The Brazil (1985) Connection

[Silver Nemesis]

I already mentioned the influence of Terry Gilliam's 1985 film Brazil on Batman '89 in one of our site features, but I thought it would be interesting to look at those connections in more depth. For those unfamiliar with Brazil, it's a dystopian science fiction film and black comedy written and directed by Terry Gilliam. I'd describe it as a mixture of Blade Runner, George Orwell's 1984 and Monty Python's Flying Circus. It's definitely a film that needs to be watched multiple times to fully appreciate, as initial viewings can be overwhelming. But those multiple viewings are worth the investment, and I consider Brazil to be Gilliam's best work as a director.

But how is it connected to Burton's Batman? Well, like Burton, Gilliam was influenced by Weimar cinema and specifically German expressionism. The film is set in a dark metropolis full of towering structures that dwarf the citizens with their immensity. Obvious points of comparison for the unnamed British city in Brazil would be Los Angeles in Blade Runner and Neo-Tokyo in Akira. But I think the oppressive atmosphere is closer to Burton's Gotham than either of those cities.

Burton instructed Anton Furst to study Brazil's production design when they were working on Batman '89. He also hired Roger Pratt as DP based on his work on Gilliam's movie. Both Brazil and Burton's Batman films display an expressionist aesthetic that mixes dieselpunk retrofuturism with film noir cinematography.

The visual influence extends to the costume design. Most of the characters in Brazil sport early twentieth century attire that includes fedoras and long overcoats. Similar retro fashions were present in both of Burton's Batman films.

During the fantasy sequences, the protagonist Sam wears an armoured suit featuring a sculpted cuirass and artificial wings. This costume was created by Vin Burnham, who later sculpted Michael Keaton's batsuit for Batman '89.

Incidentally, the costume designer on Brazil was three time Oscar winner James Acheson, who later went on to create Henry Cavill's Superman suit, as well as the costumes for the Sam Raimi Spider-Man films and Ben Affleck's Daredevil.

Like Batman Returns, Brazil takes place at Christmas. The contrast between the bright cheerful decorations and grim oppressive architecture contributes to the nightmarish ambience of both movies.

One final connection to mention is actor and writer Charles McKeown, who plays Harry Lime in Brazil and co-wrote the Oscar-nominated script with Gilliam. McKeown also did uncredited rewrites on the Batman '89 script. I suspect many of the funnier moments in B89 came from his pen.

Can anyone think of any other connections between Brazil and Burton's Batman movies? If so, share them here.