Based on Klaus Mann's novel, Mephisto details the rise of a Faustian character who figuratively sells his soul in exchange for greatness. Hendrik Hofgen (Klaus Maria Brandauer, offering an electric performance) is the star of a state-funded theater department who tires of his job. Like his friends, he pays lip service to socialist ideals fashionable for artists of his time -- that is, until the Nazis rise to power. He then sees an opportunity to achieve his objective of fame: he will perform
propaganda plays and thereby use the Nazis as a vehicle to spread his name across the country -- only too late does he realize his mistake. This well-adapted version of the book featured the first teaming of Brandauer with director Istvan Szabo; they would later reunite to make Colonel Redl and Hanussen. Brandauer first gained attention in the U.S. after the film's release and would be cast as the villain in Never Say Never Again as a result. ~ Jeremy Beday, Rovi
Few have dared what Brandauer accomplishes: showing us a good actor responding to the same neurotic drive for the center of the stage, the immortalizing role. His is a great performance, nothing less.
Winner of the 1981 foreign lingo Oscar, Szabu's modern Faustian take is rather conventional in story and ideas, but it has strong emotional pull due to Brandauer's bravura performance.
Slow-burning and bleak, this detailed study of deception and self-justification is brought to life by the virtuoso performance of Klaus Maria Brandauer and the perfectly restrained direction of Istvan Szabó.
What would you do?The first hour or so was momentarily almost dreadfully dull, but luckily things became more interesting towards the end as he really started to contemplate his doings.
Oscar winning film about a actor who sells his soul to advance as a actor and a citizen in the Nazi Germany.Klaus Maria Brandauer is great as a down and out actor who changes his beliefs to advance as Germany's greatest actor.The movie is a take on Faust and as the film continues Klaus goes from the devil to Faust
himself. I loved the idea and it is executed perfectly. The only problem is the film has a sudden ending that really doesn't have much resolve. The movie is over 2 hours and they could trim about 20 minutes and add more of a ending.
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