Hendrik Hofgen (Klaus Maria Brandauer) loves to be noted and appreciated. Why not because he not alone loves acting but trades his soul for survival, fame and the presence itself. While it won the 1981 Acadmy Award for Best Foreign Language Film, it did not manage to win me. The story is the life journey of Hendrik Hofgen, a born actor for theatre is obsessed with his talent and himself, suicides his conscience (if at all he has one), for furthering himself in the Nazi regime in Germany. It has more than two hours of him dancing, screaming, and talking within and of all wearing the mask of his cheerful devilishness of two faces happily. And we just cannot take it after a while not because of bad acting but the character itself is not much to resort upon for analysis. His sleaziness is too much for the screen. You can never find an angelic devil like that of Hofgen.Brandauer gives the single most convincing and arduous performance in the film. Yet it is bland and dry content becomes placid and dull as expected. The hunger for success by Hofgen is a driving factor and his behaviour looks animated as he is as an actor. Director István Szabó intentions are well made. Definitely he made what he wanted to give. The 80s film has this effect of downer even in the brightest of lights. Szabó’s “Colonel Redl” carried similar tone but it had its character working up in a manner to have some interest. We sympathize and feel sorry for him. Here the character over rides conscience effortlessly and that is the essence of the film. Is there a need to study a character so shallow and consumed by his presence and talent? Yes, when the protagonist while not completely transcends into an opposite behaviour shows struggle of conscience. In “Mephisto” it happens late in the film and does solidify the moment of embarrassment and guilt but it evaporates instantly without any clue. Even otherwise, there should be a purpose in showing something chameleonic. Entertainment is one of those but the film is not your usual summer block buster thriller.
The problem I have with Hofgen is that the only reason he survived himself is the love over his image and the “art” of theatre wherein he advanced further by bonding with Nazi which is not something to be emphasized as a film. The metaphor of Hofgen being the German Legend Faust who made the deal with the devil is nice but even after so much of the subliminal preaching of his demoniac soul; it steeps down further and further with no salvage. More than the conscience, the film itself moves sluggishly and blare us with Hofgen’s face over the screen as much as possible. Even the brilliant acting of Brandauer cannot save this when two hours and twenty four minutes of him shouldering the script gets indifferent with itself.
One more monumental mistake which is blatant is the bad acting of several players. Since Brandauer takes almost all the screen time, even the slightest inexpressive face barks out significantly to note it. The very less attention they get makes them forgettable further weakening the story. There is one notable character apart from Hofgen which is the Prime Minister, who is an Army General (not able to find the correct actor name from IMDB). He is the only other who matches Brandauer. He has the menacing look but also a friendly talk. He is that character we have seen in many villains who cracks a joke in a monotone voice but every one awaits for him to laugh first to authenticate it.
Giving a self destructive person is fine to learn something from it. You do not show him through out the film and always on the screen. As any work, it needs a team. They had a team with very little roles to be played and with some bad performances too. I may not agree with Hofgen’s story to be told but if it could have been counter pointed by other strong positive performances, it would have gotten interesting and caught my attention too. But it circles around as its protagonist and ends up narcissistic as him. And a study of narcissist is not interesting.
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