Plot summary

In his vivid dreams, Sam Lowry, a meek low-level bureaucrat working in the oppressive Ministry of Information, becomes a dauntless hero, rescuing a helpless damsel in distress. But, when a fateful mistake results in the arrest of an innocent, instead of the suspected terrorist, Harry Tuttle, the desperate attempt to right a wrong will lead to a chance encounter with a mysterious young woman, just like the one in Sam's recurring illusions. Now, more and more, as the suffocating stranglehold of the ever-present Kafkaesque state tightens, Lowry finds himself in harm's way. Is there an escape from this dismal future world?—Nick Riganas