Max (film)

Max
Theatrical release poster
Directed by	Menno Meyjes
Produced by	Andras Hamori
Written by	Menno Meyjes
Starring	John Cusack Noah Taylor Leelee Sobieski Molly Parker
Music by	Dan Jones
Cinematography	Lajos Koltai
Editing by	Chris Wyatt
Studio	Pathé Pictures Alliance Atlantis UK Film Council Kinowelt Medien Aconit Pictures H2O Motion Pictures
Distributed by	Lionsgate
Release date(s)	September 20, 2002 (2002-09-20) (Toronto International Film Festival) June 30, 2003 (2003-06-30) (UK) September 25, 2003 (2003-09-25) (Hungary)
Running time	106 minutes
Country	United Kingdom Hungary Canada
Language	English
Box office	$539,879

Max is a 2002 British/Hungarian/Canadian fictional drama film, that depicts a friendship between a Jewish art dealer, Max Rothman, and a young Austrian painter, Adolf Hitler. The film explores Hitler's views which began to take shape under Nazi ideology; while also studying the artistic and design implications of the Third Reich and how their visual appeal helped hypnotize the German people. The film goes on to study the questions of what could have been if Hitler had been more accepted in the art community instead of him developing into an extremist politician.

Plot

The year is 1918, and Max Rothman (John Cusack), a fictional Munich art dealer, is a veteran of the Third Battle of Ypres, where he lost his right arm during the latter stages of World War I effectively ending his career as a painter. He returns to Germany to attempt to capture the essence of war through art by opening a modern art gallery. He is married to Nina (Molly Parker), but also has a mistress, Liselore von Peltz (Leelee Sobieski). Through a chance encounter, Rothman is approached by a young Adolf Hitler (Noah Taylor), a war veteran as well, disgruntled over Germany's loss during the conflict and the country's humiliation by the signing of the Versailles Treaty; Hitler wishes to have his artwork drawings displayed.

Rothman comes to believe that Hitler has talent, but has failed to tap his inner potential to create great art. While he is aware of Hitler's anti-semitism, Rothman still encourages him to delve deeper in his art, as they both develop a friendship based on their common experiences fighting in the war. Rothman also understands how Hitler had nothing to come home to after the war. Despite his overall doubts about Hitler, Rothman agrees to take some of his paintings under a contractual basis.

As these events unfold, Hitler is being urged by Captain Karl Mayr (Ulrich Thomsen), a Reichswehr officer, to go into politics and make a career out of anti-semitic propaganda. During a brief conversation in an army barracks, Mayr also offers to financially support him by having the army pay for his expenses, further enticing Hitler to join his national socialist movement, the German Workers' Party.

Later, Rothman begins to question Hitler's motives regarding his racial views. In an exchange of words, Hitler denies being anti-semitic and replies that on the contrary, he grudgingly admires the Jews and firmly believes the secret to their elite status in society is in the purity of their blood. He goes on to state that the German people would be of equal calibre and better off if they did not integrate themselves with different races.

After making a violently anti-semitic speech to a group of supporters at a rally—with Mayr's backing—Hitler goes to a cafe to discuss a series of new militaristic drawings with Rothman. As Rothman approaches the cafe for his interview with Hitler, he is savagely beaten by a group of anti-semites, who had ironically attended Hitler's rally. As Rothman lays dying, Hitler leaves the cafe, believing that Rothman has stood him up. He has now chosen politics over art, and so history will take its course.

Cast

• John Cusack as Max Rothman
• Noah Taylor as Adolf Hitler
• Leelee Sobieski as Liselore Von Peltz
• Molly Parker as Nina Rothman
• Ulrich Thomsen as Karl Mayr
• Kevin McKidd as George Grosz
• Peter Capaldi as David Cohn

Production

Filming

The film was written and directed by screenwriter Menno Meyjes. When Meyjes was shopping the script around Hollywood, he first approached Amblin Entertainment for funding. And as part of helping to finance the film, star John Cusack agreed to take no salary for his lead role.^[1] Steven Spielberg, for whom Meyjes had produced the Oscar and BAFTA-nominated script adaptation of The Color Purple, told him that he felt the script was well written, but he would personally feel uncomfortable funding the film without insulting the memory of Holocaust survivors. He encouraged Meyjes to make the film, but without support from Amblin. Filming locations included Amsterdam, Netherlands and Budapest, Hungary as backdrops for early 20th century Germany.

Response

Critical reception

Critics gave generally favorable reviews of the film. The Guardian's Peter Bradshaw praised the film's "clever and plausible propositions about career and destiny."^[2] while The Observer's Mark Kermode described it as, "Far from faultless ... but praiseworthy for its chutzpah, this rumbustious affair provokes both serious consideration and light-hearted appreciation."^[3] Roger Ebert for the Chicago Sun-Times remarked that, "To ponder Hitler's early years with the knowledge of his later ones is to understand how life can play cosmic tricks with tragic results."^[4] Alternatively, Peter Travers of Rolling Stone described a reference in the film made by the character Rothman; "You're an awfully hard man to like, Hitler", saying, "Few serious films could survive a line like that. Max certainly doesn't."^[5] Kenneth Turan of the Los Angeles Times similarly commented "it fritters away its potentially interesting subject matter via a banal script, unimpressive acting and indifferent direction."^[6]

Release

Home media

The Region 1 Code widescreen edition of the film was released on DVD in the U.S. on May 20, 2003. Special features include interviews with the cast and crew as well as an audio commentary on the entire film with director Menno Meyjes.

Box office

The film went on to gross $539,879 in 37 theaters during its 15-week American release.^[7]

References

1. ^ Max (2002) - Trivia
2. ^ Max, review by Peter Bradshaw, The Guardian, June 20, 2003
3. ^ Führer in the frame, review by Mark Kermode, The Observer, June 22, 2003
4. ^ Max, review by Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times, January 24, 2003.
5. ^ Max, review by Peter Travers, Rolling Stone, January 16, 2003
6. ^ Max, review by Kenneth Turan, Los Angeles Times, December 27, 2002
7. ^ Max, Box Office Mojo, accessed April 5, 2008.

External links

• Max at the Internet Movie Database
• Max at AllRovi
• Max at Box Office Mojo
• Max at Rotten Tomatoes
• Max at Metacritic