We mentioned a TV series remake of The Boys from Brazil recently. At first, it was a bit of a ‘roll eyes’ moment, but then it said the showrunner was the guy who made The Crown and we perked up a little.
I was sure I had seen The Boys from Brazil before, but I remembered nothing about it. Now I’ve seen it, I don’t think I had seen it before, and what a treat!
The movie stars Gregory Peck, James Mason, Lawerence Olivier, Lilli Palmer, Uta Hagen, Denholm Elliot, Rosemary Harris, John Dehner, and a very young Steve Guttenberg. Franklin J. Schaffer directed and Heywood Gould wrote the screenplay, based on Ira Levin’s novel.
The Story
If you know the story from The Boys from Brazil, then you know. If you don’t, I envy you because you’re in for a treat.
It’s sometime after WWII and Barry (Guttenberg) is a young Jewish man who is tracking Nazis. He thinks something is going on, and is following people who were major players in the Third Reich during the war. They seem to be having secret meetings again and Barry is worried.
Barry contacts Erza (Olivier), a famous Nazi hunter, and former inmate at a German Concentration Camp. Erza dismisses Barry at first, but Barry discovers a plot bigger than he originally thought.
Dr. Joseph Mengele (Peck) is calling certain former camp guards, and some younger Germans, together. He plans on murdering 94 men in the next few months. At first, there is no reason to this, just 94 seemingly random men from around the world. Barry is discovered before he learns the full truth of about the doctor’s plans.
Because this is set long before the days of the internet, Barry has to snail-mail the photos to Ezra. When he sees who’s meeting together, he has to investigate. It turns out the 94 men do have something in common and it’s frightening what the doctor has planned.
The Cast
When you have a movie like The Boys from Brazil, starring Peck, Mason, and Olivier, then you have to watch it. They are some of the greatest icons in cinema and all of them live up to that title in a movie like this.
Peck was so good in this movie! There’s a moment where a young lad, about 10, gets caught by Peck’s character. When he’s asked what should be done with the boy, without skipping a beat, he just says:
“Kill him!”
It’s OK though, he doesn’t kill the young lad, he performs experiments on him instead. Peck’s character had no conscience when it came to his purpose.
Apparently, Peck was disappointed with the critic’s review of his performance as the doctor. It was such a change from his usual roles, it’s not like he was known for his villainous characters. This was a shame as he is outstanding in this. Pure evil, calculating, and a man of purpose.
Overall
I was going to talk more about the story, but I don’t want to spoil it for those who might have missed this.
The Boys from Brazil is a classic movie and it can truly be said that ‘They don’t make them like this anymore!’. The story is gripping, the acting is amazing and the way the plot unfolds is a Chef’s Kiss of writing. I honestly didn’t know what was going on, but when I realized, it was almost jaw-dropping.
Not spoiling too much, but the fight at the end, between Peck and Olivier is kind of pathetic, but at the same time one of the most gripping fights I’ve ever seen. Both men were in their 70s, but they didn’t have stunt doubles doing flying roundhouse kicks to the face. The two old men are fighting for their lives, badly, but honestly.
The Boys from Brazil is one of those perfect movies. Sure, some of the effects are a little dated now, one body is clearly a dummy at one point. However, it doesn’t take anything away from what is an amazing thriller. I’m annoyed I have only seen it now, but glad I did.
