignorant of the matters at hand.  For instance (very small scale…), when one of those Sarah McLachlan animal abuse commercials comes on, how many people actually sit through the commercial and then contribute, and how many people rush to the remote and switch the channel instantly because they don’t want to accept (acknowledge..?) the fact that this form of abuse happens regularly, and quite possibly, right next door to where you live..?  Most people change the channel; they would rather be blissfully ignorant of the facts rather than face them, again voluntarily living with their heads in the sand.

                Lastly, I would like to address the propaganda's throughout the film that encourage a “better safe than sorry” type of position.  We can see this quite regularly in our world today.  How many billboards have you seen around St. Louis advocating anonymous tip lines and to be a “Crime-stopper?”  They are everywhere in the city and county alike.  Our society is bred to believe that in order to be “good,” someone must be just, but what happens when the laws that govern are unjust..? 

MTG