Hannah Arendt (2012)

A look at the life of philosopher and political theorist Hannah Arendt, who reported for The New Yorker on the war crimes trial of the Nazi Adolf Eichmann.

Director:

Margarethe von Trotta

Writers:

Pam Katz (screenplay), Margarethe von Trotta (screenplay),

Stars:

Barbara Sukowa, Axel Milberg, Janet McTeer

4 wins & 7 nominations.

Cast

Credited cast:
Barbara Sukowa	...	Hannah Arendt
Axel Milberg	...	Heinrich Blücher
Janet McTeer	...	Mary McCarthy
Julia Jentsch	...	Lotte Köhler
Ulrich Noethen	...	Hans Jonas
Michael Degen	...	Kurt Blumenfeld
Nicholas Woodeson	...	William Shawn
Victoria Trauttmansdorff	...	Charlotte Beradt
Klaus Pohl	...	Martin Heidegger
Rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Friederike Becht	...	Young Hannah Arendt
Harvey Friedman	...	Thomas Miller
Megan Gay	...	Francis Wells
Claire Johnston	...	Ms Serkin
Gilbert Johnston	...	Professor Kahn
Tom Leick	...	Jonathan Schell

Storyline

A look at the life of philosopher and political theorist Hannah Arendt, who reported for The New Yorker on the war crimes trial of the Nazi Adolf Eichmann.

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Plot Keywords:

philosopher | female protagonist | based on true story

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Genres:

Biography | Drama

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Details

Country:

Germany Luxembourg France

Language:

German French English Hebrew Latin

Release Date:

10 January 2013 (Germany)

Filming Locations:

Israel

Company Credits

Production Co:

Heimatfilm, Amour Fou Luxembourg, MACT Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

113 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Black and White Color

User Reviews

Interesting history lesson

I didn't know an awful lot about philosopher Hannah Arendt before I saw this movie. Now I know a lot more about her, and about the way she thinks. After seeing the film, I have even read some articles about her work.

If that's what director Margarethe von Trotta had in mind when making this film, she succeeded. Her film documents an important chapter in the story of Arendt's life: her articles about the Eichmann trial in Jerusalem, and the ensuing tsunami of negative reactions. The reason for those negative reactions was the way Arendt regarded Eichmann: not as a monster, but as a man 'incapable of thinking', a dimwit who just followed orders. This fitted her theory of 'the banality of evil': the worst kinds of evil are often the result of not thinking for oneself.

Veteran actress Barbara Sukowa portrays Arendt as a difficult and complex woman, who is a brilliant philosopher but also stubborn, arrogant and single-minded. In one scene, we see her lying on a couch, when the phone rings. On the other end of the line is her editor, who faces a deadline and asks if she is making progress with the articles. 'Of course I'm working hard, and it would be nice if I could continue working instead of chatting on the phone', she answers. After that, she returns to the couch, lies down and continues smoking her cigarette.

Sometimes it seems that Arendt is incapable of feeling, just as Eichmann is incapable of thinking. Even when her best friends turn away from her, she continues insulting them by telling them 'she doesn't love the Jewish people'. She means it in a philosophical way - you can't love a people the way you love individuals. But nevertheless, it comes across as cold-hearted and insensitive.

Arendt is clearly an interesting person. But that doesn't make 'Hannah Arendt' an interesting film. From a cinematographic point of view, the movie doesn't have much to offer. It's a rather straightforward account of this episode in Arendt's life. The only thing that adds a little depth to the film are the flashbacks of the romantic affair she had with her teacher, the famous philosopher Martin Heidegger, who sympathized with the Nazis. The film suggests that this affair influenced the way she regarded Nazis such as Eichmann, but doesn't make this explicit. In my view, the film is interesting as a history lesson about this remarkable woman, but not as a great cinematographic experience.