Max (2002)

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

Director:

Menno Meyjes

Writer:

Menno Meyjes

Stars:

John Cusack, Noah Taylor, Leelee Sobieski

3 wins & 5 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
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
Kata Pálfi	...	Mrs. Epp (as Katalin Pálfy)

Storyline

Munich, 1918. German-Jew Max Rothman has returned to much of his pre-war life which includes to his wife Nina and their two children, to his mistress Liselore von Peltz, and to his work as an art dealer. He has however not returned to being an aspiring painter as he lost his dominant right arm during the war. He is approached by an aspiring painter, a thirty-year old Austrian war veteran named Adolf Hitler, who wants him to show his works. Although he doesn't think the paintings are all that original and he doesn't really like Hitler as a person, Rothman takes Hitler under his wings if only because of their camaraderie of being war veterans, and knowing that Hitler had nothing and no one to come back to after the war unlike himself. Rothman believes that Hitler has promise if only he can find his original artistic point of view. In part out of need for money, Hitler, on the urging of Captain Karl Mayr, agrees to work for the army as a political spokesman in anti-Semitic propaganda. ...

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Plot Keywords:

art dealer | painter | mistress | jewish | scantily clad female | 

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Taglines:

Art + Politics = Power

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Genres:

Drama | War

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for language

Did You Know?

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.

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Goofs

The film gives the impression that, among the other designs, Hitler designed the uniforms for the SS. In actuality, these were designed by Hugo Boss.

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Quotes

[first lines]
[George Grosz crashes and drunkenly runs stumbling in, looks around at the paintings on display, and begins to vomit]
Max Rothman: George, so glad you like it.

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Connections

Featured in Cinemania: I anodos kai i ptosi tou Nazismou (2008)

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Soundtracks

Happy Birthday
(uncredited)
Written by Mildred J. Hill and Patty S. Hill

User Reviews

The Artist Formerly Known As Hitler

MAX (2002) *** John Cusack, Noah Taylor, Molly Parker, Leelee Sobieski, Ulrich Thomsen. Filmmaker Menno Meyjes' audacious yet non-offensive examination on the colossal What If of all time: What if Adolph Hitler continued his path into a career as an artist instead of a genocidal madman? Based on facts and an amalgamated character in the form of Max Rothman (a never finer Cusack in one of his best ‘adult' roles to date) a WWI vet who has returned to his Munich based art dealership minus a limb with an ever-gnawing question: What now? Enter problematic young artist wannabe and fellow German war vet Hitler (Taylor in a tricky yet full-force to be reckoned with turn) insisting his friendship with the tormented Rothman to the limits (and the beginnings of the end for history). The film is a tad bland in some areas however the prickly wonderings of what may have been make it all the worthwhile.

Details

Country:

Hungary Canada UK

Language:

English

Release Date:

20 June 2003 (UK)

Also Known As:

Max

Filming Locations:

Amsterdam, Noord-Holland, Netherlands

Box Office

Budget:

$11,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$30,157, 29 December 2002

Gross USA:

$539,879

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$660,763

Company Credits

Production Co:

AAMPI Inc., Aconit Pictures, Alliance Atlantis Communications

Technical Specs

Runtime:

106 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1