IMDb RATING
7.0/10
33K
YOUR RATING
A Nazi hunter in Paraguay discovers a sinister and bizarre plot to rekindle the Third Reich.A Nazi hunter in Paraguay discovers a sinister and bizarre plot to rekindle the Third Reich.A Nazi hunter in Paraguay discovers a sinister and bizarre plot to rekindle the Third Reich.
- Director
- Writers
- Stars
- Nominated for 3 Oscars
- 2 wins & 13 nominations total
Steve Guttenberg
- Barry Kohler
- (as Steven Guttenberg)
- Director
- Writers
- All cast & crew
- Production, box office & more at IMDbPro
Featured reviews
8Hyyr
I had read "The Boys From Brazil" years before I ever saw the movie. When I did see the film, I was amazed how closely it actually tracked the brilliantly-written novel.
This is an excellent thriller. The Nazi's plot is unraveled slowly, first filling you with confusion, then disbelief, and finally, astonishment & terror. As far-fetched as the Nazi's scheme sounds at first, it really is close enough to medical reality for a taste of true horror.
Gregory Peck is disturbingly realistic as the Nazi doctor Mengele, who masterminds the entire fiendish plot. His character in the film is so real and sinister as to be completely believable. In fact, the entire cast does such a great job that the movie's plot strikes even closer to home.
If you like well-written, well acted suspense/thrillers, this is one of the very best. I highly recommend it.
This is an excellent thriller. The Nazi's plot is unraveled slowly, first filling you with confusion, then disbelief, and finally, astonishment & terror. As far-fetched as the Nazi's scheme sounds at first, it really is close enough to medical reality for a taste of true horror.
Gregory Peck is disturbingly realistic as the Nazi doctor Mengele, who masterminds the entire fiendish plot. His character in the film is so real and sinister as to be completely believable. In fact, the entire cast does such a great job that the movie's plot strikes even closer to home.
If you like well-written, well acted suspense/thrillers, this is one of the very best. I highly recommend it.
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.
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.
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.
Did you know
- TriviaGregory Peck was upset by the extremely negative reactions to his performance. He later said, "I felt, Laurence Olivier felt, friends of mine like Walter Matthau and Jack Lemmon felt, that I was good in this part. Some critics seem unwilling to accept actors when they break what they think is the mold or the image."
- GoofsIn the movie, the young clones of Hitler all have dark hair, but in real life his hair was never dark. As a young boy he was blond, and his hair became medium brown as he got older, as is the case with many blond children.
- Quotes
Gertrud: [Mengele has just knocked Mundt to the floor] Get a doctor!
Dr. Josef Mengele: I *am* a doctor, idiot.
Gertrud: Don't you come near him!
Dr. Josef Mengele: Shut up, you ugly bitch.
- Crazy creditsThe 20th Century Fox logo is in black and white and does not have the fanfare playing over it.
- Alternate versionsWest German theatrical release as well as all subsequent German TV broadcasts and video/DVD editions were cut by 20 minutes for content. Only in 2007 the complete version was released on DVD.
Details
Box office
- Budget
- $12,000,000 (estimated)
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