| Max | |
|---|---|
| Directed by | Menno Meyjes |
| Produced by | Andrea Albert Damon Bryant |
| Written by | Menno Meyjes |
| Starring | John Cusack Noah Taylor Leelee Sobieski |
| Music by | Dan Jones |
| Distributed by | Lions Gate Films |
| Release date(s) | 2002 |
| Running time | 106 min |
| Language | English |
| IMDb profile | |
Max is a 2002 fictional drama film, that depicts a friendship between art dealer Max Rothman and a young painter, Adolf Hitler.
Contents |
Plot
The film begins with the signing of the Treaty of Versailles. Max Rothman (Cusack), a fictional Munich art dealer, is a Jewish veteran of the Battle of Ypres, where he lost his arm. He has returned to Germany to try and put his life back together by opening a Modern Art gallery when he is approached by a young Hitler (Taylor), who wishes to have his work shown. Rothman feels the young painter has a good technique but that his work could go deeper. Rothman encourages him to delve deeper while at the same time Hitler is being urged by Captain Mayr (Thomsen) to go into politics and make a career out of rousing, anti-Semitic propaganda. The film studies the questions of what could have been if Hitler had been more accepted in the art community and when it was that his views that became Nazi ideology began to take shape, while also studying the artistic and design implications of the Third Reich and how their visual appeal helped hypnotize the German people.
Critical response
The film garnered some controversy and was protested by some groups who feared the film would try to humanize or make a sympathetic character out of Hitler.
Finance
When director Menno Meyjes was shopping the script around Hollywood, he at first approached Amblin Entertainment for funding. Steven Spielberg told him that he felt the script was well written but he would personally feel uncomfortable funding the film, so he encouraged him to make the film but without support of Amblin.
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
- Kevin McKidd George Grosz
- Heather Louise Cameron Ada Rothman (as Heather Cameron)
- Joel Pitts Paul Rothman
- Tamás Lengyel Franz
- Attila Árpa Wilhelm
- Daisy Haggard Heidi
- Gábor Harsai Waiter
- Paul Rattray Hans
- Derek Hagen Fritz
- Caroleen Feeney Saleslady
- Mike Kelly Herr Wulf
- Ben O'Brien Herr Eichinger (as Ben O'Brian)
- Agnes Becsei Singing Girl
