{"id":2220,"date":"2007-02-04T14:36:57","date_gmt":"2007-02-04T21:36:57","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/?p=2220"},"modified":"2020-12-31T22:25:07","modified_gmt":"2021-01-01T05:25:07","slug":"mephisto-1981","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/?p=2220","title":{"rendered":"Mephisto (1981)"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><strong>&#8220;What do they want from me now? After all, I am just an actor.&#8221;<\/strong><\/p>\n<table>\n<tr>\n<td>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/02\/Mephisto-Poster.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/02\/Mephisto-Poster-187x300.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"187\" height=\"300\" class=\"alignleft size-medium wp-image-21118\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/02\/Mephisto-Poster-187x300.jpg 187w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/02\/Mephisto-Poster-80x128.jpg 80w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/02\/Mephisto-Poster.jpg 350w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 187px) 100vw, 187px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p><strong>Synopsis:<\/strong><br \/>\nA stage actor (Klaus Maria Brandauer) in pre-WWII Germany colludes with the Nazis in order to continue working.\n<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>\n<p>\n<strong>Genres, Themes, Actors, and Directors:<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Actors and Actresses<\/li>\n<li>Character Studies<\/li>\n<li>Nazis<\/li>\n<li>Social Climbers<\/li>\n<li>World War II<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Review: <\/strong><br \/>\nHungarian director Istvan Szabo helmed this fascinating update on the Faustian legend of &#8220;selling one&#8217;s soul to the devil&#8221;. Based on an early-20th-century novel by Klaus Mann, it remains one of the most compelling cinematic portraits of life in pre-WWII Nazi Europe &#8212; thanks in large part to a powerhouse performance by Klaus Maria Brandauer. Brandauer embodies ambitious actor Hendrik Hoefgen with true passion and energy, brilliantly showing the complexity of a man who is both sympathetic (we relate to his impulses) and pathetic (his choices are ethically dubious). The film&#8217;s narrative moves quickly, in what was called by the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/1981\/09\/29\/movies\/troubled-actor-in-mephisto.html\"><em>New York Times<\/em><\/a> &#8220;a daringly compressed style&#8221; &#8212; perhaps the inevitable result of translating from novel to screen; but this ultimately serves the larger purpose of showing us Hoefgen&#8217;s transformation over the years from idealistic socialist to compromised theatrical superstar. By the final powerful scene of this movie, we are no longer sure what to think or feel about our enigmatic protagonist &#8212; yet we understand that we could be there ourselves, but for the grace of God.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Redeeming Qualities and Moments: <\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Klaus Maria Brandauer as Hendrik<br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/02\/Mephisto-Brandauer3.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/02\/Mephisto-Brandauer3-1024x577.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"640\" height=\"361\" class=\"alignnone size-large wp-image-60881\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/02\/Mephisto-Brandauer3-1024x577.png 1024w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/02\/Mephisto-Brandauer3-300x169.png 300w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/02\/Mephisto-Brandauer3-128x72.png 128w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/02\/Mephisto-Brandauer3-768x433.png 768w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/02\/Mephisto-Brandauer3-1536x865.png 1536w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/02\/Mephisto-Brandauer3-479x270.png 479w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/02\/Mephisto-Brandauer3.png 1809w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><\/a><\/li>\n<li>A fascinating, believable look at the seduction of political collusion during WWII<br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/02\/Mephisto-Power2.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/02\/Mephisto-Power2-1024x573.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"640\" height=\"358\" class=\"alignnone size-large wp-image-60882\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/02\/Mephisto-Power2-1024x573.png 1024w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/02\/Mephisto-Power2-300x168.png 300w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/02\/Mephisto-Power2-128x72.png 128w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/02\/Mephisto-Power2-768x430.png 768w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/02\/Mephisto-Power2-1536x860.png 1536w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/02\/Mephisto-Power2-482x270.png 482w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/02\/Mephisto-Power2.png 1809w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><\/a><\/li>\n<li>A unique update on the Faustian legend of Mephistopheles<br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/02\/Mephisto-Brandauer.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/02\/Mephisto-Brandauer-1024x577.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"640\" height=\"361\" class=\"alignnone size-large wp-image-60880\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/02\/Mephisto-Brandauer-1024x577.png 1024w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/02\/Mephisto-Brandauer-300x169.png 300w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/02\/Mephisto-Brandauer-128x72.png 128w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/02\/Mephisto-Brandauer-768x433.png 768w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/02\/Mephisto-Brandauer-1536x865.png 1536w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/02\/Mephisto-Brandauer-479x270.png 479w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/02\/Mephisto-Brandauer.png 1827w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><\/a><\/li>\n<li>The powerful closing shots<br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/02\/Mephisto-Closing.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/02\/Mephisto-Closing-1024x561.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"640\" height=\"351\" class=\"alignnone size-large wp-image-60879\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/02\/Mephisto-Closing-1024x561.png 1024w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/02\/Mephisto-Closing-300x164.png 300w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/02\/Mephisto-Closing-128x70.png 128w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/02\/Mephisto-Closing-768x421.png 768w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/02\/Mephisto-Closing-1536x842.png 1536w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/02\/Mephisto-Closing-493x270.png 493w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/02\/Mephisto-Closing.png 1786w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Must See? <\/strong><br \/>\nYes. Brandauer&#8217;s performance makes this must-see viewing. <\/p>\n<p><strong>Categories<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Noteworthy Performance(s)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Links: <\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/imdb.com\/title\/tt0082736\/\">IMDb entry<\/a><\/li>\n<li>\n<a href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/1981\/09\/29\/movies\/troubled-actor-in-mephisto.html\">NY Times Original Review<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.rogerebert.com\/reviews\/great-movie-mephisto-1981\">Roger Ebert&#8217;s Review<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/www.timeout.com\/film\/73078.html\">Time Out Capsule Review<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/table>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>&#8220;What do they want from me now? After all, I am just an actor.&#8221; Synopsis: A stage actor (Klaus Maria Brandauer) in pre-WWII Germany colludes with the Nazis in order to continue working. Genres, Themes, Actors, and Directors: Actors and Actresses Character Studies Nazis Social Climbers World War II Review: Hungarian director Istvan Szabo helmed this fascinating update on the Faustian legend of &#8220;selling one&#8217;s soul to the devil&#8221;. Based on an early-20th-century novel by Klaus Mann, it remains one&#8230;<\/p>\n<p class=\"read-more\"><a class=\"btn btn-default\" href=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/?p=2220\"> Read More<span class=\"screen-reader-text\">  Read More<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2220","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-reviews"],"aioseo_notices":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2220","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=2220"}],"version-history":[{"count":11,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2220\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":60886,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2220\/revisions\/60886"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=2220"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=2220"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=2220"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}