The German actor Hendrik Höfgen is driven by immense ambition in the thirties’ Germany. In the theatre of Hamburg he prepares himself for the great task by tremendous efforts. He goes to Berlin. Finally he can play the dream of his life, Mephisto in Faust. After the great success all his thoughts and time are occupied by the stage, not realising how he commits himself more and more to the Nazi...
About the film
Details
- Running time
- 2 hr. 24 min.
- Country, year
- Germany, Hungary, Austria, 1981
- Genre
- Drama
- Language
- German
- Subtitles
- Lithuanian, English
- Age rating
- N/A
Credits
- Director
- István Szabó
- Screenplay
- Péter Dobai, István Szabó
- Cinematography
- Lajos Koltai
- Music
- Zdenkó Tamássy
- Cast
- Klaus Maria Brandauer, Ildikó Bánsági, Krystyna Janda, Rolf Hoppe
- More information
- www.imdb.com
Festivals and awards
- Best Screenplay, FIPRESCI Prize, selected for competition
- Best Foreign Film
- nominated for Best Actor
- Best Actor
- Foreign Language Film of the Year.
Director
István Szabó
Born in 1938 Budapest, István Szabó graduated as a film director from Hungary’s Academy of Art of Theatre and Film. Szabó has won worldwide acclaim from both critics and audiences, not only for the extraordinary beauty of his impressive slate of films, but also for the historic and contemporary importance of the messages that they carry within their social and political themes. His signature film trilogy consists of Mephisto (1981, winner of an Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film and a Cannes Award for the Best Screenplay), Colonel Redl (1984, winner of a Jury Prize at the Cannes Festival) andHanussen (1988). He made a switch to English-language films withMeeting Venus (1991), Sunshine (1999), Taking Sides (2001).
