Mephisto is István Szabó and screenwriter Péter Dobai's adaptation of Klaus Mann's novel about success-driven actor Hendrik Hoefgen's rise to fame during the Third Reich.
The movie invites the viewer to see World War II from a seldom-explored perspective, that of the arts. We see the blacklisting of communist and jews, the decline in production of foreign playwrights like Moliére, and using culture to spread Nazi values.
And in the middle is Hendrik Hoefgen, an actor who just wants to survive and get fame but by his own fault ends up involved in the higher echelons of the Nazi Party and becomes director the State Theater, immortalized by his performance as Mephisto because of the values this character seems to share with the ideal German the Nazis are trying to create.
The movie poses the question, can art remain pure amidst political times; and if Hoefgen's life is any indication, then no, it can't. It can revolt and flee for safer places, or it can stay and become a corrupted tool of ideology. Hoefgen, although never played as villains, is a deeply flawed man and hardly innocent of his dealings with the Nazis. Throughout the movie he's described as a self-promoter who cares only about himself. Such is his intention to please that he always goes back to the Mephisto role, the one he's more popular with. Eventually one wonders where Hoefgen ends and the character begins, as people call him Mephisto as if that were his real name.
In the end, though, he's more of a Faustian character than a true seductive devil. He symbolises everyone who happily compromised with the the Reich. He's never treated with pity, for it's obvious he knew what he was getting himself into. And yet one can't help feel pity for Hoefgen and the way he slowly loses power over himself until he becomes just a lackey of the state.
Klaus Maria Brandauer gives a magnificent performance as Hendrik Hoefgen. He plays it with an endless range of emotions, so conflicted is his mind. Another great performance was delivered by Rolf Hoppe as the Prime-Minister, a patron of the arts and Hoefgen's admirer and protector. Hoppe plays his character unlike any Nazi I've ever seen, like a real person, which only makes his reserved outbursts more violent.
From a technical point of view, the movie is nothing outstanding. Szabó doesn't impress the viewer with extravagant cinematography, costumes and art direction, which are the staple of period movies. He lets the screenplay and actors do all the work, allowing the movie to develop slowly until the fascinating ending. It may be a difficult movie to watch, but one that rewards patience.
The movie invites the viewer to see World War II from a seldom-explored perspective, that of the arts. We see the blacklisting of communist and jews, the decline in production of foreign playwrights like Moliére, and using culture to spread Nazi values.
And in the middle is Hendrik Hoefgen, an actor who just wants to survive and get fame but by his own fault ends up involved in the higher echelons of the Nazi Party and becomes director the State Theater, immortalized by his performance as Mephisto because of the values this character seems to share with the ideal German the Nazis are trying to create.
The movie poses the question, can art remain pure amidst political times; and if Hoefgen's life is any indication, then no, it can't. It can revolt and flee for safer places, or it can stay and become a corrupted tool of ideology. Hoefgen, although never played as villains, is a deeply flawed man and hardly innocent of his dealings with the Nazis. Throughout the movie he's described as a self-promoter who cares only about himself. Such is his intention to please that he always goes back to the Mephisto role, the one he's more popular with. Eventually one wonders where Hoefgen ends and the character begins, as people call him Mephisto as if that were his real name.
In the end, though, he's more of a Faustian character than a true seductive devil. He symbolises everyone who happily compromised with the the Reich. He's never treated with pity, for it's obvious he knew what he was getting himself into. And yet one can't help feel pity for Hoefgen and the way he slowly loses power over himself until he becomes just a lackey of the state.
Klaus Maria Brandauer gives a magnificent performance as Hendrik Hoefgen. He plays it with an endless range of emotions, so conflicted is his mind. Another great performance was delivered by Rolf Hoppe as the Prime-Minister, a patron of the arts and Hoefgen's admirer and protector. Hoppe plays his character unlike any Nazi I've ever seen, like a real person, which only makes his reserved outbursts more violent.
From a technical point of view, the movie is nothing outstanding. Szabó doesn't impress the viewer with extravagant cinematography, costumes and art direction, which are the staple of period movies. He lets the screenplay and actors do all the work, allowing the movie to develop slowly until the fascinating ending. It may be a difficult movie to watch, but one that rewards patience.