Plot Details: This opinion reveals major details about the movie's plot.

The Boys from Brazil (1978)

The Boys from Brazil was a pretty good science fiction "what if" in 1978 – today it has added life because of the possibility of such a thing being true.

Alas – the movie could have been so much better with a better cast. There is so much scenery chewing it actually devolves into a sort of grim comedy wondering who is going to start the spittle flying first. Gregory Peck is the most egregious offender, never finding exactly the right tone for his character, so he played it like a raging lunatic. Laurence Olivier, always a bit hammy from his stage roots, did better but still could not resist gnawing a few pieces of scenery himself. These are supposed to be dignified, high quality actors, yet here they are playing at Charles Bronson – and Bronson does it so much better.

Besides Peck and Olivier, the third headliner is James Mason, a real pro and veteran of 130 movies. Mason has the distinction for playing a Nazi more than the other two headliners put together. There's just something about him in a Nazi uniform that seems right, I suppose they all had British accents like Hollywood likes. But Mason has enough presence of mind to put on a performance, not a show like Messrs Peck and Olivier. Lilli Palmer (The Counterfeit Traitor) is still alluring as the middle aged sister of Olivier's character. You can play spot the star with the supporting cast as I think everyone working in Hollywood then appears in some capacity. Comedienne Anne Meara, of all people, appears in a dramatic role. Looking at her face causes you to burst out laughing which I think takes away from the gravity of her performance; similarly with Steve Guttenberg.

The Boys from Brazil is about Nazi hunters and at the time they were close enough to the events to have credibility. They claimed to know the whereabouts of the highest ranking Nazis, including Dr Josef Mengele, a scientist interesting in cloning which was not thought to be possible at the time of the movie. The movie takes place mainly in Paraguay where Mengele has a luxurious hideout complete with full Nazi regalia and decor.

A young Nazi hunter (Steve Guttenberg) tries to interest world renowned Nazi hunter Ezra Lieberman (Laurence Olivier) in Mengele’s whereabouts but is frozen out until he plays a bugged conversation revealing Mengle’s plans over the phone and is killed for his pains. I don’t want to go into what exactly Mengele was doing because that is the entire point of the movie. But Lieberman spends the rest of the movie finding out what Mengele is doing and then trying to forestall it.

The movie works best at stimulating the imagination, making you to ponder "what if" and the scene where a scientist explains genetic engineering to Olivier is very good and interesting. However, the staging of the scenes telling the main story basically breaks it down into an action thrill ride that is decidedly less than thrilling. Geriatric fist fights are just not as fun. There are a couple of chilling moments that I should leave for you to see yourself. Look for a roadway high atop a dam, for one.

The Artisan DVD is presented in color, in 1.85:1 theatrical format and the movie runs 123 minutes – a shade over two hours. Those who enjoy science fiction will probably want to see it but the scenes are dated and not as fresh as they were in 1978.

Recommended: Yes

Viewing Format: DVD
Video Occasion: Better than Watching TV