Brazil, one ofTerry Gilliam’s best movies, was ahead of its time. Its postmodern spin on the work ofGeorge Orwellthrough the wringer of Gilliam’s sharp sense of humor made the film indelible in 1985. Since its release, it hasonly grown in estimation among the public. Gilliam’s film is something you have to see once. In the film’s post-production stage, the director faced a stand-off with his bosses at Universal Pictures, threatening its theatrical release. UntilBrazilstarRobert De Nirostepped in, thefilm was close to being shelved by the studio.
A bureaucrat in a dystopic society becomes an enemy of the state as he pursues the woman of his dreams.
Terry Gilliam’s Sharp Cinematic Style Shapes ‘Brazil’
Before his foray into feature filmmaking,Terry Gilliam belonged to the Monty Pythoncomedy troupe, along with the likes ofJohn CleeseandEric Idle. Gilliam was the only American-born member of the legendary comedy team. He blended the group’s acerbic wit into his solo directorial career, whichprimarily focused on themes of dystopia and authoritarianism, andcreated a distinct visual languagethat consisted of psychedelic imagery and fantastical elements. With films such asTime Bandits,The Fisher King,12 Monkeys, andFear and Loathing in Las Vegas, Gilliam elevated himself to a class of prestige filmmaking while never bailing from his core roots of tragicomedy.
No Terry Gilliam movie best exemplifieshis artistic voice quite likeBrazil. The film, starringJonathan Pryce, Monty Python alumMichael Palin,Katherine Helmond, andBob Hoskins, follows a low-ranking bureaucrat, Sam Lowry (Pryce), who works a menial job, and searches for a mysterious woman in his dreams. Set in a dystopia heavily reliant on industrial machinery,Brazilis indebted to Orwellian texts, particularlyNineteen Eighty-Four. Before critics and audiences ever embraced Gilliam’s twisted and Kafkaesque outlook of the future,Brazilneeded to be seen by the public,which was an arduous process for Gilliam.
What Was the Feud Between Terry Gilliam and Universal Pictures?
As a guest onThe Hollywood Reporter’s podcastIt Happened in Hollywood,Gilliam sat down to discussthe tumultuous stand-off that manifested between him and the studio behindBrazil, Universal Pictures.“The studio did not like the movie at all,”Gilliam revealed. Emphasizing his disdain for the film, the head of Universal at the time,Sid Sheinberg, personally told Gilliam that he hated the picture, specifically the ending, which did not satisfy traditional norms of “happy endings,” according to aWashington Poststory. Sheinberg demanded that Gilliam make drastic alterations to the final cut. If not,Brazilwould never see the light of day. ALos Angeles Timesstoryreported that he was willing to accept a loss on its $9 million investment in the film. Sheinberg, who shopped the film to other distributors, claimed thatBrazilhad a commercial potential of “something close to zero.” Gilliam, who demonstrates artistic bravado with his films, was not going to stand down lightly in the face of his bosses at Universal.
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“We can’t fight them with lawyers. Let’s go about it a different way.” Gilliam recalled on the podcast. His course of action led him to take out a full-page ad inVariety, which read, “Dear Sid Sheinberg: When are you going to release my film,Brazil?” signed Gilliam. The directorposted a clipping of the magazine pageon his Instagram account. There is no turning back after a maneuver of this valiance. This ostensibly called for a distribution war between Gilliam and Sheinberg, with the former remarking “That’s when the shit hit the fan.” According to Gilliam, Universalwould go to any lengths to prevent the release ofBrazil. In theWashington Poststory, Gilliam attributes this desperate move to “sheer frustration. We didn’t seem to have any other weapons,” he said.
Regardless of the pressure from Sheinberg and the studio, Gilliam refused to back down. His next step was to put a call-out to “honest, decent journalists” who were interested in seeing the shelved film. Critics werebussed to Mexico to catch a screening. Despite the studio’s issues withBrazil, it was distributed internationally, specifically in European nations, where it was well-received. At this point, direct communication between Gilliam and Sheinberg ceased.Jack Matthews, a reporter for theL.A. Times, mediated between the two parties. However, it wasn’t untilBrazilstar Robert De Niro, who played the terrorist plumber Harry Tuttle, stepped up and saved the fate of Gilliam’s film.
Robert De Niro Helped Terry Gilliam During Press
The Killers of the Flower Moonactoris notoriously press-shy and taciturn, and far more likely to express passion over hot-buttoned political issues than the art of acting. Upon hearing thatBrazilwas being held hostage, De Niro (who initiallywanted to play Michael Palin’s role, Jack Lint) volunteered to appear onGood Morning America. The ABC program had been eyeing De Niro for a while, so he used his cachet to spread the word of the film’s existence. In a segment hosted byMaria Shriver, Gilliam would appear alongside De Niro. Shriver turned to Gilliam and said, “I understand you’re having a problem with the studio.”
Gilliam would clarify Shriver’s point. “I’m having a problem with one man. His name is Sid Sheinberg, and he looks like this,” he announced while holding up a picture of Sheinberg. This outrageous public display inspired more private screenings of the film for critics. Furthermore, theLos Angeles Film Critics Association discovered a bylawthat confirmed that a film didn’t have to be released to qualify for awards. The group eventually handedBrazilawards for screenplay, directing, and Best Picture, upsetting Universal’s ownOut of Africa. Sheinberg’s hand was forced. After its uproarious critical acclaim,Brazilfinally received a theatrical release on July 21, 2025.
In the end, the film community appreciates Terry Gilliam’s brave efforts to getBrazil, which is often regarded as his masterpiece, in theaters. The feud between Gilliam and Sid Sheinberg and Universal Studiosembodies the conflict between art and commerce.Studios’ preference towards the bottom dollar is even more pressing today, as films are viewed more as property than artistic works. In the most extreme cases, films are never released for tax write-off purposes, as seen with Warner Bros shelvingBatgirl. Additionally, it is tough to imagine theBrazildrama heading in the director’s favor without the aid of Robert De Niro, as the power of the movie star is unparalleled.De Niro standing up for an artistin Gilliam against the domineering presence of studio executives was admirable. All movie stars ought to deploy their cachet to this degree.
Brazilis available to rent on Prime Video in the U.S.
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