Watching the Brazilmen

Watched Terry Gilliam's Brazil for the first time in years last night. Goddamn screwy movie. Its 1984 mixed with Stoppard and Surrealism (More Migrette than Dali). I enjoyed its satire of beaucracy more than its 'dreams of escape' subtexts.

It seemed to make far more sense this time around than the first two times I watched it. Perhaps thats because I could see what was happening, thanks to a superlative DVD transfer or simply because I'm older (or both).

It's not a amazingly great film but it is a masterpiece... if you can understand how the two are different things.

(Hint: A masterpiece is traditionally, a work made by an artisan to represent their evolution from being a journeyman into a master).

Speaking of masterpieces, I've been reading Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons' the Watchmen. I'm only up to issue four but I'm enjoying it immensely. The artwork has a wonderful cinematic feel despite being only four colour (an artistic decision which I think works well) . We'll see where it goes before I decide whether it is truly a masterpiece or whether every other comic book aficiando is just plain nuts.