The Boys From Brazil (1979)

A bit far fetched, but interesting.

It wasn't bad, not great. I didn't think Gregory Peck as a Nazi was all that convincing. I don't think the movie has dated very well.

A classic example of superb film making. Spellbinding to the unnerving end. Great performances from all, especially Gregory Peck. A story that will have you thinking more than ever considering today's medical/cloning advancements.

A young Jewish reporter, Barry Kohler, stumbles across a group of Nazi conspirators who meet in a wealthy businessman's residence in a city in Paraguay. He keeps track of their comings and goings, and warns Ezra Liebermann, the Nazi-hunter in Vienna, by telephone, that he is on to something. Lieberman, old and tired, doesn't want to be bothered, but Kohler gets a listening device placed in the room where the conspirators meet, and overhears their leader, Dr Josef Mendele, explaining the need to assassinate 94 former Nazi civil servants still living in different parts of the world. They all adopted sons, now aged 14, from the same orphanage that had accepted boys cloned by Dr Mendele from a piece of Hitler's flesh, and raised on his estate in Brazil. Hitler's father had died when he was 14, and it was necessary, if these boys were to develop as little Fuhrers, and bring about another Third Reich, that their environment should be the same as Hitler's at that age, free of a father's influence. While phoning this latest bit of information to Liebermann, Barry is murdered by Nazi thugs, which goads Liebermann into action. A thriller with considerable impact, Dr Josef Mendele, of course, is the historical figure known as 'The Angel of Death' at Auschwitz, and who was one of many Nazis who escaped to South America after the war. He is powerfully played here by Gregory Peck, both overbearing and ruthless. Laurence Olivier brings all his superb acting ability to the part of Liebermann, equally resolute in tracking down a wanted war criminal. James Mason makes a number of appearances as a Colonel who is the doctor's contact with the Nazi Higher Command in exile. The idea of cloning humans is not as far fetched now as it must have been when the movie was released in 1978.

This brilliant story based on a book by Ira Levin falls a bit flat these days. It just doesn't seem to have aged well. I saw this film when it was first released and it was very scary. The whole idea of cloning had been a Nazi dream for many years and Josef Mengele really existed. This piece of fiction based on fact could have been a reality.... we'll never really know. Lawrence Olivier played a great role and it made a change to see Gregory Peck as the bad guy.

A bit dated, but an interesting plot