THE BOYS FROM BRAZIL

Rather to my surprise it turns out I hadn't seen this film before. At least I'm pretty sure if I had I would have remembered, seeing how bonkers it is.

Or to be more precise the film itself isn't bonkers (in fact it treats the material quite seriously on the whole) - what is crazy is the central plot idea, combining the infamous Nazi war criminal Josef Mengele with cloning.

The film is an adaptation of the novel of the same name by Ira Levin, and no doubt he would say that the idea of cloning human beings is not too far out.

But I would maintain that (spoiler alert) creating 94 clones of Adolf Hitler in the hope (if that is the right word) that one of them might grow up to create the Fourth Reich is loony tunes material, especially since Mengele wants the 94 adoptive fathers around the globe each to be assassinated at the same age as the real Hitler's father died (!).

The director is Franklin J. Schaffner who is most famous for directing 'Planet of the Apes' and 'Patton' (for which he won an Oscar).  He does a decent job here even if the early scenes in Paraguay are a bit ropy.

Things pick up once we meet a famous Nazi-hunter, Lieberman, played by Laurence Olivier. As one would expect, Olivier does a great job of breathing life into the Lieberman character, as he goes about trying to work out what Mengele is up to.

Mengele himself is played by Gregory Peck.  I've never been a huge fan of Peck but I have to say he gives a convincing portrayal of Mengele as a raging monomaniac.

In the middle of the film we get to see some of the assassinations Mengele has ordered, which range from the entertaining (in Sweden) to the daft (in Britain).  

At this point I was doubtful whether the story could be concluded satisfactorily.  But no worries, the third act is strong.  

Mengele and Lieberman meet up in a house in America, where one of the Hitler clones (now aged 12) has been brought up.  There are also some ferocious dogs present who play an important role.  It's gripping stuff, and even a potentially laughable fight between the two aged protagonists doesn't defuse the tension (when I suspend my disbelief I go all in).

So no classic, but enjoyable in its pulpy way.

One unresolved mystery though is why the setting of the South American parts of the story has been changed in the film from Brazil to Paraguay.  Weird.

RATING: ✓ If You've Nothing Better To Do