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Poster for Mephisto

Mephisto

Seen it?

1981 | 145 min | Drama

Saturday Specialearly rating

Why it’s a Saturday Special

It earned strong reviews (80% on Rotten Tomatoes) and it won an Oscar. A strong pick for the weekend.

Based on critics, audiences, awards, box office and buzz. Details below.

Is it for you?

Who'll love it
Made for anyone who loves a strong drama. If you loved Frailty, start here. Critics rate it higher than audiences do, so it rewards patience more than it chases thrills.
The mood
Thoughtful and character-driven.
The pace
Takes its time with its characters, at 2 hr 25 min.
What might put you off
It's in German, so expect subtitles (or a dub).

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.

How it earned its rating

  • CriticsStrong

    80% on Rotten Tomatoes

  • AudiencesSolid

    7.3 out of 10

  • AwardsStrong

    Won 1 Oscar: Academy Awards: Best Foreign-Language Film'. Won 3 Cannes awards: Cannes Film Festival: Best Screenplay, Cannes Film Festival: Best Foreign Film, Cannes Film Festival: Best Foreign Actor. Also nominated for 1 BAFTA and 2 more Cannes awards. Plus 3 other awards.

  • Reach & staying powerSolid

    Streaming release that reached a small audience so far; still draws a steady audience long after release

  • Buzz & cultural impactSolid

    About 49K people sought it out in the past year

Trailer

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Cast & crew

Directed by István Szabó

  • Klaus Maria BrandauerHendrik Höfgen
  • Krystyna JandaBarbara Bruckner
  • Ildikó BánságiNicoletta von Niebuhr
  • Rolf HoppeTábornagy
  • Karin BoydJuliette Martens
  • György CserhalmiHans Miklas
  • Péter AndoraiOtto Ulrichs
  • Christine HarbortLotte Lindenthal
  • Tamás MajorOskar Kroge, színigazgató
  • Ildikó KishontiDora Martin, primadonna