MEPHISTO (1981) A Film Review Copyright Dragan Antulov 2000
Few days of popular revolt were enough for Serbia to transform from most despised genocidal pariah nation into new and popular member of European democratic community, with Western diplomatic establishment lifting sanctions and pouring bucketloads of aid money to the same people who had been mercilessly bombed only a year ago. This new development wasn't exactly welcomed by Serbia's neighbours, where people claim that the fall of one man can't redeem the crimes of millions who had directly or indirectly supported his policies. Although such notions can be best explained by envy or old irrational Balkans hatreds, they have some merit - horrors of history simply can't be explained by couple of psychotic, evil or scruples individuals who took reign at the wrong place and in the wrong time. Leaders who conducted genocide, ethnic cleansing or waged aggressive wars would have been powerless without plenty of individuals willing to support or carry out their policies. That includes Hitler and Nazism, and it is even more interesting to find out that such phenomenon actually occurred in one of the most enlightened and civilised nation of the Western world, with plenty of rather ordinary, decent and sometimes even liberal-minded folks ready to stand behind Nazi banner. While Hollywood films dealt with Nazism in recent years, they usually concentrated solely on its most horrific and obvious aftermath in the form of Holocaust, and failed to deal with the causes of such phenomenon. On the other hand, European cinema was traditionally more able to explore this dark territory, with filmmakers unafraid of coming with some rather unpleasant conclusions. One of those filmmakers was Hungarian Istvan Szabo, whose drama MEPHISTO was awarded with "Oscar" in 1981.
The plot of the film is based on the novel of German emitter Klaus Mann, written in 1936 and partially inspired by the biography of real life figure - famous German stage actor Gustaf Gruendgens. His alter ego in this film is named Hendrik Hoefgen and played by Klaus Maria Brandauer. The film begins in late 1920s, when Hoefgen is talented but still relatively unknown and frustrated actor in provincial theatre in Hamburg. sharing Communist beliefs with most of his friends and colleagues. After the marriage to Barbara Bruckner (played by Krystyna Janda), well-connected daughter of bourgeoisie family, his fortunes begin to change. He comes to Berlin and begins working in prestigious State Theatre. His career would reach new peak when he astounds everyone with his brilliant performance as Mephisto in stage version of Goethe's "Faust". The same performance brings attention of General (played by Rolf Hoppe), bigwig in rising Nazi party, who sees enormous propaganda potential in Hoefgen. When Nazis come to power, some of Hoefgen's friends, including his wife, emigrate, while others, like his colleague Otto Ulrichs (played by Peter Andorai) want to organise resistance. But Hoefgen seems blind to those development - intoxicated with stage success, he can't imagine his life of career outside Germany and for him Nazi regime is like any other. Hoefgen decides to stay and collaborate with Nazis, and for that he is rewarded with prestigious position of State theatre manager, luxurious villa and various other privileges. But after some time Hoefgen, who had discarded his youthful ideals, friends, wife and mistress, would realise both the real nature of Nazi regime and the real price of his collaboration.
Seeing that the film was made by Hungarian director during the Cold War, many critics would like to think of MEFISTO as a drama with subtle, but very not so implicit anti-Communist context. They might be right, because 1930s dilemmas of Gustaf Gruendgens/Hendrik Hoefgens are, more or less, same as the dilemmas that many Hungarian artists had after the failure of 1956 uprising. Those people had two basic alternatives - one was to remain in their country, continue their respective careers as nothing had happened and therefore legitimise the oppressive regime in exchange for the existential security. The other choice was to emigrate and enjoy freedom beyond borders of their homeland, but the price for that freedom was unemployment, poverty and anonimity in countries that didn't share their language - the most important tool of the acting trade. Same as Klaus Mann in the original novel, Szabo and his scriptwriter Peter Dobai extensively covered pros & cons, creating many interesting and impressive characters in the process. But it would be wrong to think about MEFISTO in the context of Cold War Hungary - the topic of the film is universal, despite Szabo using Hungarian, German and Polish cast and thus giving distinctively Mitteleuropean flavour to the film (the technique he would later use in COLONEL REDL and HANUSSEN). Furthermore, dilemma faced by the protagonist of MEFISTO isn't limited to fascism, communism or Mitteleuropa - we could find them even in the most democratic countries of the world, for example, among leftist radicals on 1960s American campuses who embraced right-wing values and turned into greedy business executives during Reagan's years. Another interesting thing about MEFISTO is Szabo's decision to give period "feel" to the movie without usual cliches about decaying democracy in Weimar Germany - there is very little violence in this film or references to inflation, unemployment and other socio-economic ailments that had contributed to Hitler's rise to power. Protagonists of this film are actors who live in their little artistic ivory towers, separated from mere mortals and paying only lip service to the developments outside world (in a same way that many Beverly Hills celebrities couldn't care less about things that go on Los Angeles ghettos). Perhaps the most radical (and in the context of Communist-controled East Europe subversive) element of Szabo's film is the character Hanks Miklas (played by Gioergy Cserhalmi), actor who sympathises Nazis out of his genuine beliefs, for which he is ready to sacrifice his own life.
This excellent psychological and sociological study of conformism couldn't have been made without Klaus Maria Brandauer, German stage actor who seemed perfect for this complex and very demanding role. His Hoefgen is multilayered person, torn between conflicting loyalties and various faces he must wear in both private and public. Brandauer fleshes out almost every detail of the said personality, hinting his inner weaknesses and lack of principle from the first scenes - Hoefgen is loyal to nobody but himself and he simply tries to act his way to success. Szabo utilises Brandauer's talent throughout the film - one of the example is the scene which establishes similarity between Hoefgen's career of actor and Hoefgen's career of theatrical bureaucrat in Nazi Germany. For Brandauer it was the role of the lifetime that would pave the way to Hollywood (where he unfortunately didn't manage to rise above villanish or supporting roles). Brandauer had the good fortune of being together with truly stellar cast, although some of them, like Andrzej Wajda's long-time associate Krystina Janda had to settle for minor and somewhat undeserving role. However, the only actor who seems on the same level with Brandauer is Rolf Hoppe in the role of General (who is obviously modelled on Hermann Goering). This General in the early, introductory scenes seems refined, hedonistic and not too burdened with Nazi ideology, in some way even similar to conformist Hoefgen. Only in the latter segments of the film Hoppe establishes true nature of that violent and ruthless regime through the actions of General. Unfortunately, in the later segments of the film Szabo have abandoned subtlety to certain degree and used some rather unecessary scenes. The ending also seems forced, confusing and somewhat too "artsy". However, MEFISTO is still a very good film with a intriguing and disturbing message that is relevant even for our, seemingly non-totalitarian times.
RATING: 8/10 (+++)
Review written on December 10th 2000
Dragan Antulov a.k.a. Drax Fido: 2:381/100 E-mail: dragan.antulov@st.tel.hr E-mail: drax@purger.com E-mail: dragan.antulov@altbbs.fido.hr
Filmske recenzije na hrvatskom/Movie Reviews in Croatian http://film.purger.com
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