Mother Night (1996)

An American spy behind the lines during WWII serves as a Nazi propagandist, a role he cannot escape in his future life as he can never reveal his real role in the war.

Director:

Keith Gordon

Writers:

Kurt Vonnegut Jr. (novel) (as Kurt Vonnegut), Robert B. Weide (screenplay)

Stars:

Nick Nolte, Sheryl Lee, Anthony J. Robinow

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Nick Nolte	...	Howard Campbell
Anthony J. Robinow	...	Prison Warden
Michael McGill	...	Prison Official
Shimon Aviel	...	Guard Bernard Liebman
Bill Corday	...	Campbell's Father
Bronwen Mantel	...	Campbell's Mother
Brawley Nolte	...	Young Howard Campbell
Sheryl Lee	...	Helga & Resi Noth
John Goodman	...	Major Frank Wirtanen
Louis Strauss	...	Old Jewish Man
Zach Grenier	...	Joseph Goebbels
Richard Zeman	...	Rudolph Hoess
Thomas Hauff	...	SS Officer
Jeff Pufah	...	Young German Soldier
Norman Rodway	...	Werner Noth

Storyline

Howard W. Campbell, Jr., an American expatriate playwright, Nazi radio propagandist, and Allied spy, writes his memoirs during his pre-trial confinement in 1961 Haifa and learns that people are what they pretend to be.

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Plot Keywords:

watching tv | american | spy | germany | nazi | 

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Taglines:

Be careful what you pretend to be.

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Genres:

Drama | Romance | War

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for a scene of sexuality

Details

Official Sites:

Fine Line Features

Country:

USA

Language:

English German Yiddish

Release Date:

1 November 1996 (USA)

Also Known As:

Confessione finale

Filming Locations:

Montréal, Québec, Canada

Box Office

Budget:

$6,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$48,661, 3 November 1996, Limited Release

Gross USA:

$392,362

Company Credits

Production Co:

Fine Line Features, New Line Cinema, Whyaduck Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

114 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Color:

Black and White Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

"Frank Wirtanen" is the name of the man who used to sell Christmas trees to the Vonnegut family.

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Quotes

[first lines]
Prison Warden: Do you prefer German or English?
Howard W. Campbell Jr.: English.
Prison Warden: You are to write down your memoirs for the Haifa Institute For The Documentation of War Criminals. You have three weeks to complete your memoirs before your trial begins. Do you have any questions?
Howard W. Campbell Jr.: No, this is great. Thanks for everything.

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Connections

Features Triumph of the Will (1935)

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Soundtracks

Allegro
from "The Four Seasons"
Written by Antonio Vivaldi
Courtesy Associated Production Music

User Reviews

The Limits of Personal Responsibility

I've always loved Vonnegut because his books probe issues most people don't much like to think about. This film begins with an American who is beautifully and passionately in love. It ends with him broken by an ill-considered agreement that many would call noble, even heroic. What part does anticipation have in avoiding blame? Is simply being too distracted by love or duty to see the full impact of something an excuse? Is there ever an end to personal responsibility?