Yes, that is Steve Guttenberg you see in the beginning of the film.
The Nazi war criminal Josef Mengele is in Paraguay. This was a bit of speculation when the film came out in 1978, but the film was a bit prophetic in this respect. What The Boys From Brazil offers up is a story about Mengele enacting a rather grand plan to create a Fourth Reich. Guttenberg’s character stumbles upon the plot, contacts a Nazi hunter who is skeptical of everything.
What gives this story weight is the cast. We have many recognizable names and faces, including Denholm Elliot, Bruno Ganz, Rosemary Harris, Michael Gough, Walter Gotell, Anne Meara, and James Mason. These are all great actors, but the two principals are the main draw here – Gregory Peck as Mengele and Sir Laurence Olivier as the Nazi hunter Ezra Lieberman.
A bit of a fantastical plot is underway to bring about a Nazi revival, but not out of the realm of possibility. Lieberman begins investigating things while Mengele is determined to carry on with the plan despite the threat of exposure. The middle bit of the plot drags on a bit, but overall it’s a solid bit of speculative fiction.
Shout Factory offers up the film on Blu-ray in an edition that gives the film an transfer that might be better than it deserves. It looks fantastic, so sharp and clear. Unfortunately there are not special features save for the theatrical trailer. Still, a good film with solid performances that fans of good acting as well as speculative fiction will want to check out.