Terry Gilliam’s “Brazil” was a regular little hurricane of controversy when it was first released in theaters in 1985; and now, reproduced on laserdisc for the first time in the United States in its full, European version, it has become the centerpiece of an exceptional example of laserdisc packaging.
In a handsome boxed set, “Brazil” (Criterion Collection CC1348L, five discs, letterboxed, $124.95) is not too far away from being what its promotion calls “the ultimate special edition.”
Besides a gleaming transfer of the complete 142-minute feature, the set boasts about seven hours of supplemental material covering almost every aspect of the film’s stormy history.
The battle between Gilliam and MCA/Universal over the film’s length and content was a major sideshow of the 1985 movie season, ending when the studio caved in to pressure against its truncated version of the dark futuristic comedy and reluctantly released a longer “American” version of 131 minutes that Gilliam had edited.
Gilliam goes over this territory in a nervous, high-pitched commentary, both on an alternate soundtrack with the movie and in a fascinating new one-hour talking heads documentary that corrals many of the principal players and has them relate the events of the spat. It’s a classic “them-against-us” dispute, with the talented, flamboyant Gilliam, who must have been a pain to handle, pitched against the businessmen “suits” of Universal.
Other filmed and taped segments feature reports on the script by authors Gilliam, playwright Tom Stoppard and writer-actor Charles McKewon; a “making of” documentary produced at the time of filming, and an extended interview with composer Michael Kamen.
Also contained in the package are storyboards, analyses of the movie’s scenic and costume designs, a detailed charting of the script’s development and thousands of production stills. Topping everything off is the studio’s 94-minute cut, the happy-ending “Love Conquers All” version, with alternate track commentary, which provides a textbook example of how editing can change a story’s meaning.
This kind of “extra added attraction” special edition, now fairly common in American laserdiscs, also can be seen in the lavish Hong Kong fantasy-action film of “The Bride with White Hair” (Tai Seng, two discs, letterboxed, $69.95), which has several theatrical trailers and a brief “making of” documentary. The movie itself can be viewed either with dubbed English dialogue, or with clear English subtitles supplementing the Cantonese version.
Meanwhile, out this month in crisp new black and white laserdisc transfers are two memorable films of the past: “The Entertainer” (Criterion Collection 1464L, $49.95), with Laurence Olivier repeating his acclaimed stage role in author John Osborne’s angry drama, and “Roman Holiday” (Paramount Home Video LV6204-R, $39.98), the 1953 romance with Audrey Hepburn in her enchanting, Oscar-winning role as a princess who falls in love with a commoner newspaperman (Gregory Peck).
Laser alert: The Laser Disc Road Show, a traveling promotional jamboree designed to highlight the advantages of the format, lands in the Chicago area this weekend, from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Friday and Saturday at QED Laser Entertainment, 502 E. Ogden Ave., Westmont.
Producers and manufacturers’ representatives will be on hand to boost their hardware and software. In addition, QED is selling laserdisc players with hefty discounts and offering 25 percent off on laserdiscs.
