Question 3 Ambiguity in Setting

By ambiguously setting his film in a time that can only be described as neither the past, nor the present, Gillam is able to create a setting that is initially confusing, but ultimately just relatable enough to begin to understand.  The Matrix films are full of high tech, visually appealing technology that makes for great special fx, but that are also too alien to comprehend.  The Matrix future is not one that is likely to be realized any time soon. While there are also aspects of an unattainable future in Brazil, there are some aspects that belong firmly in the past, for example, the fact that the bureaucratic government sends mail using large mail tubes.  These aspect allow modern humans a bit of superiority over the futuristic (I think?) people of Brazil (the film, not the country).  Even in 1985, when Brazil came out, mail was not delivered using tubes.  Instead of being in a constant state of awe of the high tech world of most films set in the future, audiences react with confusion.  We take for granted the new age technology of films set in the future, but when no time frame has been given to us and when we see an amalgamation of familiar and unfamiliar aspects within the scenery, we as an audience are forced to think about every aspect individually. As the film plays we formulate possible hypotheses for these seemingly out of place aspects. For example, are the old fashioned mail tubes a commentary on how ineffectual communication in a huge bureaucracy is?