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Released by: Shout! Factory
Released on: January 6th, 2015.
Director: Franklin J. Schaffner
Cast: Gregory Peck, Laurence Olivier, James Mason, Lilli Palmer
Year: 1978
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The Movie:
There's a moment near the climax of Franklin J. Schaffner's THE BOYS FROM BRAZIL where aging stars Laurence Olivier and Gregory Peck get in a knock down drag out fight that's quite bloody. There's something deliciously outlandish about the normally reserved and elegant Peck and one of the classiest talents of stage and screen in any era kicking and clawing each other like they are starring in a sleazy exploitation film. But that's kind of what THE BOYS FROM BRAZIL is all about - outlandishness. With a jarring note of premonition.
Writer Ira levin of ROSEMARY'S BABY and THE STEPFORD WIVES fame was a bit of a seer. He foresaw the rise of the occult thriller in the 70's with ROSEMARY and wrote a bracing thriller that dealt with feminism and robotics in 1972 that perfectly hit the cultural zeitgeist. BRAZIL had a crazy plot that dealt with the concept of human cloning decades before Dolly the sheep hit the headlines. It also weaved in an actual historical figure who at that time was widely considered a fugitive very much alive and in hiding - Dr. Josef Mengele.
A young man in Paraguay named Barry (Steve Guttenberg) has placed a frantic call to Vienna to world famous Nazi hunter Ezra Lieberman (Olivier). He has somehow glommed onto the activities of a secret ex-Nazi society. Loosely based on the Odessa group that took care of ex-friends of Hitler after the war, this group has two primary missions. The first is to shelter and protect the former bigwigs of the Third Reich. The second, helped along by copious donations, is to plan and fund operations that further the Nazi cause. Barry has caught the trail of the infamous Dr. Mengele - who is heading a massive operation of vital importance. To avoid spoilers, it's important to note that the film is structured very much as a puzzle piece that doles out info in small amounts. The concept of cloning is involved - but precisely to WHAT end is the big secret.
What makes THE BOYS FROM BRAZIL such a blast to watch is the acting and the crazy gusto that the whole thing unfolds with. With a jet black dyed mustache and clipped German accent, Peck is a complete hoot. He struts and preens and exhibits a hilariously overwrought sense of arrogance. But yet it never sinks to parody. He's riveting. Olivier plays his doddering and weirdly accented yet shrewd Nazi hunter with a touch of Jewish caricature but damn it, it works. He's a first rate detective and as he travels far and wide trying to figure out why the Nazis want a bunch of civil servants assassinated worldwide his steely resolve becomes apparent. Stalwart James Mason (in striking Panama hat) also shows up as a less OTT Nazi than Mengele but he does a great job in his scenes with Peck. Before Oliver and Peck get to that brutal showdown alluded to in the first paragraph an amazing supporting cast comprised of the likes of Denholm Elliott, Uta Hagen, John Dehner and Bruno Ganz will have paraded across the screen. You'll also see an bizarre ex-Nazi dance ball replete with massive swastika banners, an astounding Swiss dam/mountaintop confrontation between two former Nazi comrades and Peck barking out unforgettable dialog about "infernal Jews" and various forms of betrayal. The climax also involves an OMEN-sized phalanx of vicious dobermans.
Of course, the real life Mengele was a bloodthirsty sadist that used his medical brilliance to engage in horrific experiments with twins and torture. The film manages to capture some of that horror with bits and pieces shown of the good doctor at work in his South American lair. There is also some dark humor in the decor: a bust of Hitler on the desk and various paintings and third reich knick knacks are visible. And yes, Mason and Peck are big Wagner fans.
Video/Audio/Extras:
Shout! Factory's 1.78:1 framed 1080p presentation is the same transfer as the British ITV Blu ray from 2008. For a transfer that's going on six years old this looks pretty good. Colors and black levels are strong with only some occasional uneven film grain on display. Detail is vastly improved over the miserable Artisan DVD. A lot of this was shot "soft", but thankfully ITV/Shout's transfer is completely free of digital corrections. No DNR or sharpening has been used and the overall look of the film is completely organic. This is an upper mid-tier presentation. It looks unnoticeably good - if that makes any sense.
The audio track is a DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 one that tends at its worst towards the slightly flat or brassy but is more than adequate. Dynamic range is period creation limited but dialog is clear and centered. Source elements have no audible flaws like popping or hiss.
There are no extras - just a theatrical trailer. Bummer. This one deserved better.
The Final Word:
Pulpy, with a great unhinged performance by Atticus Finch himself, and a wildly creative but prescient plot, what's not to love about THE BOYS FROM BRAZIL? Hell, this crazy funhouse of a thriller even manages to be a little thought-provoking. Ira Levin's overlooked pressure cooker gets a hearty recommendation. Shout! have provided a solid technical presentation as well. Shame about the lack of extras though.
Click on the images below for full sized Blu-ray screen caps!
