Gregory Peck

Laurence Olivier

James Mason

Lilli Palmer

Uta Hagen

Steve Guttenberg

Denholm Elliott

Rosemary Harris

John Dehner

John Rubinstein

Anne Meara

Jeremy Black

Bruno Ganz

Walter Gotell

David Hurst

Wolfgang Preiss

Michael Gough

Joachim Hansen

Sky du Mont

Carl Duering

Linda Hayden

Richard Marner

Georg Marischka

Günter Meisner

Prunella Scales

Raul Faustino Saldanha

Jürgen Andersen

Mervyn Nelson

David Brandon

Monica Gearson

Wolf Kahler

Gerti Gordon

Joseph Oliveira

Franklin J. Schaffner

Heywood Gould

Ira Levin

Robert Fryer

Stanley O'Toole

Martin Richards

Bill Lodge

Ronnie Cogan

Christopher Tucker

Patrick Grant

Anthony Mendleson

Richard Overton

Leonard A. Engel

Jerry Goldsmith

Henri Decaë

Edward Rossi

Robert Swink

Bert Cann

Vernon Dixon

Richard Sperber

Gil Parrondo

Alixe Gordin

Dick Weaver

Peter Lamont

Pamela Carlton

Rebecca Breed

Eddie Powell

Ron Carr

Dieter Meyer

Terence Churcher

José López Rodero

Marijan David Vajda

Stephen Hendrickson

Michael Murchan

Thomas Riccabona

Les Benson

Tom Raeburn

Derek Ball

Bill Barringer

Don J. Bassman

William Hartman

Godfrey Marks

Ken Nightingall

Roy Whybrow

John Evans

Dinny Powell

Del Baker

Jack Coggins

Colin Davidson

James Devis

Michael Ginsburg

Ted H. Hauser

Dewi Humphreys

Bob Puglisi

Chuck Finch

Renate Arbes

Maude Spector

Richard Pointing

Babs Gray

Dennis Wooley

Arie Bohrer

Tony Cerbone

Frederick Muller

Scott Wodehouse

Arthur Morton

Skaila Kanga

Gerhard Rupp

Hunt Downs

Lew Grade

Alan Ladd Jr.

David Quintans

John Sargent

Ilse Schwarzwald

Jean Walter

Robert Easton

Marcella Markham

Drama

Mystery

Science Fiction

The Boys from Brazil

The Producer Circle Co.

ITC Entertainment

20th Century Fox

Sir Lew Grade (ITC)

United Kingdom

United States of America

CinemaSerf

I recall the first time I saw this - aged ten, or so, and been terrified by the ending... Laurence Olivier is "Lieberman", a Nazi hunter who is given some detailed information from a very young Steve Guttenburg ("Kohler") that his long sought nemesis Dr. Josef Mengele (Gregory Peck) is thriving in Paraguay - and that he has an intriguing ongoing scheme that could reignite the whole Nazi movement. What ensues involves Oliver travelling to South America where he must thwart this deadly plan. Neither actor are at the top of their game, indeed for many of Olivier's scenes I half expected Neil Diamond to emerge singing "Love on the Rocks" (even if we are 18 months too early). There is certainly something menacing about the whole thing, though - the concept of human closing and the manipulation of a person's evolution is scarily depicted as the scenarios build well to my aforementioned denouement that even now, I find suitably effective. James Mason has a bit part as the Nazi henchman "Siebert", and Lilli Palmer is quite good as Olivier's daughter ("Esther") and they add a little depth to this over-long, but decently paced mystery. Oddly enough, the questions it asks have more potency 40 years after it was made, and you can't help but wonder just how conceivable this whole thing might actually be...

**_Imaginative conspiracy thriller involving escaped German war criminals_**

A discredited Nazi-hunter in Vienna (Laurence Olivier) slowly learns of a plot to resurrect the Third Reich spearheaded by a mad geneticist, who’s conducting experiments in remote Paraguay (Gregory Peck). James Mason is also on hand as a colonel in the latter’s service. 

“The Boys from Brazil” (1978) was based on the book by Ira Levin, who’s known for “Rosemary’s Baby” and “The Stepford Wives.” It was helmed by the director of “Planet of the Apes,” “Patton” and “Papillon.” You could say it’s cut from the same cloth as “The Odessa File” and “Marathon Man,” just mixed with the weird horror elements for which Levin was known.

Beyond the high caliber cast, the creativity of the script is a highlight (the less you know, the better), along with the great locations and entertaining bits spiced throughout, sometimes reflecting a (welcome) sense of humor or hamminess. A couple of examples include the superb dam sequence and Josef’s unexpected fit at the Nazi celebration, not to mention playful Mrs. Doring and the amusing blonde mother.

It runs 2 hours, 4 minutes, and was shot primarily in Portugal with additional filming in London, Vienna, Austria (the dam sequence) and Lancaster, Pennsylvania.

GRADE: A-/B+

English

The Boys from Brazil (1978) Original Trailer [FHD]

NBC Sunday Movies The Boys from Brazil 1982 bumper