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The Rise and Fall of Ancient EgyptNEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER "Magisterial . . . A] rich portrait of ancient Egypt's complex evolution over the course of three millenniums." Los Angeles Times NAMED ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR BY The Washington Post Publishers Weekly In this landmark volume, one of the world's most renowned Egyptologists tells the epic story of this great civilization, from its birth as the first nation state to its absorption into the Roman Empire. Drawing upon
NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER - "Magisterial . . . A] rich portrait of ancient Egypt's complex evolution over the course of three millenniums."--Los Angeles Times NAMED ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR BYThe Washington Post - Publishers Weekly In this landmark volume, one of the world's most renowned Egyptologists tells the epic story of this great civilization, from its birth as the first nation-state to its absorption into the Roman Empire. Drawing upon forty years of archaeological research, award-winning scholar Toby Wilkinson takes us inside a tribal society with a pre-monetary economy and decadent, divine kings who ruled with all-too-recognizable human emotions. Here are the legendary leaders: Akhenaten, the "heretic king," who with his wife Nefertiti brought about a revolution with a bold new religion; Tutankhamun, whose dazzling tomb would remain hidden for three millennia; and eleven pharaohs called Ramesses, the last of whom presided over the militarism, lawlessness, and corruption that caused a political and societal decline. Filled with new information and unique interpretations, The Rise and Fall of Ancient Egypt is a riveting and revelatory work of wild drama, bold spectacle, unforgettable characters, and sweeping history. "With a literary flair and a sense for a story well told, Mr. Wilkinson offers a highly readable, factually up-to-date account."--The Wall Street Journal " Wilkinson] writes with considerable verve. . . . He] is nimble at conveying the sumptuous pageantry and cultural sophistication of pharaonic Egypt."--The New York Times
Binding Type: Paperback
Publisher: Random House Trade
Published: 01/08/2013
ISBN: 9780553384901
Pages: 656
Weight: 1.64lbs
Size: 9.71h x 5.83w x 1.45d
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4.7 ★★★★★
Based on 6 reviews
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Product Reviews
★★★★★ 5
One Of My Top Ten Movies
It's a Terry Gilliam masterpiece that blends a touch of Monty Python, Twilight Zone, and Broadway! Worth the watch!
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Reviewed in the United States on May 3, 2026
★★★★★ 5
Visually Brilliant, Darkly Funny, and Still Uncomfortably Relevant
I rented Brazil through Amazon primarily because I’d heard it described as a dystopian sci-fi classic, but I wasn’t fully prepared for just how strange, creative, and visually dense this movie actually is. It feels like George Orwell had a stress dream after getting trapped inside a malfunctioning government office building designed by someone obsessed with ducts and paperwork.
The film does an incredible job blending dark comedy, bureaucracy, paranoia, retro-futurism, and outright absurdity into something that somehow still feels coherent. The world-building is fantastic in a very grimy, claustrophobic way where technology exists everywhere but almost none of it works properly. Everything feels intentionally inefficient and overcomplicated, which makes the setting weirdly believable.
Jonathan Pryce does a great job playing a character slowly unraveling under the weight of an increasingly surreal system, and Robert De Niro’s appearance is memorable despite limited screen time. The production design is honestly one of the standout elements of the entire film. Nearly every scene has some strange visual detail happening in the background that adds to the oppressive but oddly humorous atmosphere.
This definitely is not a fast-paced mainstream sci-fi movie, though. The pacing can feel slow at times, and the tone swings between satire, anxiety, fantasy, and bleakness in ways that probably won’t work for everyone. It’s the kind of movie where you occasionally stop and think, “What exactly am I watching?” while still wanting to keep watching.
The Amazon streaming quality itself was good with no playback issues during my rental, and the film benefits from a decent screen because there’s so much visual detail packed into the sets and cinematography.
Overall, Brazil is one of those movies that feels increasingly relevant the older it gets. Strange, unsettling, funny, visually inventive, and much more layered than I expected.
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Reviewed in the United States on May 23, 2026
★★★★★ 4
Beautiful, glorious, and depressing but not without levity
Probably Gilliams most serious film, a story of a dreamer in a dystopian bureaucratic future, plagued by monotony and endless paperwork, our protagonist (played by Jonathan Pryce) isn't sure what he wants in his life, but he knows he wants something different. When the Department of Information Retrieval disappears the wrong person (played by Robert De Niro), our hero goes to reimburse the widow and discovers a woman living in the same building who looks like the woman out of his dreams (played by Kim Greist).
Really stellar performances by Pryce, and a gaggle of supporting actors such as Ian Holm, Michael Palin, Kathrine Helmond, and Bob Hoskins. Greists performance is probably the weakest, but she does enough for the role that the critique of it amounts to a nit pick really.
While this film is considered a cult classic, I would qualify it even less and say its just a classic, full of symbolism with a increasingly repressive tone throughout balanced by Gilliams puncturing, dark humor.
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Reviewed in the United States on September 29, 2024
★★★★★ 5
Classic Terry Gilliam- Watch It!
One of the best Terry Gilliam movies out there. Made in the 1980's, the cast is superb, and it holds up well 40 years on. WAtch it- it's a trip!
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Reviewed in the United States on April 27, 2026
★★★★★ 5
BLU RAY is the 132 minute Original U.S. Theatrical Cut FINALLY!!!!
]
On this Blu-ray for the first time ever we get the ORIGINAL 132 minute version of the film as was shown in U.S. theaters.
(Note: This is NOT the "Love Conquers All" Sheinberg/TV Edit.)
All the DVD releases before this have been the European Version/Director's Cut of the film. Even the original Universal DVD release that said Theatrical Cut on the box actually had the European Version/Director's Cut.
Unfortunately, Universal didn't really spend any time cleaning up the negative for Hi-Definition (there is very noticeable instances of dirt and debris on the negative) but it still beats the image quality found on the Universal SD DVD, and they do include an amazing DTS-HD Master 5.1. We'll just have to wait for the Criterion Blu-ray of Brazil for image perfection but serious fans of Brazil will want to get this Blu-ray edition just to have this version of the film as it was originally seen in theaters in 1985.
I actually find this 132-minute version is in many ways a superior cut of the film. Here are the differences in detail:
*In the 132-minute version you cut from Sam in bed with Jill, police sack goes
over head, then CUT TO Pull off police sack to reveal Sam in Torture
Chamber/Interrogation chair. This one cut is simply brilliant and very powerful.
In the Criterion Version you have the added scene of Mr. Helpman as Father
Christmas (completely out of charcater from the rest of the film) and the whole
interrogation scene of Sam hanging from the rack inside the police/mail pouch
which becomes narratively redundant and dilutes the impact of the final scene.
*To end it with cooling tower/interrogation room fade to clouds was a great Gilliam
wink of subversion and irreverence to the cliche Hollywood Ending. As opposed to
the European cut of just credits over cooling tower/interrogation room.
*The Samurai Scene is divided into 3 separate scenes in the 132-minute version
versus 1 LONG scene in the European cut. And you know what? Like most things,
it works better in 3's.
*The 132-minute version cuts straight to the Dinner Scene with Ida (his mother)
ordering numero deux, trois, etc. while the European version has the entrance to
the restaurant of going through the metal detector which really doesn't add
anything and is again a bit redundant when the bomb does eventually go off in
the restaurant. With the scene, you're signaling to the audience we are looking for a bomb, so we expect a bomb. Without the added scene, the bombing is unexpected and it actually shocks you so you're both horrified and laughing. The unexpectedness also works as it builds upon the bomb motif from the first explosion at the beginning of Brazil during the Ducts advert.
*And finally I just love that the 132-minute version opens on those clouds (outtakes
from The Never-Ending Story) then goes to the Central Services advert about
Ducts: "Are your ducts old-fashioned, out-of-date... " Now the Criterion version
also has the clouds opening (The Original European Cut didn't) but it's funny
because the Studio asked Gilliam to start off with the clouds for the US Cut and he
actually prefers it as quoted in his Director's commentary. Hilarious.
Little changes that add up to a tighter and overall, better film.
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Reviewed in the United States on July 12, 2011