The Boys from Brazil (1978)

A Nazi hunter in Paraguay discovers a sinister and bizarre plot to rekindle the Third Reich.

Director:

Franklin J. Schaffner

Writers:

Ira Levin (novel), Heywood Gould (screenplay)

Stars:

Gregory Peck, Laurence Olivier, James Mason

Nominated for 3 Oscars. Another 2 wins & 10 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Gregory Peck	...	Dr. Josef Mengele
Laurence Olivier	...	Ezra Lieberman
James Mason	...	Eduard Seibert
Lilli Palmer	...	Esther Lieberman
Uta Hagen	...	Frieda Maloney
Steve Guttenberg	...	Barry Kohler (as Steven Guttenberg)
Denholm Elliott	...	Sidney Beynon
Rosemary Harris	...	Mrs. Doring
John Dehner	...	Henry Wheelock
John Rubinstein	...	David Bennett
Anne Meara	...	Mrs. Curry
Jeremy Black	...	Jack Curry / Simon Harrington / Erich Doring / Bobby Wheelock
Bruno Ganz	...	Professor Bruckner
Walter Gotell	...	Mundt
David Hurst	...	Strasser

Storyline

Barry Kohler, a young Nazi hunter, tracks down a group of former SS officers meeting in Paraguay in the late 1970s. The Nazis, led by Dr Mengele, are planning something. Old Nazi hunter, Ezra Lieberman, is at first uninterested in Kohler's findings. But when he is told something of their plan, he is eager to find out more. Lieberman visits several homes in Europe and the U.S. in order to uncover the Nazi plot. It is at one of these houses he notices something strange, which turns out to be a horrible discovery.

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Plot Keywords:

nazi | nazi hunter | nazi war criminal | paraguay | 1970s | 

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Taglines:

If they survive...will we?

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Genres:

Drama | Mystery | Thriller

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Certificate:

R

Did You Know?

Trivia

Bruno Ganz (Dr. Bruckner) played Adolf Hitler in Downfall (2004). In this film, he plays the Doctor explaining the cloning process to Laurence Olivier's character (and the audience).

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Goofs

As Dr. Josef Mengele and Wheelock are talking, and Wheelock hasn't yet put the dogs out of the room, Mengele sits on the couch and you can see the boom mic's shadow moving on the wall to the right.

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Quotes

Dr. Josef Mengele: Are you, my SD Chief of Security, telling me that a project twenty years and millions of dollars in the making will be dropped because of this insignificant impotent old Jew?

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Crazy Credits

The 20th Century Fox logo is in black and white and does not have the fanfare playing over it.

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Alternate Versions

The version currently shown by Netflix (March 2017) ends with the shot of the list burning to ash, followed by slow fade to black, then the credits.

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Connections

Referenced in 30 Rock: Generalissimo (2009)

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Soundtracks

The Blue Danube
(uncredited)
Music by Johann Strauss
Arranged by Arthur Morton

User Reviews

Watch it just to see Peck and Olivier together

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.

Details

Country:

UK USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

6 October 1978 (USA)

Also Known As:

The Boys from Brazil

Filming Locations:

Kölnbrein Dam, Austria

Box Office

Budget:

$12,000,000 (estimated)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Sir Lew Grade, Producers Circle, ITC Films

Technical Specs

Runtime:

125 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1