In early-1930s Germany, a passionate stage actor finds himself before a dilemma: renounce his apolitical stance and comply with the Reich's doctrine, or face oblivion. But, Faustian bargains never end well. What is the price of success?
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Title: Mephisto (1981)
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Cast
| Cast overview, first billed only: | |||
| Klaus Maria Brandauer | ... | Hendrik Höfgen | |
| Krystyna Janda | ... | Barbara Bruckner | |
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Ildikó Bánsági | ... | Nicoletta von Niebuhr |
| Rolf Hoppe | ... | Tábornagy | |
| György Cserhalmi | ... | Hans Miklas | |
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Péter Andorai | ... | Otto Ulrichs |
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Karin Boyd | ... | Juliette Martens |
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Christine Harbort | ... | Lotte Lindenthal |
| Tamás Major | ... | Oskar Kroge, színigazgató | |
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Ildikó Kishonti | ... | Dora Martin, primadonna |
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Mária Bisztrai | ... | Motzné, tragika |
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Sándor Lukács | ... | Rolf Bonetti, bonviván |
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Ágnes Bánfalvy | ... | Angelika Siebert, naiva (as Bánfalvi Ágnes) |
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Judit Hernádi | ... | Rachel Mohrenwitz, drámai szende |
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Vilmos Kun | ... | Ügyelõ |
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Plot Summary
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Storyline
A German stage actor finds unexpected success and mixed blessings in the popularity of his performance in a Faustian play as the Nazis take power in pre-WWII Germany. As his associates and friends flee or are ground under by the Nazi terror, the popularity of his character supercedes his own existence until he finds that his best performance is keeping up appearances for his Nazi patrons. Written by Keith Loh <loh@sfu.ca>
Genres:
DramaParents Guide:
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Goofs
In the movie's final scene, the modern track is visible in Berlin's Olympic Stadium. See more »Connections
Referenced in At the Movies: Beauty and the Beast/Black Robe/My Girl/Meeting Venus (1991) See more »Frequently Asked Questions
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Details
Release Date:
22 March 1982 (USA) See more »Also Known As:
Mephisto See more »Company Credits
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IMDbPro »
Everyone knows the story of Faust: a man sells his soul to the Devil in exchange for something. Well, as we learned in the Rolling Stones' song "Sympathy for the Devil", the Prince of Darkness doesn't necessarily appear as a mustachioed red being with a bifurcated tail. In "Mephisto", the Devil appears as an ideology-turned-governmental-system: Nazism. And in this case, the Devil doesn't request your soul, but rather a favor: that you work for it. Such is the fate of actor Heinz Hoefgen (Klaus Maria Brandauer). Hoefgen has felt shame all his life and has often worn white make-up, as if to hide behind it. But the Nazis make him feel powerful, and so he works for them; metaphorically, he sells his soul to them.
"Mephisto" proves not only the mastery of Germany's film industry, but also what a great director Istvan Szabo is (also shown in "Sunshine" and "Being Julia").