Mephisto

Istvan Szabo’s study of an actor (Klaus Maria Brandauer) in pre-WWII Germany. Barbara: Krystyna Janda. Nicoletta: Ildiko Bansagi. Juliette: Karin Boyd. General: Rolf Hoppe. Based on Klaus Mann novel., A Hungarian update of the Faustian legend, Istvan Szabo’s Mephisto stars Klaus Maria Brandauer as Hendrik Hofgen, a successful theatrical performer who has grown bored with the accepted confines of the dramatic form. Yearning for something more innovative, his groundbreaking ideas are met with commercial indifference; in an act of desperation, Hofgen sells his soul. The twist is that he sells it not to the Devil, but to the Nazis., Oscar-winning drama about an ambitious actor who is desperate to make a success of himself in Berlin, whatever the price. His acceptance by the Nazi elite brings glory and betrayal in equal measure, and the film is a powerful depiction of the seductive appeal of evil.