IT’S ONLY A STATE OF MIND.

In a totalitarian society, a mixed-up identity haunts a low-level government employee (Jonathan Pryce), who also meets a woman (Kim Greist) he falls for. Terry Gilliam’s most lauded film is a dystopian satire attacking an authoritarian bureaucracy. Obviously echoes of Kafka here – and Monty Python, as in a hilariously absurd scene where a dinner conversation continues undisturbed during a bombing. The dark production design, blending old and new, creates a feeling of timelessness. But as in other Gilliam ventures, the story feels like it isn’t really moving in spite of the frenetic pace and many rich details.

1985-U.S.-Britain. 131 min. Color. Directed by Terry Gilliam. Screenplay: Terry Gilliam, Tom Stoppard, Charles McKeown. Cinematography: Roger Pratt. Production Design: Norman Garwood. Cast: Jonathan Pryce (Sam Lowry), Kim Greist (Jill Layton), Robert De Niro (Archibald ”Harry” Tuttle), Katherine Helmond, Ian Holm, Bob Hoskins… Michael Palin, Ian Richardson, Jim Broadbent.

BAFTA: Best Production Design, Special Visual Effects. 

IMDb