Mephisto

1981 2h 25m DE

👍

7.3

SOLID

★7.3TMDB · 159

Drama

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

A German stage actor finds unexpected success and mixed blessings in the popularity of his performance in a Faustian play as the Nazis take power in pre-WWII Germany. As his associates and friends flee or are ground under by the Nazi terror, the popularity of his character supercedes his own existence until he finds that his best performance is keeping up appearances for his Nazi patrons.

“Some stories are better left unspoiled.”

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Cast

Klaus Maria Brandauer
Hendrik Höfgen
Krystyna Janda
Barbara Bruckner
Ildikó Bánsági
Nicoletta von Niebuhr
Rolf Hoppe
Tábornagy
Karin Boyd
Juliette Martens
György Cserhalmi
Hans Miklas
Péter Andorai
Otto Ulrichs
Christine Harbort
Lotte Lindenthal

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: István Szabó
Writers: Péter Dobai, István Szabó
Languages: German, Hungarian, English
Countries: Germany, Hungary

Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.

Did you know?

Fun facts 🍿

1 / 8

ERA

Did you know

45 years old — old enough to be someone's favourite childhood film.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 8

WORLD

Did you know

Dialogue crosses 3 languages: German, Hungarian, English.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 8

WORLD

Did you know

International production across 2 countries: Germany, Hungary.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by István Szabó, shot by Lajos Koltai. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Original score by Zdenkó Tamássy. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Editor Zsuzsa Csákány shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 8

CAST

Did you know

Klaus Maria Brandauer and Krystyna Janda and Ildikó Bánsági carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

8 / 8

WILD

Did you know

IMDB entry: tt0082736 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.

MoodPlayr · trivia#08

Cinephile deep dive

The take

István Szabó directs. Lajos Koltai behind the camera. Zdenkó Tamássy scores. Zsuzsa Csákány cuts. Produced in Germany, Hungary. Dialogue in German, Hungarian, English.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

145 years old — old enough to be someone's favourite childhood film.
2Dialogue crosses 3 languages: German, Hungarian, English.
3International production across 2 countries: Germany, Hungary.
4Directed by István Szabó, shot by Lajos Koltai. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
5Original score by Zdenkó Tamássy. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
6Editor Zsuzsa Csákány shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
7Klaus Maria Brandauer and Krystyna Janda and Ildikó Bánsági carry the top of the cast.
8IMDB entry: tt0082736 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.