Most of Billy’s dreams are fixated on himself being very powerful and in charge of everything. He has his own fantasy country, Ambrosia, of which he is Prime Minister, War Minister, General of the Army, Foreign Minister, etc. For each of his love interest, he has a different fantasy. With Barbara, he has his dream cottage where they are married and have children. However, with Liz, he has his giant model country where they share all the jobs between them.
In the play, we can tell that Billy has these dreams and fantasies, as the actor uses his skill, to say them aloud, as if we are hearing his thoughts, or to act them out. For Example, if he is dreaming about being a general in his army, he may march across the room, etc.
However, in the film, we see his dreams shown in a different way. There is normally a cut scene, and Billy and other characters would be in completely different costume, indicating a major change. The audience will actually be shown Billy’s dream visually shown to us.
Sam Lowry, in “Brazil”, has one major dream which follows different story changes throughout the film. It starts with him being able to fly, and he searches the sky looking for his dream girl, who is dressed in all white, and, I believe, is meant to symbolise some sort of angel he needs to rescues as it takes place high up in the clouds. Further through the play, these dreams slowly turn to nightmares as giant “monsters” turn up, and he has to play the super hero and try to kill the monster in order to save his dream girl. Being the hero starts off in the first few dreams as what he wants to do, but when the hero starts to lose, this is when it starts to disturb him.
Billy finds most of his dreams as a refuge and a comfort to him, for when the real world gets too much for him. However, Sam Lowry finds his dreams quite the opposite towards the end of the film as they become nightmares, and he is very troubled and disturbed by them.
Also, Billy is able to keep control of his dreams, while Sam Lowry soon loses the control of them, and they slip into nightmares and for him, dreams and reality cross over.
Both of the characters take refuge in their dreams and use it as an escape from reality which they find so hard to cope with. What makes the 2 characters different, is the fact that Billy can tell that they are only dreams, whilst Sam loses all control and his reality and dream world, become one giant mess.
In the end of “Billy Liar”, Billy has the choice between his dream world, and going away, to London, with Liz. Billy chooses his dream world, as for him it is much safer, easier and more comfortable. This is quite similar to the ending of “Brazil”, but for one exception. Lowry ends up in his dream world, like Billy, but he has no choice as his dreams turn to nightmares, and the dreams cross-over with reality so much, that he can’t tell what is real and what is fantasy.
