Low-level bureaucrat Sam Lowry escapes the monotony of his day-to-day life through a recurring daydream of himself as a virtuous hero saving a beautiful damsel. Investigating a case that led to the wrongful arrest and eventual death of an innocent man instead of wanted terrorist Harry Tuttle, he meets the woman from his daydream, and in trying to help her gets caught in a web of mistaken identities, mindless bureaucracy and lies.
Production
Practical retro-futurist sets that aged better than actual 1984.
Writing
Satire so sharp it basically predicted our customer service hell.
Cinematography
Dutch angles and cramped frames that trap you with Sam.
Director
Terry Gilliam
Jonathan Pryce
Sam Lowry
Robert De Niro
Harry Tuttle
Katherine Helmond
Mrs. Ida Lowry
Ian Holm
Mr. Kurtzmann
Bob Hoskins
Spoor
Michael Palin
Jack Lint
Ian Richardson
Mr. Warrenn
Peter Vaughan
Mr. Helpmann
Kim Greist
Jill Layton
Jim Broadbent
Dr. Jaffe
Barbara Hicks
Mrs. Alma Terrain
Charles McKeown
Lime
Derrick O'Connor
Dowser
Kathryn Pogson
Shirley
Bryan Pringle
Spiro
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
The film's title comes from an escapist 1930s song, ironically—the very nostalgia Sam uses to escape becomes the film's bitter punchline.
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