The Boys From Brazil (1978)
Directed by Franklin J. Schaffner
Biological determinism; Cloning; Genetic engineering; Nature/nurture
Dr. Mengele creates ninety-four Hitler clones through mononuclear reproduction, and Nazi hunter Ezra Liebermann must thwart Mengele’s plot before they mature.
Dr. Josef Mengele, the conductor of genetic studies at Auschwitz throughout the Holocaust, has created ninety-four Hitler clones through mononuclear reproduction. In order to maximize their potential as Nazi leaders, Mengele must replicate the same environmental influences that shaped Hitler. Thus, he recruits assassins to murder the clones’ fathers at precise times; each of the domineering, civil servant fathers must be eliminated around his 65th birthday, just as Hitler’s father was. Mengele’s meeting with the assassins is recorded by Barry Kohler, a member of the Young Jewish Defense, and before Mengele can dispose of this threat, Kohler contacts famed Nazi hunter Ezra Liebermann with the damaging information. Liebermann is skeptical, but convinces a source at Reuters to collect clippings from newspapers worldwide which detail accidental deaths of 65-year-old men. He begins to investigate, but unaware of Mengele’s endgame, Liebermann cannot determine why the infamous “Angel of Death” would want to kill them. Only after visiting several of the victims’ families does he realize that their sons are identical, each with dark-brown hair, piercing blue eyes and arrogant dispositions. As he tells the geneticist he later consults, the boys are more alike than mere twins. Together, the geneticist and Liebermann piece together facts and determine that Mengele has cloned Hitler. Now, Liebermann must interrupt the planned assassinations in order to prevent the clones from maturing into their full, deadly potential.
“Wouldn’t you like to live in a world of Mozarts and Picassos?” When the geneticist poses this question to Liebermann, he assumes that mononuclear reproduction would be used to enhance the world’s collective creativity and intelligence. Mengele replicates a reviled dictator, but certainly the technology could be applied to clone beloved figures. While a world populated with artistic and political geniuses may seem like an enlightened utopia, such technology could lead to the elimination of “ordinary” individuals. Furthermore, there is no guarantee that the cloned DNA will produce an individual comparable to the original; Hitler was influenced by more than just his family, with his country of origin and period of birth playing integral roles in his development. Mengele is not attempting to raise ninety-four Hitlers, but is hoping that out of the group, one dictator might emerge because of – or perhaps in spite of – environmental influences. Certainly, personality traits appear to be replicated among the clones, especially the manipulative and slightly dictatorial airs with which the clones address Liebermann. Trusting more in nature than nurture, the Young Jewish Defense is not content to let the clones live, but Liebermann opposes violent action against these essentially innocent children. Bobbie Wheelock, the clone that kills Mengele after he discovers his father’s body, revels in his murderous action and the power it affords him. Although the murder of Mengele may be mitigated by the doctor’s insidious past, should this clone be allowed to live now that his bloodlust has been awakened? And will his survival necessarily lead to mass destruction in future years?
Evaluation: This is a rather faithful, if slightly campy, adaptation of Ira Levin’s novel, and might be a useful addition to a class debating the consequences of genetic engineering as it considers both the benefits and detriments of these technologies.
– Natalie Champ