Nazi hunter Ezra Lieberman discovers a sinister and bizarre plot to rekindle the Third Reich.
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Wuchak
8
By Wuchak
**_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+
