La Jetee/Brazil

I will try to be brief, because there are a lot of film pairings I still need to get through. This does not mean that these aren't great films, or worth my time for lengthy analysis, quite the opposite, in fact. Brazil, for example, has been a favorite of mine for nearly a decade. The correlation between La Jetee and Brazil may not be too apparent, but it's the former that influenced the director of Brazil to make a full-length film of La Jetee under the name Twelve Monkeys.

La Jetee is unique in that it hearkens back to the zoetrophe days of film making. It's rudimentary, but compelling. It's the frames cut and strung together that make the story of a man from the future underground after the devastation of world war three being sent to the past before the outbreak of the war, where he falls in love with a woman, and through several jumps back to the future, and the even further future, he finally goes back to the past where he searches for the woman, and ends up being killed before his own (as a young boy) eyes. The black and white photography is nice, and the photos of the injections nauseating. It is a slow paced movie, and almost runs like a documentary. The plot is refreshing, and unique, but the film itself is forgettable. The literal moving pictures don't make it a lasting picture. The power of Twelve Monkeys, coupled with the pandemic make it a more commercial, and better film, but even it bows down to the inspiration. There's no question La Jetee is influencial, but it is equally obscure.

*1/2

I first watched Brazil a little less than a decade ago, because a good friend of mine loved it from his childhood, and convinced me to watch it. It is directed by Terry Gilliam the unique glue and only American Python. It was co-written by Gilliam and Tom Stoppard, whose unique, often twisted humor coupled with satirical and surreal elements offer up a unique screenplay that was nominated for best original screenplay at the Oscars. It's a dystopia of hilarious proportions, whose alternate title was 1984 1/2, if that does tell you what this film could be, then, 1) you're an idiot, but really 2) watching the film will.

Actually, this film doesn't make too much sense to the casual movie-goer, or one not typically aware of dystopian films, but it is truly a complex and rich film. It is filled with little nuggets, Easter eggs, little visual gags, cunning word play. It runs the gamut of human emotion. In short, this film has everything. You don't go five minutes without something unexpected and wonderful happening. The dream sequences are surreal, the real life sequences are equally surreal. Gilliam does what he does best: makes an enjoyable film with surprises at every corner. This film has very little symbolism, yet its themes are very relatable even today. The themes of bureaucracy, terrorism, and love transcend eras in time. Gilliam's use of dutch angles, low angles, and overhead shots, make the viewer a little disoriented, as if they are watching their own fever dream. The music sticks with you, as does the imagery of the film. It really is one of the best films of the 80s, and has stuck with me. I find new things every time I watch it. It still remains one of my favorite movies. And the ending, one of the greatest ending in all of cinema. It is a real treat. It's all genre encompassing, including film noir, screwball comedy, drama, action, and comedy. What it is above all is satisfying. I can't recommend this movie enough to people that want to watch a good and quirky film. But Brazil is more than quirky, or weird, or surreal, or bizarre. It is a 143-minute trip of futuristic fun. Play it again, Sam!


****1/2