"suspicion breeds confidence"

Watched Brazil last night, one of my favourite films.

I haven't watched it in almost 7 years, and was amazed at how much of it felt so contemporary, so much like Dubya-era political satire. The random terrorist bombings. The governmental paranoia, ruthlessness, and stifling bureaucracy that violently and unapologetically tramples human rights -- and the government using the random terrorist bombings to justify it. Society's self-destructive obsession with youth and appearance. The slogans. (I think of Guantanamo when I see the posters on the walls in Gilliam's dystopic offices that say things like "Trust in haste, regret at leisure" with an image of a man behind bars.) Interesting to note that many on the political right have instead concluded that Brazil is about the oppression of communism.

I say, same diff. Let's point fingers, sure, but let's not just point one. The movie is about how power corrupts, how governments of any stripe can get right out of control, can turn into narcissistic psychopathic orgies, how easy it is for truth and justice to be subverted in the name of truth and justice. It's also so fabulously darkly funny.

Have you seen it?