The Boys from Brazil

Old veterans Gregory Peck, Laurence Olivier and James Mason team up in this well-constructed and absorbing thriller. The plot sounded so bizarre that I had to check the film out. Although there is some choppy editing and cartoonish acting, "The Boys from Brazil" makes for a good viewing.

This is such a classic piece of mystery drama, it's inconceivable that it's not better known. A late seventies film starring the cream of cinema from 20 years earlier, this follows a Nazi plot (in the present day) and the efforts of a Nazi hunter to put the pieces together. The elements include a number of apparently unrelated children, a decades-old plot, a series of murders, Josef Mengele, and a short appearance by one `Steven' Guttenberg, in an early film role. When you finally realise what has been going on, it ups the stakes dramatically. Well worth seeking out.

Based on Ira Levin (Rosemary's baby)'s readable novel , this is an exciting thriller about The Doctor "Joseph Méngüele", (Gregory Peck), known member of the Nazi party German, and cruel medic of the concentration camp of Auschwitz . He escaped and pursued by the Mossad took refuge in Paraguay and Brazil after the fall of the Third Reich. There in South America get together a group of young people, militants of the Third Reich, to work in a strange issue in which he can proceed their repugnant experiments. Menguele attempts to reconstitute the Nazi movement from his Brazilian sanctuary cloning of boys' genes . A young American, "Barry Kohler" (Steven Guttemberg), contact with the Nazi hunter "Ezra Liebermann" ,( a Simon Wiesental-alike ,magnificently played by Laurence Olivier) , helped by his sister (Lilli Palmer), who begin to investigate and discover the horrible plan of "Méngüele .

The storyline based on genetic engineering resulted to be revolutionary for its day , so it was a mythical picture in its time, and had too much impact , his importance lies mostly in its scientist approach . At that time cloning was on initial developing and Ira Levin was the first author who wrote about this sensational and dangerous scientific discovery , almost science-fiction with moral dilemma included. The screenplay by Heywood Gould takes many licenses and is less developed than the successful novel of Ira Levin, but gets certain tension and amusement . ¨The Boys From Brazil" is a suspense movie that amuses and entertains , has good taste and in general lines is above average . Story is not boring , neither tiring but is entertaining at any time, though it is true that turns into a picture that tends to underline its latent absurdities and entangled in his ending . In the picture appears some of the best actors of all time, the three principals as Laurence Olivier, James Mason and an awesome Gregory Peck who however overacting in some scenes . Good supporting cast full of fine players usual in Nazis roles as Walter Gotell , Joachin Hansen ,Wofgang Preiss, Gunter Meisner and Uta Hagen as brutal concentration camp chief. Plus prestigious veteran actors as John Dehner , Michael Gough , Bruno Ganz and Denholm Elliott , among others. Special mention to unpleasant ,repulsive boy , well interpreted by Jeremy Black. The soundtrack by the classic musician Jerry Goldsmith, is the most part of time lively and nicely like is heard at the beginning and the end of the movie , nevertheless in some moments he composes strangely, perhaps attempting to remind Puccini and other musicians so admired by Mengele, but conveys us a mirth that it is not fitting to the plot. Furthermore , it packs magnificent and colorful visuals by French cameraman Henry Decae .

Franklin J. Schaffner directed excellent motion pictures as "The Planet of the Apes", "Patton," "Papillon", "Nicholas and Alexandra", after the flop of his film titled " Islands in the Stream ", in which went on to coincide with the actor of "Patton," George C. Scott, decided to embark on a project more commercial and successful as "The Boys From Brazil" . Rating : Better than average , worthwhile watching .

Young Nazi-hunter Barry Kohler (Steve Guttenberg) is tracking war criminals in Paraguay when he discovers that the old Nazis seem to be plotting something big. Kohler's fears are confirmed when the Nazis' guest of honor arrives: the infamous concentration camp scientist Josef Mengele (Gregory Peck). Mengele order his followers to carry out the murders of over 90 men, all of whom are 65-year-old civil servants, none of whom are Jews.

Kohler phones his idol, Ezra Lieberman (Laurence Olivier), with a report of what he's uncovered. Lieberman has fallen on hard times and lives in a leaky apartment where he cannot pay the rent. He's spent his life following every lead about Nazi war criminals and is tired of the chase. However, when Kohler's call (and his life) are abruptly cut short, Lieberman knows he must act.

He begins to investigate the bizarre plot. Why should Mengele want to kill these men who seem entirely unconnected to each other or the war? Why 65-year-olds? Why civil servants? Sadly many of the blurbs about this movie give away the solution to this mystery and the meaning of the title, but the mystery is much more engaging if the viewer unravels it along with Lieberman.

Olivier is fantastic in his role! He always put as much effort into his roles in genre films like this one, "Marathon Man," and "Dracula" as he devoted to Shakespeare, and it shows. He is thoroughly convincing as an elderly German Jew. Gregory Peck is also magnificent; he radiates pure evil. The top-notch supporting cast includes James Mason and Denholm Elliott. (So what's Steve Guttenberg doing in this movie?)

THE BOYS FROM BRAZIL opens in scenic and remote Paraguay where Barry Kohler (a young Steve Guttenburg) is on the trail of a mysterious gathering of former Third Reich heavy hitters, including Eduard Seibert (James Mason), now in exile. As his information becomes more detailed, he contacts Ezra Lieberman (Laurence Olivier), a renowned Nazi hunter. In the meantime Dr. Josef Mengele (Gregory Peck) makes the scene and after Kohler's bugging of a secret meeting goes wrong, Lieberman is left with only a thread of a much deeper story, which he sets about to unravel...

Even though the plot is fairly well known by now, I will assume some people are not familiar with Ira Levin's book or the film. In fact the less you know about the plot the better; I think that the dust jacket gives far too much of the story away...Anyway, THE BOYS FROM BRAZIL is a film that toes a very dangerous line, I mean few film makers want to turn a man like Menegele into a camp figure. But the cast and crew handles the material with deft intelligence. The cast is fantastic: Peck, as Mengele, delivers a strong performance that never falters. In the tired yet determined Lieberman, Laurence Olivier creates a wonderful character; a late highlight of a distinguished career. James Mason, as Seibert and Bruno Ganz as a mouthpiece for outdated genetic research, do well to support the action, but are given little to do. It is Peck and Olivier that propel the film along; the violent showdown between the two men is a must see.

Jerry Goldsmith supports the on screen action with a Straussian waltz to tie in the Austrian backdrop. Goldsmith also provide some terse action music for the third act of the film. This is one of the last films that Goldsmith and director Franklin J. Schaffner would collaborate on. On that note, it would seem to me high time for a more detailed retrospective of Schaffner's body of work; which includes THE WARLORD, PATTON, ISLANDS IN THE STREAM, PLANET OF THE APES, PAPILLION, LIONHEART. It is Schaffner's sensibilities that keep THE BOYS FROM BRAZIL from jumping the track. He uses steady camera work and smooth style to create a world the characters can inhabit (something "over" directors of today know little about). Schaffner's style is more subtle, workman like, which may explain why he is not better known among the general populace. He keeps THE BOYS FROM BRAZIL grounded and allows his actors to flesh the characters out, which makes all the difference in the world. 8/10.