Max (2002/I)

User Rating:

6.6/10   

Director:

Menno Meyjes

Writer (WGA):

Menno Meyjes (written by)

Release Date:

8 May 2003 (Netherlands)

Genre:

Drama | War

Tagline:

Art + Politics = Power

Plot:

A film studying the depiction of a friendship between an art dealer named Rothman and his student, Adolf Hitler.

Plot Keywords:

Hitler | Art | Artist | Art Dealer | Public Speaking

Awards:

2 wins & 4 nominations

Cast

John Cusack	...	Max Rothman
Noah Taylor	...	Adolf Hitler
Leelee Sobieski	...	Liselore von Peltz
Molly Parker	...	Nina Rothman
Ulrich Thomsen	...	Captain Mayr
David Horovitch	...	Max's Father
Janet Suzman	...	Max's Mother
András Stohl	...	NCO
John Grillo	...	Nina's Father
Anna Nygh	...	Nina's Mother
Krisztián Kolovratnik	...	Nina's Brother
Peter Capaldi	...	David Cohn
Yuliya Vysotskaya	...	Hildegard
János Kulka	...	Mr. Epp
Katalin Pálfy	...	Mrs. Epp

Also Known As:

Hoffman (USA) (working title)

MPAA:

Rated R for language.

Runtime:

106 min

Country:

Hungary | Canada | UK

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

Australia:M | Netherlands:12 | Singapore:NC-16 (original rating) | Singapore:PG (edited for re-rating) | USA:R | UK:15

Filming Locations:

Amsterdam, Noord-Holland, Netherlands

Company:

AAMPI Inc.

Trivia:

To help get this controversial movie financed, producer/star John Cusack took no salary for acting in the lead role.

Goofs:

Anachronisms: The song "Happy Birthday to You" is sung at the party, but it did not appear in the form we know today until 1924.

Quotes:

Max Rothman: Try not to be one of those people who finds a slight in any compliment.

Movie Connections:

Featured in "Cinemania: I anodos kai i ptosi tou Nazismou" (2008)

Excellent for the art-house crowd, too deep for the popcorn crowd

The tag line, "Art + Politics = Power," should give people some idea of the gravity of the film. This role may have been the Oscar that slipped through Cusack's hands due to the controversy surrounding the release. The sad part is, it was started by people who had not even seen the film, and when they had seen it, they retracted their statements. The movie was very well-executed and tasteful, and it was refreshing to see Cusack lose himself in a character. He does well with complexity, and it shows here.

Noah Taylor made a particularly realistic (and as a result particularly unsettling) performance as Hitler. Definitely see this film and don't expect blockbuster two-dimensional acting and predictable plot twists. Watch with a glass of wine and a group of friends who will explore the aspects and finer points with you. It's a conversational piece if nothing else, but one that will leave you on a tangent of what-ifs for quite some time.