Mephisto (1981)

Directed by

István Szabó

Genre

drama film, historical film

Country

Germany, Austria, Hungary

Runtime

2h 24m

Rated

12

Rating

7.3 of 10 from 149 voters

Elsewhere

IMDb

How it feels

A German stage actor rises to prominence during the Nazi takeover. He gets caught up in performing for his new political patrons while his friends are forced into hiding.

tensemelancholiccerebraluneasysomberslow-paceddramaticreflective

What happens

Mephisto is a 1981 German-language political drama film co-written and directed by István Szabó, and based on the novel of the same name by Klaus Mann. It stars Klaus Maria Brandauer as a German stage actor (modelled on Gustaf Gründgens) who finds unexpected success and mixed blessings in the popularity of his performance in a Faustian play as the Nazis take power in pre-Second World War Germany. As his associates and friends flee or are forced underground by the Nazi regime, the popularity of his character ends up superseding his own existence, until he finds that his best performance is keeping up appearances for his Nazi patrons. The film was a co-production of Hungarian, Austrian, and West German studios; starring German and Hungarian-speaking actors. It premiered in Budapest on 11 February 1981 and received widespread acclaim from critics, winning the Academy Award for Best Foreign-Language Film, the first Hungarian picture to do so. Brandauer's performance earned him many accolades, including BAFTA and German Film Award nominations and launched his film career. (from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA)

Trailer

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