I ragazzi venuti dal Brasile

Had I seen the film without reading the back of the video cassette, I would have enjoyed the film a lot more. But for some reason, a major plot point, revealed 1 1/2 hours into the film, is plainly written in black on orange. Since the movie moves in ever decreasing circles to reveal this secret quite efficiently, I don't see why the publicity department chose to sabotage it.

Nevertheless, the plot is more plausible than it sounds when you try to describe it (which, as I have just said, should be avoided anyway), and the leads play beautifully. Especially incredible is Laurence Olivier as the doddering, worldly-wise jewish Nazi hunter, Dr. Lieberman. You'd never expect the frail form in this movie to be the same man as Hamlet. Gregory Peck also plays Dr. Joseph Mengele as suitably and calmly evil. A lesser actor would find playing the part of a Nazi Death Doctor, responsible for some of the worst atrocities in human history, a perfect excuse to ham it up and click into the black-hatted, moustache-twisting token villain.

The less impressive acting of Steve Guttenberg overacting into a telephone and Jeremy Black with a really strange german accent as Erich Doring. This I can forgive. The ending is also comfortable and understated, with a moral instead of a huge explosion, as could have been expected in a 90's movie. Worth seeing, especially if you know nothing about the film.

The less you know about The Boys From Brazil the better, A quite well known story based upon a Ira Levin novel. Is a good thriller, which allows two of the greatest actors there has ever been a chance to ham it up a bit.

The plot involves Nazi hunter Ezra Lieberman (Laurence Olivier) trying to unravel a devious plot by Dr Josef Mangele (Gregory Peck). Directed by Franklin J Schaffner of Planter of the Apes fame. Provides us with a nice slow burning build up in setting the story, and keeping me enthralled with it really quite ludicrous but entertaining story line. It has a great score adding dread to certain moments and heightening the tension. The film at times almost slips in to horror with it's certain plot elements, and also containing a horrific confrontation between the two leads at the end.

It is not perfect by any means though, as some accents are all over the place and can become a little distracting, and some may find the films idea to unbelievable to take seriously, which i can't say i had a problem with.

A good film, with two acting powerhouses, worth a watch just for them. But a smart thriller i highly recommend.

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.

Mixing real names and real past with unreal present and unreal future can be intriguing and fresh, but can easily become a "porridge" of this and that with ambivalent elements - if not deliberately mocked or twisted as e.g. Quentin Tarantino does. Franklin J. Schaffner, however, has chosen to create a warning movie with "modest" sci-fi tinting, and combination of painful past with scientific opportunities is often odd, at times even doltish. The almost 2-hour-length contained some protracted and unnecessary scenes as well.

Luckily, there are at least good actors even in supporting roles, and Gregory Peck as Dr. Josef Mengele and Laurence Olivier as Ezra Lieberman are pleasant to follow both together and separately. Besides, different venues, both nature and dwellings, provide the movie additional value and opportunity to compare different attitudes and lifestyles.

Thus, a decent creation, but hardly for those willing to keep real historical persons and their imaginary deeds separate.

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.