''Mephisto'' is a 1981 German-language

political drama A political drama can describe a Theatre, play, film or TV program that has a politics, political component, whether reflecting the author's political opinion, or describing a politician or series of political events. Dramatists who have written p ...

film co-written and directed by

István Szabó István Szabó (; born 18 February 1938) is a Hungarian film director, screenwriter, and opera director. Szabó is one of the most notable Hungary, Hungarian filmmakers and one who has been best known outside the Hungarian language, Hungarian- ...

, 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

Faust Faust ( , ) is the protagonist of a classic German folklore, German legend based on the historical Johann Georg Faust (). The erudite Faust is highly successful yet dissatisfied with his life, which leads him to make a deal with the Devil at a ...

ian play as the Nazis take power in pre-

Second World War World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

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 Budapest is the Capital city, capital and List of cities and towns of Hungary, most populous city of Hungary. It is the List of cities in the European Union by population within city limits, tenth-largest city in the European Union by popul ...

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 The British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA, ) is an independent trade association and charity that supports, develops, and promotes the arts of film, television and video games in the United Kingdom. In addition to its annual awa ...

and

German Film Award The German Film Award (), also known as Lola after its prize statuette, is the national film award of Germany. It is presented at an annual ceremony honouring cinematic achievements in the Cinema of Germany, German film industry. Besides being ...

nominations and launched his film career.

Plot

The film adapts the story of

Mephistopheles Mephistopheles ( , ), also known as Mephostophilis or Mephisto, is a demon featured in German folklore, originating as the chief devil in the Faust legend. He has since become a stock character appearing in Mephistopheles in the arts and popular ...

and Doctor Faustus by revealing the costs to the main character Hendrik Höfgen as he abandons his conscience and continues to perform, ingratiating himself with the

Nazi Party The Nazi Party, officially the National Socialist German Workers' Party ( or NSDAP), was a far-right politics, far-right political party in Germany active between 1920 and 1945 that created and supported the ideology of Nazism. Its precursor ...

to keep his job and improve his social position. Höfgen (modelled on German actor Gustaf Gründgens) craves center stage. The first third of the film follows his career as a frustrated, passionate actor slogging it out in provincial theaters, occasionally dancing and singing and doing parts in films to gain notice. He even founds a Bolshevik theater with a friend to generate more work, in the avant-garde period of the early 1930s, before the Nazis came to power. Initially, Hendrik is more successful in his social and love life than as an actor. Both strands unite when his new wife watches him play the ultimate role, Mephisto (the devil's agent in the Faustus play), just before the Nazi party came to power in Germany. While his wife, leading actors, and friends go into exile, or protest against the new regime, Hendrik returns to Germany lured by the promise of forgiveness for his communist theatre escapade and a desire to act in his native language. When the Nazi party offers to make him a star, he doesn't hesitate. Great roles and accolades quickly come his way, and Hendrik revels in his success. Hendrik reprises his greatest role as Mephisto and agrees to run the national theatre, working around the cultural restrictions and brutality of the Nazi government. He blithely overlooks the profound moral compromises of his situation, excusing himself by using the power of his close relationships with Nazi officials to help friends who would otherwise be targeted by the regime. The plot's bitter irony is that the protagonist's fondest dream is to become Germany's greatest actor, playing

Hamlet ''The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark'', often shortened to ''Hamlet'' (), is a Shakespearean tragedy, tragedy written by William Shakespeare sometime between 1599 and 1601. It is Shakespeare's longest play. Set in Denmark, the play (the ...

and Mephisto but to achieve this dream he sells his soul and realizes too late that he is not playing the role of Mephisto but that of Faustus; it is the Nazi leader with a major role in the film (modeled on

Hermann Göring Hermann Wilhelm Göring (or Goering; ; 12 January 1893 – 15 October 1946) was a German Nazism, Nazi politician, aviator, military leader, and convicted war criminal. He was one of the most powerful figures in the Nazi Party, which gov ...

) who is the real Mephisto.

Cast

* Klaus Maria Brandauer as Hendrik Hoefgen *

Krystyna Janda Krystyna Jolanta Janda (; born 18 December 1952) is a Polish film and theatre actress, director, and singer. She is best known internationally for playing leading roles in several films by Polish film director Andrzej Wajda, including '' Man of ...

as Barbara Bruckner * Ildikó Bánsági as Nicoletta von Niebuhr * Rolf Hoppe as The General * György Cserhalmi as Hans Miklas * Karin Boyd as Juliette Martens * Péter Andorai as Otto Ulrichs * Christine Harbort as Lotte Lindenthal * Martin Hellberg as Professor Reinhardt * Tamás Major as Oskar Kroge * Ildikó Kishonti as Dora Martin * Mária Bisztrai as Motzné * Sándor Lukács as Rolf Bonetti * Ágnes Bánfalvy as Angelika Siebert * Judit Hernádi as Rachel Mohrenwitz * Vilmos Kun as stage manager *

as man in tuxedo

Reception

The film was the highest-grossing Hungarian film in the United States and Canada with a gross of $3.9 million.

Awards and nominations

''Mephisto'' was the first Hungarian film to win the Foreign Language Oscar, and the only one until ''

Son of Saul ''Son of Saul'' () is a 2015 Hungarian historical drama film directed by László Nemes, in his feature directorial debut, and co-written by Nemes and Clara Royer. It is set in the Auschwitz concentration camp during World War II, and follows ...

'' won in 2016. On review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, the film holds an approval rating of 76% based on 25 reviews, with an average score of 7.40/10.

References

External links