Mephisto (1982)

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Mr. Arkadin
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Mephisto (1982)

Post by Mr. Arkadin »

Coming on Sunday evening, looks interesting. Anyone seen this? Comments?
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moira finnie
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Mephisto (1981)

Post by moira finnie »

Mr. Arkadin,
I haven't seen Mephisto in some years, but it is well worth another look, not least for the bravura performance of Klaus Maria Brandauer, who is magnificent as an obscure actor whose ambition outstrips any ethics in his nature, as he pursues fame and fortune in Nazi Europe. It's interesting because the film and the actor mercilessly examine the inevitable dichotomy between all of our public and private faces in society. Brandauer's ability to express the corrosive effect of ignoring--for whatever reason--living in a corrupt society, the pursuit of expedient steps to satisfy artistic ambition, and the consequences of our choices, is brilliantly showcased by director István Szabó, (whose 1999 film Sunshine, with Ralph Fiennes, is also worth a look).

Brandauer's controlled, almost inexpressive face at times seems to indicate a hollowness in the character, but the total effect of his "different" type of performance as an actor made this film more memorable for me. The fact that this film shows the effects of living in one of the most inhuman society's in history adds to the almost operatic drama. Karin Boyd, as Brandauer's racially inconvenient mistress, is outstanding for her beauty and her performance. I do wish that Klaus Maria Brandauer would appear in more films, since he has such a distinctive dramatic flair and a rather sneaky sense of humor in several of his performances as an actor.

Based on a book by Klaus Mann, (the son of Nobel Prize winner Thomas Mann), the Faustian tale is said to have been based on the real life career of Gustav Gruendgens, who was married to Klaus' sister, Erika Mann in the late '20s. Gruendgens starred in several Nazi propaganda films, was said to be the favorite actor of Hermann Göring, and in his time was known as the ultimate interpreter of Goethe's character of "Faust" in the Schiller play. Eventually Gruendgens stopped further publication of Mann's book, citing defamation of character issues.

This film is not one that I'd recommend for viewing with youngsters, btw. The adult themes of decadent behavior and frank sexuality are quite explicit throughout the film.

I hope that you and others will share your observations after seeing this movie.
Last edited by moira finnie on April 22nd, 2007, 10:33 am, edited 1 time in total.
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Moraldo Rubini
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Mephisto

Post by Moraldo Rubini »

Mr. Arkadin asked:
Coming on Sunday evening, looks interesting. Anyone seen this? Comments?
Well, I attended this wildly popular, Oscar-winning movie when it was playing at San Francisco's Vogue theatre. Every showing was sold out and the lines were long. We waited in a line that went around the block, and finally got in for the last screening of the weekend. When we entered the theatre we found that it was extremely hot and stuffy from no air circulation and so many people.

Once the movie movie finally began, I noticed the woman next to me kept leaning towards me and I assumed she was struggling to see the subtitles. Man it was hot in there... As the frames sped through the projector, the woman leaned more and more, until her head was practically on my shoulders. As my eyelids grew heavy, I realized she was falling asleep; and that I was about to join her. When I awoke, Klaus Maria Brandauer was yelling in an empty stadium and the final credits began to roll.

I've been meaning to see this movie again since 1981...
MikeBSG
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Post by MikeBSG »

I like "Mephisto" a lot. I found Brandauer's performance superb, but what I liked about the movie was that it made me think about the issue of what a person does under a dictatorship. Do you leave the county? Do you stick around and hope for the best?

Director Istvan Szabo addressed this question from a different angle in "Taking Sides," which was made within the last five years. It is another very impressive film.

I also like Szabo's "Colonel Redl" and "Meeting Venus" very much. "Hanussen" didn't impress me as much, but I think I liked it more than most people.
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