Reviews (36)

Thriller with a First-Rate Cast
When the film was made almost a quarter century ago, the concept of "cloning" was the stuff of science fiction, as far as the general public was concerned. However, with the recent developments in the area making headlines worldwide, the idea is not reserved to the imagination. Therefore, the basic premise of Hitler authorizing his own cloning doesn't seem as farfetched as it may have been. Hey, the Germans have given the world the Volkswagen; thus, their scientists could have possibly been working on the cloning process prior and during World War II.

Regardless, the film features excellent work from stars Peck, Olivier, and Mason. Peck went against type by portraying Josef Mengele as a crafty, calculating, and ultimately evil scientist who would go to any length to preserve the Third Reich. Olivier, as the Nazi hunter Lieberman, displays his versatility with accents by doning a very believable Jewish brogue. Mason shows his usual cool as a Nazi hesitant but forced to support the machinations of Mengele.

But, the film has an outstanding group of supporting players whose on-screen time may be brief but is memorable. Uta Hagen as an imprisoned Nazi nurse is captivating; stage veteran Rosemary Harris stands out as the widow of one of Mengele's victims; A young Steve Guttenburg shines as a Nazi hunter; and comedy team member Anne Meara (sans her husband) is great as another "mother" of a Hitler clone.

But, it is Jeremy Black, a young actor who seems to have drifted into obscurity since the release of this motion picture, who is impressive as four of the "boys."

Oh, yeah, the great Michael Gough is "hanging around" in this one, too! Look fast and you will see Prunella Scales from "Fawlty Towers" as Gough's wife.

Peck vs Olivier as the Nazis try to clone Adolf Hitler
Gregory Peck gets about as far away from his Oscar winning role as Atticus Finch as possible with his over-the-top performance as the infamous Nazi doctor, Josef Mengele. Once you learn about the plot of "The Boys from Brazil," based on Ira Levin's novel, Peck's hammy performance makes perfect sense. At a South American summit of Nazis, Mengele announces that over the next couple of years 94 adult males with much younger wives and adolescent sons are to be systematically murdered around their 65th birthdays. Mengele had cloned Hitler, implanted the eggs in all of these women, and now wants to recreate what he believes was the Fuhrer's formative experience as a child. Fortunately young Nazi-hunter Barry Kohler (Steve Guttenberg) overhears the plot and right before he is murdered manages enlists the aid of the legendary Ezra Lieberman (Laurence Olivier) to stop this horrific plot. Just think of this film as a cross between "Jurassic Park" and "Triumph of the Will." The scene where a scientist explains the cloning process in excruciating detail to Lieberman is a textbook lesson on how too much exposition can stop a movie in its tracks. But then there is the final living room standoff between Mengele, Lieberman and one of the Hitler clones with his pack of trained killer Dobermans.

Actually, the actor who impresses me in "The Boys from Brazil" is James Mason, who plays Nazi Eduard Seibert and somehow makes the whole thing seem reasonable. Lilli Palmer, Uta Hagen, Rosemary Harris and Denholm Elliott round out the stellar supporting cast caught up in this madness. Jeremy Black has the interesting role of playing all the young Hitler-Wannabees (Jack Curry, Simon Harrington, Erich Doring, Bobby Wheelock, etc.). Director Franklin J. Schaffner ("Planet of the Apes," "Patton," "Papillion") directs this straight up while Peck spews curses and Olivier trots out his wise old man routine. But to be fair, once we get past the exposition and Olivier tells the scientist that the person who has been cloned is neither Mozart nor Picasso, the story does get into gear. In what other over the top film can you see this much acting talent chewing up this much scenery? "The Boys From Brazil" is a first-class bad movie.

Overdone but chilling
Gregory Peck plays a Nazi doctor who escaped to Brazil as the Third Reich fell, while Laurence Olivier plays a Nazi hunter on Peck's trail. What is the evil doctor involved in? How about the creation of a Fourth Reich led by an Adolf Hitler clone? Will Olivier catch Pevck in time? Will that be enough?

Both of these great actors seem to have either tried too hard to make this movie work, or else treated it as somewhat of a farce. They overplay many of their scenes. Nevertheless, this is an intense, chilling, creepy movie with enough story to capture and maintain the viewer's attention. There is considerable gore at times; you might not want to pet a Doberman for a while after seeing "The Boys From Brazil". You might also find yourself wondering about the genetic background of eerily familiar-looking boys you might see, especially given recent advancements in cloning.

WHAT a movie!
This is so weird to write this, BUT... The first time I saw this film I had a roaring migraine headache, complete with severe nausea. IF you're a migraine sufferer, as I am, YOU understand what it's like to be stricken with one of them- you know what it's like to lay in bed, in misery and bordom trying to escape the pain. Normally, you just want to be left alone in a nice quiet, dark room and hopefully go comatose till it's all over. Anyway, early in that afternoon- BEFORE the headache part of the headache came on- the time where the only symptom is the onset of nausea, I read in my TV guide that "The Boys From Brazil" was going to be airing that evening. "Cool." me thinks, "I've been really wanting to see that film, now's my chance!" (This was Pre-DVD, Pre-VHS; Damn, this was SO long ago that it was even PRE HBO! It was plain-old-time-commercial-break-infested-TV-land; which, truth be known, was kind of a blessing for me what with the nausea and all... That night, one could call them: "hurl-breaks" !) Anyway, to shorten an already way too long story: In spite of BLINDING, COLOR ARCHING, NUCLEAR-MELTDOWN BRAIN PAIN, I was SO thrilled by this film, so completely enteretained and SURPRISED by the thing, that, migraine or no, I watched the whole dog-gone thing!
MERCY! Talk about "association strengthening memory"! THIS is one film I will never, EVER forget by virttue of association... SHOOT, to this day, every time I watch it, my forehead sweats, I get kinda' achy at the base of my scull, and my stomach commences to churn. But it was WORTH it! What a GREAT flick, go ahead, buy it. You'll like it. Heck, watch it with a migraine sufferer YOU love. ;o)

Passionate
The love secenes were especially moving. Watching two sensitive caring people commit themselves to lives of devotion and sacrifice for the benefit of children and the world was wonderfully refreshing. Long live the IV Reich !
(and George Bush!) ... Read more

Reviews (21)

It's all about Irons
This is a slyly clever adaptation of Alan Dershowitz' account of the retrial of Claus von Bulow. It features strong performances from Glenn Close, and Ron Silver as Dershowitz, and Barbet Schroeder won an Academy Award nomination as Best Director. But in the end, this movie is all about the portrayal of Claus von Bulow by Jeremy Irons, in an Oscar winning performance. Irons is superbly ambiguous throughout, never allowing the audience to finally settle its sympathies with his character.

Irons' final line is typically enigmatic: "Just kidding." This movie is well worth a look.

Fine Dramatization of Celebrated Rhode Island Criminal Case
Along with the scandal-ridden career of Vincent "Buddy" Cianci, the mayor of Providence, the Von Bulow case was, and probably remains, a popular topic of conversation in Rhode Island. Barbet Schroeder gives a mesmering look at a dark chapter in the history of Newport, Rhode Island with exceptional performances from Jeremy Irons and Ron Silver. Iron portrays Claus Von Bulow with the right mix of elegance and sleaziness thrown in, letting us know that he is not quite the man he seems to be (Indeed, Von Bulow had married far above his station when he wed Sunny - Glenn Close in the film; there are many who still believe that he deliberately tried to poison her for her wealth.). Fellow Stuyvesant High School alumnus Ron Silver is magnificient as Harvard Law Professor Alan Dershowitz; although he doesn't quite resemble Dershowitz, he does a remarkable portrayal of the latter's personality, judging from what I have seen of Dershowitz during his conversations with television talk show hosts Larry King and Ted Koppel. This splendid film is both a first rate thriller and a revealing look at how rewarding justice can be for those who are wealthy. Without a doubt, it is one of the finest dramatizations of a celebrated criminal case ever filmed.

Exceptional drama of a legal defense
The murder of Sunny von Bulow (played by Glenn Close)was one of the most publicized murder cases of the 80s. This film tells the story of how well-known lawyer Alan Dershowitz (Ron Silver) reversed the guilty verdict of accused murderer Klaus von Bulow (Jeremy Irons), Sunny's husband. This film walks a tightrope between a dramatization of the facts in the case and an account that presumes to know what really occurred, so that by the end of the film, we still do not know who, if anyone, committed the murder. The film is filled with great performances. Irons won a best-actor Oscar for his role. Silver's Dershowitz is impassioned and driven.

Coma
Audacious, brilliant, cerebral yet firmly grounded in the stuff of life, Barbet Schroeder's "Reversal of Fortune" is as much a winner now as it was when it was first released, 14+ years ago. And this has as much to do with Jeremy Irons' performance as Klaus Von Bulow as it does with Schroeder's masterful writing and directing: here is an example of everything coming together in the right place at the right time.

Jeremy Irons¿ Great Villain[?]
Had occasion to see this terrific legal docu-drama again after 15 years and marveled at the performance of Jeremy Irons as convicted would-be-murderer Klaus Von Bulow. Buoyed by a great supporting cast, this movie tells the tale of the reversal of the conviction of Klaus for attempted murder of his socialite wife Sunny, played by Glenn Close. Irons steals the show though with his elegant, dark, emotionally hooded, and overtly sinister portrayal. While the film makes no moral judgments, and Bulow was eventually acquitted in real life; one can't help but wonder about the real outcome of the night that left Sunny a comatose vegetable to this day. ... Read more

Amazon.com

If Paul Robeson (1898-1976) is remembered at all these days, it's mostlikely as the booming baritone on the definitive version of "Ol' Man River." ButRobeson, as this serious, nearly two-hour 1999 documentary makes plain, was agreat deal more than that. A world-renowned singer and actor, athlete, orator,activist, socialist, and patriot, he was most likely the most famous black manin the world in the mid-20th century. Robeson's conscience was indefatigable; hewasn't always right, but he never backed down from his enemies, principallyimperialism and "conservative capitalism." He paid a heavy price, from ostracismto outright persecution, for maintaining his principles. Here I Standdetails all of it, with the usual interviews and film clips highlighted by agreat deal of footage (performances, interviews, speeches) of Robeson himself.This fascinating story of a great man's life and work also includes adiscography, filmography, and complete chronology. --Sam Graham ... Read more

Reviews (6)

ARTISTIC GIANT
Actor, singer, athlete, lawyer and activist are just a few of the titles bestowed on one of the greatest artistic geniuses of the 20th century. Regaled by many and reviled by some Paul Robeson, the son of a slave, stands out as an artist who intergrated his art as a form of activism against the injustices perpetrated on those who are powereless.

Here I Stand is a cinematic chronicle of Paul Robeson's life as seen through the eyes of himself, his colleagues, children, film critics and historians. The chronicle of his life begins in New Jersey where is is raised by his father a minister in the Presbyterian Church and later the African Methodist Episcopal Zion church. From him, young Paul is taught to be fearless and strive for excellence in whatever he does. Those values laid the foundation of what he was to become. When he leaves New Jersey and goes to New York for law school, Paul finds himself hitting the glass ceiling of a white law firm and eventually is encouraged by his wife to seek an acting career.

It is in singing and acting that Paul finds his true calling. One of the great strengths of this video is its analysis of his acting career on stage and in the movies. Paul failed in the movies not because of lack of talent but because of the refusal of the industry to give him roles that weren't stereotypical of Black people. His singing increases his popularity abroad and soon he becomes politicized to the problems of the disinfranchised. It is from this experience that the activist Paul Robeson emerges.

All through the film we see his growth as an activist and his firm refusal to back down. Even more thrilling is his defiance against government authority determined to keep him in his place but like old man river, he keeps rolling along. He keeps going inspite of his passport taken away, the constant hounding by the FBI, his concert career broken for close to ten years and the deterioration of his health. Through it all, he maintains his dignity and refuses to bow. He is an inspiration as to what Black men and women should be. There are critical assessments of him concerning his marriage and refusal to denounce Stalin but even those merely tell us he was a man of his times flawed like any other. Yet he remains for us a giant of his time.

Captures all of the major issues
The content of this film has already been discussed, but fans will be pleased that most of the major issues dealing with Robeson, his career, and the controversy are all handled well in the allotted time. It also does not shy from some of the less flattering aspects of his career (such as his actual knowledge of Stalin's crimes, but his refusal to openly speak on this because he felt his bigger enemies were at home), but this is handled well and you come away with a good idea of what the man was about in his outspokenness on issues of oppressed people. Only monor complaint is the lack of special features on this DVD, but overall, it's worth the money.

An Excellent Introduction to the Man
This "American Masters" volume directed by St. Clair Bourne is an excellent centennial introduction to the life and times of Paul Robeson, one of the greatest Americans of the twentieth century. The video's content has already been discussed by other reviewers and I have nothing to add on that score, other than to recommend three other fine books that people interested in finding out more might enjoy.

First is Martin Bauml Duberman's biography of Robeson, published in 1989. This is the best single source.

Second is Philip Foner's excellent "Paul Robeson Speaks" which contains a collection of Robeson's writings and speeches, as well as an excellent chronology. Particularly noteworthy is the transcript of Robeson's testimony before the House Unamerican Activities Committtee.

Third is Robeson's own book "Here I Stand," a small but very valuable volume with enduring insights about America and the world.

O.K., there's also a fourth. Paul Robeson Jr. has written an excellent new book about his father that is worth checking out.

You should be able to find these books (Foner's book may be out of print) on Amazon.

americas shame
this dvd shows how robeson was caught up in international politics and paid with his life. he was years ahead of his time, a one man civil rights movement careering into the mccarthyite era, a dangerous place to be, but he did not shirk: " i have made my choice, i have no alternative." his mission?" all men are brothers because of thier music." still misunderstood by the american conciousness, this dvd goes some way to explaining robeson's political manoevers and also demonstrates the huge american support he had during his opposition to the prevailing policies of the day, many of which are now discredited and redundant. what a hero.

Fascinating and Compelling
This documentary is probably one of the best biopics I've seen in a long time--it's incredibly moving, it told a compelling story I wanted to keep listening to, and it devoted enough time and attention to its subject so that by the end you really felt you knew something about the man.

The reviewer on this page did an excellent job of summarizing the content of the documentary, though I disagree with her about the Robeson films shown. That section of the movie dragged for me. It's true that in role after role, Robeson was forced to play characters unworthy of him, allowed only the narrow, stereotyped range that moviegoers expected to see African-Americans portray, and undermined by directors and editors even when he attempts to give his work a deeper significance and a more challenging political message. But the filmmakers seemed determined to show extended footage of each and every one of these movies, and it's painful to watch such a talented man being objectified in film after film. I finally had to fast-forward.

In the ample footage of Robeson performing on his own, on the other hand, whether singing, speaking to crowds, or describing his life in television appearances, Robeson isn't forced to compromise with someone else's vision. Here, he can say what he really thinks. I was astonished at how unrelentingly outspoken Robeson was at such an early date--at least from the Second World War if not earlier. In fact, when Robeson returns from an extended trip abroad in the early 1960s, he's greeted at the airport by a gaggle of interviewers, one of whom wants to know whether he'll be particating in the Civil Rights Movement. Given everything we've seen thus far, it's an astonishing question and I was torn between outrage and laughter, but Robeson just gives the guy a mildly condescending stare and says, "I consider myself to have been doing so my entire life." Likewise, a segment that shows how, over the years, Robeson transformed the song 'Ol' Man River' from a testament to racism to an ode to struggle and endurance is powerful. I was also entranced by Robeson's television appearances. In these, you can see something that doesn't come through in his singing speaking, or acting: that he was a natural storyteller, with a gift for timing and humor, and an actual physical involvement in each anecdote that seems to reflect his youthful training as an athlete.

All in all, I found this movie one of the most informative I've seen, one that educated without sacrificing its ability to entertain and entrance. Much of the credit must go to Robeson himself, committed both to teaching America about the truth of its behavior toward its most disadvantaged citizens, and to the extraordinary quality of his artistic work, which has a beauty and power that remains to this day. ... Read more