Max (2002/I)

Director:

Menno Meyjes

Writer (WGA):

Menno Meyjes (written by)

Release Date:

8 May 2003 (Netherlands)

Genre:

Drama | War

Tagline:

Art + Politics = Power

Plot:

A film studying the depiction of a friendship between an art dealer named Rothman and his student, Adolf Hitler.

Plot Keywords:

Art | Art Dealer | Politics | Painter | Artist

Awards:

2 wins & 5 nominations

Cast

John Cusack	...	Max Rothman
Noah Taylor	...	Adolf Hitler
Leelee Sobieski	...	Liselore von Peltz
Molly Parker	...	Nina Rothman
Ulrich Thomsen	...	Captain Mayr
David Horovitch	...	Max's Father
Janet Suzman	...	Max's Mother
András Stohl	...	NCO
John Grillo	...	Nina's Father
Anna Nygh	...	Nina's Mother
Krisztián Kolovratnik	...	Nina's Brother
Peter Capaldi	...	David Cohn
Yuliya Vysotskaya	...	Hildegard
János Kulka	...	Mr. Epp
Katalin Pálfy	...	Mrs. Epp
Kevin McKidd	...	George Grosz
Heather Cameron-McLintock	...	Ada Rothman (as Heather Cameron)
Joel Pitts	...	Paul Rothman
Tamás Lengyel	...	Franz
Attila Árpa	...	Wilhelm
Daisy Haggard	...	Heidi
Gábor Harsai	...	Waiter
Paul Rattray	...	Hans
Derek Hagen	...	Fritz
Caroleen Feeney	...	Saleslady
Mike Kelly	...	Herr Wulf
Ben O'Brien	...	Herr Eichinger (as Ben O'Brian)
Agnes Becsei	...	Singing Girl
Tibor Soltenszky	...	Antique Dealer
Kerric Macdonald	...	Heckler in Courtyard
Matt Devere	...	Freikorps Thug
Judit Hernádi	...	Frau Schmidt
Kerry Shale	...	Dr. Levi
Heather Hermant	...	Mrs. Levi
László Borbély	...	Erich
Peter Linka	...	Soldier in Courtyard
László Görög	...	Someone in Crowd
Andor Tímár	...	Ritter von Lieberfelt
John Rado	...	Organizer (as Janos Rado)
Tamás Puskás	...	Sidewalk Cafe Owner
Pandora Colin	...	Max's Sister-in-Law
Robert Frohlich	...	Rabbi (as Rabbi Robert Frohlich)
Róbertne Bánky	...	Puppeteer
Miklós Dörögdy	...	Puppeteer
Mariann Kovács	...	Puppeteer
Péter Bognár	...	Puppeteer
István Erdös	...	Puppeteer
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Robert Whitelock	...	Radio Announcer (uncredited)

Directed by
Menno Meyjes

Writing credits (WGA)
Menno Meyjes		(written by)

Produced by
Andrea Albert	....	co-producer
Sidney Blumenthal	....	associate producer
Damon Bryant	....	co-producer
John Cusack	....	associate producer
Jonathan Debin	....	executive producer
Andras Hamori	....	producer
François Ivernel	....	executive producer
Lacia Kornylo	....	associate producer
Cameron McCracken	....	executive producer
Tom Ortenberg	....	executive producer

Original Music by
Dan Jones

Cinematography by
Lajos Koltai

Film Editing by
Chris Wyatt

Casting by
Nina Gold

Production Design by
Ben van Os

Art Direction by
Tibor Lázár

Set Decoration by
Ágnes Menyhárt

Costume Design by
Dien van Straalen

Makeup Department
Manyi Almássy	....	additional hair stylist
Manyi Almássy	....	additional makeup artist
Ildikó Aradi	....	second assistant hair stylist
Ildikó Aradi	....	second assistant makeup artist
Katalin Bakács	....	additional hair stylist
Katalin Bakács	....	additional makeup artist
Mara Bócz	....	additional hair stylist
Mara Bócz	....	additional makeup artist
Judit Endrényiné	....	additional hair stylist (as Judit Endrényi)
Judit Endrényiné	....	additional makeup artist (as Judit Endrényi)
Mariann Hufnágel	....	additional hair stylist
Mariann Hufnágel	....	additional makeup artist
Katalin Jakots	....	key makeup artist: John Cusack
Andrea Juhasz	....	first assistant makeup artist
János Jánosi	....	additional hair stylist
János Jánosi	....	additional makeup artist
Éva Kolontáry	....	hair stylist
Nóra Koltai	....	additional hair stylist
Nóra Koltai	....	additional makeup artist
Ildikó Makk	....	hair stylist (as Ildiko Makk)
Balázs Novák	....	additional makeup artist
Éva Szalai	....	additional hair stylist
Éva Szalai	....	additional makeup artist
Mónika Szatmári	....	additional hair stylist
Mónika Szatmári	....	additional makeup artist
Klára Takács	....	additional hair stylist (as Takács Klári)
Klára Takács	....	additional makeup artist (as Takács Klári)
Ancsa Tesner	....	additional hair stylist
Ancsa Tesner	....	additional makeup artist
Anna Tesner	....	additional makeup artist
Kati Tomola	....	makeup supervisor
Melinda Tompa	....	additional hair stylist
Melinda Tompa	....	additional makeup artist

Production Management
Andrea Barzsó	....	assistant unit manager
Csaba Benedek	....	unit manager
John Nabereznyj	....	post-production supervisor
Gábor Szántó	....	unit production manager
György Sánta	....	unit production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Gábor Gajdos	....	first assistant director
Kerric Macdonald	....	second assistant director
Csilla Szigeti	....	second assistant director
Tamás Vass	....	third assistant director

Art Department
Balázs Bajnok	....	construction crew
Victor Barabás	....	construction crew
István Berkes	....	construction crew
Béla Blazsej	....	props
Attila Budavári	....	construction crew
Attila Budavári	....	construction manager
László Bukor	....	construction crew
István Cicze	....	construction crew
Jane Clark	....	storyboard artist
Judit Csák	....	assistant art director
Miklós Diá	....	construction crew
Zoltán Hardy	....	property master (as Zoltán Hardi)
Richárd Tamás Janó	....	construction crew
Róbert Jász	....	stand-by constructor
Attila Kertész	....	construction crew
Tamás Kiss	....	construction crew
András Korein	....	construction crew
Géza Kotán	....	construction crew
Péter Kovács	....	construction manager
Mándor Kreidl	....	props
József Kudron	....	construction crew
Rajmund Kuszkó	....	storyboard artist
Antal Lakatos	....	construction crew
László Mohovics	....	props
László Molnár	....	assistant property master
Tamás Monori	....	props
Pál Ferenc Nagy	....	props
Gábor Paul	....	construction crew
Zsolt Pocsai	....	construction crew
Imre Popovics	....	construction crew
Rob Prior	....	poster artist
Tibor Rigó	....	construction crew
Miklós Roszoka	....	construction crew
Zsolt Sajgó	....	assistant construction manager
Ferenc Simiglai	....	construction crew
Ferenc Simiglai	....	painter
András Sule	....	construction crew
Lajos Surányi	....	construction crew
Eszter Szabó	....	painter
Tamás Szabó	....	construction crew
Krisztina Szilágyi	....	draft person
János Szivák	....	construction crew
Zoltán Sárközi	....	construction crew
Tamás Tamási	....	assistant set decorator
Károly Turzai	....	construction crew
Karin Van Der Werff	....	assistant to production designer
Todd Van Hulzen	....	artwork coordinator: pre-production
Csaba Vásári	....	stand-by constructor
József Ócsai	....	props
Péter Újvári	....	props

Sound Department
Fred Brennan	....	dialogue and adr editor
Fred Brennan	....	supervising sound editor
Steph Carrier	....	sound re-recording mixer
Kathy Choi	....	assistant dialogue editor
Sue Conley	....	adr editor
Colin Cooper	....	adr mixer
Colin Cooper	....	adr recordist
Stacy Coutts	....	assistant sound re-recording mixer
Eliot Crackower	....	control room operator
Roderick Deogrades	....	sound effects editor
Frederic Gibert	....	adr recordist
Barry Gilmore	....	adr editor
Martin Gwynn Jones	....	assistant sound effects editor
Garrett Kerr	....	dialogue editor
Thomas Kodros	....	sound consultant: Dolby (as Thomas G. Kodros)
Goro Koyama	....	foley artist
Andy Malcolm	....	foley artist
Anna Malkin	....	foley recording assistant
Ron Malligers	....	foley mixer (as Ron Mellegers)
David McCallum	....	sound effects editor
Bogi Móricz	....	post-production sound recording coordinator
György Simon	....	boom operator
Gábor Sipos	....	boom operator
István Sipos	....	production sound mixer
Lou Solakofski	....	sound re-recording mixer
Ted Swanscott	....	adr mixer
Jane Tattersall	....	sound effects editor
Paul Virostek	....	sound effects recordist
Don White	....	foley recording mixer
Rebecca Wright	....	foley mixer assistant
David Yonson	....	adr recordist

Special Effects by
Gábor Balogh	....	special effects
János Berki	....	special effects (as Janos Berki-Berkenye)
Furedi Csaba	....	special effects technician (2002)
Paul Denomme	....	visual effects executive producer
Attila Erczkovi	....	special effects
Gabor Kiszelly	....	special effects technician
Gyula Krasnyánszky	....	special effects (as Gyula Krasnyanski)
Ferenc Ormos	....	special effects supervisor
Iván Pohárnok	....	prosthetics
György Solymosi	....	special effects
Ferenc Sárik	....	special effects
László Takács	....	special effects
Ferenc Török	....	special effects
Attila Varsányi	....	special effects

Visual Effects by
Jeff Baker	....	technical supervisor
Ian Britton	....	digital compositor
Drake Conrad	....	scanning and recording
Graham Cunningham	....	lead 3D artist: Calibre Digital Pictures
Peter Denomme	....	visual effects producer: Calibre Digital Pictures
Mark Fordham	....	lead matte artist
Rick Hannigan	....	project coordinator
Felix Heeb	....	scanning and recording
Noel Hooper	....	lead digital compositor/supervisor
Ariel Joson	....	digital artist
Gerry Legros	....	visual effects producer
Diana Madureira	....	production coordinator: Cine-Byte
Andrew Nguyen	....	digital matte artist
Anthony Paterson	....	visual effects supervisor: Calibre Digital Pictures
Chris Ross	....	digital opticals effects
Rick Saulnier	....	visual effects coordinator
Matt Schofield	....	matte artist
Mark Tureski	....	digital opticals effects
Rainy Venne	....	roto/rig removal
Allan Walker	....	matte artist

Stunts
Zoltán Bodor	....	stunts
László Imre	....	stunts
Bela Kasi	....	assistant stunt coordinator
Péter Katona	....	assistant stunt coordinator
Levente Lezsák	....	stunt performer
Domonkos Pardanyi	....	stunts
Erzsébet Szloboda	....	stunts
Béla Unger	....	stunt coordinator

Camera and Electrical Department
Gyula Balogh	....	electrician
Csaba Bankhardt	....	electrician
György Berghoffer	....	electrician
Balázs Bélafalvy	....	camera operator (as Balázs Bélafalvi)
Zsolt Büti	....	generator operator
Attila Csabai	....	camera loader: second camera
Dániel Decsi	....	video assistant
István Decsi	....	focus puller
József Dene	....	focus puller: second camera
Egon Endrényi	....	still photographer
György Garami	....	electrician
Ákos Gulyás	....	assistant camera
Károly Gál	....	best boy (as Gaál Károly)
Zoltán Halmágyi	....	electrician
Árpád Horváth	....	camera loader: second unit
Gábor Inczédy	....	electrician (as Inczédi Gábor)
János Kiss	....	grip
Tamás Krausz	....	electrician
Gabor Laczkó	....	grip
Zsigmond Molcsány	....	grip (as Zsigmond Molcsán)
Tamas Nyerges	....	Steadicam operator
Gábor Oláh	....	grip
Tibor Oláh	....	camera loader
Pal Paluch	....	grip
Attila Szûcs	....	crane operator
Attila Szûcs	....	grip
Rudolf Takács	....	gaffer
József Trombitás	....	best boy
András Tóth	....	key grip

Casting Department
Deirdre Bowen	....	casting: Toronto
Zsolt Csutak	....	casting: Hungary
Sándor Dénes	....	extras casting
Mali Finn	....	casting: Los Angeles
Tamara Gillon	....	casting assistant
Tamás Kertész	....	extras casting

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Andrea Bényi	....	dresser
Andrea Friebert	....	dresser
György Homonnay	....	wardrobe supervisor
Marie-Therese Jacobse	....	assistant costume designer
Péter Kincs	....	dresser (as Peter Kincs)
Gabi Komoróczy	....	dresser
József Lender	....	dresser
Andrea Nárai	....	assistant wardrobe master
Móni Simkó	....	dresser
Gabor Szabo	....	dresser
Nelli Szolnoki	....	dresser
Dóra Szóke	....	dresser
Zoltán Trubel	....	dresser
József Varjú	....	dresser

Editorial Department
Juliane Brown	....	post-production assistant
Kenn Elliott	....	final colorist
Chad Glastonbury	....	negative cutter
Chris Hinton	....	color timer
Chris Petrenko	....	post-production assistant
Catherine Rankin	....	negative cutter
Viola Regéczy	....	color timer
Jay Steckel	....	post-production assistant
Ron Wisman Jr.	....	assistant editor

Music Department
Christopher Austin	....	conductor
Christopher Austin	....	orchestrator
Ben Foskett	....	music preparation
Dan Jones	....	score mixer
Oliver Ledbury	....	orchestrator
Elizabeth Purnell	....	orchestrator
Dénes Rédly	....	assistant recording engineer
Jonathan Stokes	....	music recording engineer
Wayne Swingle	....	music editor
Attila Tõzsér	....	score mixing engineer

Transportation Department
Sándor Panyi	....	transportation captain

Other crew
Kinga Baranyai	....	production secretary
Aileen Bell	....	post-production accountant
Réka Benyovszký	....	assistant: Mr. Meyjes
Eva Borsos	....	assistant accountant
Early Boyd	....	assistant: Mr. Hamori
Attila Bánhalmi	....	production assistant
Catherine Charlton	....	dialogue coach
Doug Dearth	....	assistant: Mr. Cusack
Gergely Fülöp	....	set production assistant (as Gergö Fülöp)
Linda Gamble	....	unit publicist
Tamás Guba	....	location manager
Balázs Kovács	....	crowd marshall
Judit Kovács	....	assistant accountant
Ágota Kovács	....	production coordinator
Sarolta Lentzki	....	animal handler
Tamás Maros	....	location manager
Lindsay McCracken	....	assistant: Mr. Cusack
Bogi Móricz	....	assistant: John Cusack, Budapest
Rozália Oláh	....	production accountant
E. Andrew Pecs	....	production accountant (as Andrew Pecs)
István Pocsai	....	set production assistant
Leonard B. Rosman	....	legal services
Richard Szabó	....	security HOD
Esther Szasz	....	interpreter
Balázs Szekeres	....	production assistant
Beatrix Szombati	....	assistant to executive producer
Gabriella Winkler	....	script supervisor
Susanna Wyatt	....	head of physical production: Pathé Pictures

Thanks
Consuelo Accetti	....	thanks
Jeff Berg	....	thanks
Cassian Elwes	....	thanks
Mark Horowitz	....	thanks
Ken Kamins	....	thanks
Zsolt Kézdi-Kovács	....	thanks
John Lieberman	....	thanks
István Mikó	....	thanks
Gaby Morgerman	....	thanks
Sándor Pozsgay	....	thanks
János Reichenberger	....	thanks
Julia Rosenberg	....	thanks
Arthur Schneier	....	thanks
Jozsef Schweitzer	....	thanks (as Professor Rabbi Jozsef Schweitzer)
Eli Selden	....	thanks
Richard Soames	....	thanks
Trudie Styler	....	thanks
Gustâv Zoltai	....	thanks

Production Companies

• AAMPI Inc.
• Aconit Pictures
• Alliance Atlantis Communications
• Bioskop Film
• Canadian Film or Video Production Tax Credit (CPTC) (with the participation of)
• Film Council
• H2O Motion Pictures
• JAP Films
• Natural Nylon II
• Pathé Pictures International

Distributors

• A-Film Distribution (2003) (Netherlands) (theatrical)
• Toshiba Entertainment (Japan) (theatrical)
• A-Film Home Entertainment (2003) (Netherlands) (video)
• Alliance Atlantis Motion Picture Distribution
• Hollydan Works (2003-????) (Serbia and Montenegro) (DVD)
• Lions Gate Films
• Pathé Distribution
• Pyramid (Russia)
• Teleview International (2003) (Lebanon) (TV) (Middle East)
• Versus Entertainment (2007) (Spain) (all media)

Special Effects

• Calibre Digital Pictures
• Cine-Byte Imaging
• Multifilm Special Effects

Other Companies

• 4MC  video services
• Appeal to Conscience Interfaith Coalition  thanks
• Association of Hungarian Jewish Communities  thanks
• Edit Hire Post Production Services  AVID editing facilities
• Fearless Film and Video Corporation, The  video services
• Film Council  made with the support of
• Film Finances  completion guarantor
• Footsteps Post-Production Sound  foley re-recorded at
• Future Post  adr recording facilities
• Kodak  motion picture film supplied by
• Magyar Államvasutak (MÁV)  thanks (as MÁV - Hungarian Railways)
• Moving Picture Company (MPC)  digital video services
• People of Budapest, The  thanks
• Sixt Rent-a-Car  thanks
• Sydney Apartment Hotel  thanks
• Tattersall Casablanca  sound editing facilities

Also Known As:

MPAA:

Rated R for language

Runtime:

106 min

Country:

Hungary | Canada | UK

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

Australia:M | Netherlands:12 | Singapore:NC-16 (original rating) | Singapore:PG (edited for re-rating) | USA:R | UK:15

Filming Locations:

Amsterdam, Noord-Holland, Netherlands

Company:

AAMPI Inc.

Trivia:

Writer/director Menno Meyjes reports that before the script was written, Steven Spielberg's Amblin company was interested in the project. But Spielberg told Meyjes he couldn't bring himself to help make a movie he thought would dishonor Holocaust survivors. Nevertheless, he considered the script an excellent one and encouraged the director to push for its realization, but without Amblin.

Goofs:

Continuity: When the little girl crawls underneath the table to "steal" a cookie, the direction she is crawling from changes when the camera cuts to another angle.

Quotes:

Max Rothman:Listen, do you want to meet some girls?
Adolf Hitler:Girls?
Max Rothman:Yes, girls! They're these fantastic creatures who make you feel creative without you having to do anything.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "The Cinema Snob: The Devil with Hitler (#4.30)" (2012)

There is no future in the future

Greetings again from the darkness. What a phenomenal script! Dealing with the absolute most controversial subject possible, Menno Meyjes (writer and director), provides a fascinating look at the early years of history's most despised figure. "What if" Hitler's art had won over his politics? So much of history would have changed, one can only imagine. As a matter of fact, how about a script showing what could have been? This one teases us with the fork in the road. Noah Taylor is absolutely chilling as a frustrated Hitler, just back form WWI and struggling to find his place in a crippled Germany. John Cusack, as art dealer Max Rothman, is tremendous in what is truly his first role as an adult (no wise-ass or chick flick here). Comparing the two and how they deal with post-war syndrome is enthralling. So similar, yet so different. I doubt this film gets made without Cusack and I doubt it will find much of an audience due to the fear of many to this day to even entertain the thought of Hitler as a human being. Trust me, this is not a sympathetic view of Hitler, merely a glimpse into his formation. Molly Parker has a nice turn as Cusack's wife. Where has she been? More than 20 film credits and I don't recognize her! It is always a pleasure to see Leelee Sobieski ("Joy Ride") although she has very little to do in this one. Wonderful script, mediocre direction and two fabulous performances make this one worth seeing ... although, sadly, very few will.