The Boys from Brazil (1978)

Nominated for 3 Academy Awards:

Best Actor: Laurence Olivier

Best Editing

Best Music, Original Score

 

The best way to start a review of this film is by giggling. Sure, the story of Nazi Mengele creating children-clones of Hitler and spreading them across the world is beyond silly, but to be honest I think they were on to something with this idea 😊 if only the execution was any good. So even though it sounds stupid, it had potential, except it’s an attractive train wreck. The screenplay is crazy but salvageable, but the direction is lazy and the acting is outrageous.

Laurence Olivier got nominated for a performance that IS playful, but at the same time bad, weird, also fun. Clearly, I don’t think it was worthy of Oscar attention. Mengele is played by Gregory Peck in a campy performance, with a cheap look and a lot of ridiculous dialogue. He was probably tricked into this disaster by an uninspiring direction, but even so it’s hard to find excuses for it.

My rating reflects mostly the fact that I didn’t dislike watching it. It’s a mess, but a weirdly partly-enjoyable one. Also, Uta Hagen has a nice cameo, easily the best performance in the film.

 

I give it: 5.5/10

IMDB LINK