yesterday i watched Boys from brazil and i kind of liked the backstory with mengele making clones of hitler and stuff but i couldnt help myself ...i cried cause i laughed so hard at some moments...there are really awkard scenes in this and i REALLY think that this was planned to be a comedy first and they suddenly promoted that movie as a serious sci-fi thriller
>> Walking Straight ahead - A Band Apart <<
This does look a bit like a satire now - a very very VERY dark satire - but it was not presented as a comedy in 1978 and seriously creeped a lot of people out when it was released (as it still does).
shareWhile watching this, I was trying to understand how it would have been understood in the 70s.
It seems to have been marketed as a serious film. But "The Producers" had come out in the late 60s, so over-the-top Nazi-related humor was not unknown.
The film struck me as trying to play both sides -- dark comedy and thriller. The teen Hitler clones alone are ludicrously hammy. But then, there is real shocking violence -- like the young guy at the beginning who is brutally stabbed to death.
The satirical and suspenseful elements never come together like they did in a film like "The Stepford Wives." This movie seemed uneven and just plain weird. But it had character! Some truly memorable scenes. They tried to do something interesting and basically failed, but the attempt is still worth watching.
I first saw this on HBO in the late '70s or early '80s, and I certainly didn't take it as a comedy then, while I always saw "The Producers" as a comedy -- and a much better film, for that matter, but that's a topic for another board. This film is so over the top that it's often hard to take seriously as a thriller, but I don't think the filmmakers intended the audience to laugh at it.
Certainly it falls into the category of satire, at least by today's standards. Satire is a often a tough nut to crack in my book: It's often more "funny strange" than "funny ha-ha." I see this as the former.
Same here! I know it's not supposed to be funny, but when I watched it I couldn't stop laughing for several minutes. Especially the scene, where they are franticly looking for the device that was planted there. Also Steve Guttenberg cracked me up in every scene he was in!
shareThere were so many WTF scenes in it its really impossible.
Why did this one woman show the old nazi hunter her legs?
After all those people in the house in london were killed who played around with the puppet, I hope for the sake of the film it was not the nazi guy.
The first 20-30 min of this film werent bad but then it becomes goofy and the scenes drag on.
Either to make this film a little funny or to make it a serious film one of these two went horribly wrong.
Because she was a flirty widow. The Hitler clone is the one messing around with the puppet.
You utter nonce.
That guy is 80 years old why not flirt with tut ench amun or however that is written in english.
It just makes the film more trashy.
And did you just try insult me?
Anyways the clone playing with the puppet in the house full of dead people would again be trashy WTF moment. (one of many in this film)
You posted that a while ago now, so maybe you've learned since but at the time you clearly didn't know what the word trashy meant.
shareThis was definitely not planned to be a comedy and I see nothing amusing about it.
shareOMFG! The opening scene in Leiberman's apartment was straight out of some wacky, un-PC, albeit crappily written sitcom about a Jewish stereotype. Absolutely hilarious in all the wrong ways!
The overacting by every single person in this film makes me wonder if they were intentionally aiming at making a campy satire. I can't accept that people, even in 1978, were sucked into believing any of this as anything but camp.
I agree. I feel like this is an unintentional comedy.
shareTotally agree! That opening annoyingly ridiculous scene in Leiberman's office/apartment set a low benchmark for the rest of the film approached only by Peck's and Olivier's overacting and the unbelievable main plot thread. It was relief when James Mason was onscreen, as he seemed to be the one character attempting to keep a lid on every thing. Pity he didn't succeed.
shareOne of the most hilarious scenes in movie history is the ridiculously over-the-top scene between Peck and Olivier with the dogs in Pennsylvania. And Olivier's performance is WRETCHED and his faux Jewish accent ridiculous!
Liebermann: "Did you keeeel Wheelock?"
Mengele: "NO! He's in the kitchen, mixing us some COCKTAILS!"
Hilarity incarnate!
Liebermann: "Did you keeeel Wheelock?"
Mengele: "NO! He's in the kitchen, mixing us some COCKTAILS!"
Hilarity incarnate!
Don't forget Michael Gough! His character showed some promise as a buttoned London accountant type, but he was killed off, more or less, as soon as he appeared on screen. It was like Schaffner was punishing him for not serving the ham.
sharei worry about anyone who would get a good, hard laugh out of this movie. I could have done without Steve Guttenberg, but the acting by Peck, Olivier and Mason was top notch and those of us who were around when Weisenthal was doing his work could only get cold chills from this movie and the book.
shareI worry about someone who cannot see the hilarity in this film. It is so poorly directed and written that the serious aspect of the subject matter is lost. Seriously, the opening scene about the rent with water pouring down everywhere ... how could you not think WTF? And the plot ... are you freakin kidding me? Sure the world has changed greatly since 1974 ... and a movie like this could never be done today. For that I am grateful. Shame on GP & LO for putting their face on this!
shareIt's not meant to be a comedy but part of its charm is it's hokiness. The best part was when Mengele referred to the other Nazi's wife as an ugly bitch. I had to laugh because, frankly, he said what we were all thinking. It's even better when one scene later Mengele is picking glass out of the guy's head as if everything is A-OK.
shareThe scene where he attacks the other nazi at the party is fcked up.The searching for the bug scene is hilarious,especially the guy smashing the plates.The old one flirting with a way older man is just wrong.The fight scene at the end is a riot,especially one of them trying to bite the other guys ear.
Just badly directed film,good overall but too many idiotic scenes
The best part was when Mengele referred to the other Nazi's wife as an ugly bitch.
"Don't you understand English, you ass!"
Hitler as smartass punk kid - perfect.
The terrible accents alone make it pretty damned bad. I'm not a person who faults old movies for being old, but there's a certain style of direction that was common in the seventies which made even big budget movies seem like bad television movies.
I mean, I really enjoy watching Planet of the Apes, but it's the same kind of crap direction. Same director, same problem.
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"It's better not to know so much about what things mean." David Lynch
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