Mephisto
Synopsis
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.
Trailers, Teasers & Extra Featurettes
Official promotional previews, behind-the-scenes footage, and exclusive clips.
Official Trailer
Type: Trailer • Published 2019-07-03
Top Cast
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Klaus Maria Brandauer
Hendrik Höfgen
Krystyna Janda
Barbara Bruckner
Ildikó Bánsági
Nicoletta von Niebuhr
Rolf Hoppe
Tábornagy
Karin Boyd
Juliette Martens
György Cserhalmi
Hans Miklas
Péter Andorai
Otto Ulrichs
Christine Harbort
Lotte Lindenthal
Tamás Major
Oskar Kroge, színigazgató
Ildikó Kishonti
Dora Martin, primadonna
Mária Bisztrai
Motzné, tragika
Sándor Lukács
Rolf Bonetti, bonviván
Ágnes Bánfalvy
Angelika Siebert, naiva
Judit Hernádi
Rachel Mohrenwitz, drámai szende
Vilmos Kun
Ügyelõ
Hédi Temessy
Egy nagybankos neje
Teri Tordai
Laura, szobrásznõ
István Szabó
Theatre Party Attendant (uncredited)
Release History & Theatrical Window
New York Film Festival
Festival / Special Debut
March 22, 1982
Wide Cinema Exhibition
February 5, 2008
Physical Home Media
Key Information & Fast Facts
- Director
- István Szabó
- Screenplay & Story
- Péter Dobai, István Szabó
- Original Score
- Zdenkó Tamássy
- Original Title
- Mephisto
- Country of Origin
- Germany, Hungary
- Spoken Languages
- German, Hungarian, English
- Runtime
- 2h 25m
- Production Studios
- Mafilm, Objektív Film, ARD
Creative Leadership & Key Crew
István Szabó
Péter Dobai, István Szabó, Klaus Mann
Zdenkó Tamássy
Lajos Koltai
Zsuzsa Csákány
Manfred Durniok
Department Leadership Roster
Zdenkó Tamássy
Original Music Composer
István Szabó
Director
Lajos Koltai
Director of Photography
Péter Dobai
Screenplay
István Szabó
Screenplay
Manfred Durniok
Producer
Zsuzsa Csákány
Editor
Gyarmathy Ágnes
Costume Design
Age Classification & Content Advisories
Official viewer rating standards and content warnings across international classification boards.
International Certification Matrix
FSK 12 — Restricted to viewers aged 12 and older.
Production Stills & Gallery
Official cinematic photography and background stills for Mephisto.
Featured In Curated Collections
Editorial lists, community rankings, and cinematic collections featuring Mephisto.
Roger Ebert's Great Movies
Every film from Roger Ebert's 'Great Movies' essays. 罗杰·伊伯特的伟大电影： 收录了已故美国著名国民级影评人罗杰·伊伯特（Roger Ebert）在其经典的《伟大电影》（Great Movies）系列专栏文章中推荐、评论过的所有影史经典佳作。 *注：榜单源数据中包含部分剧集/迷你剧，由于本片单只收录纯电影，故不再收录以下非电影条目：* • [#092] Dekalog (1989) *(Updated via Automated ETL Pipeline: 2026-10-19 07:37:12 UTC+8)*
European Cinema
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War: World War II
Auto-filled from Letterboxd lists
Watchlist
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Frequently Asked Questions About Mephisto
Quick factual answers about cast, synopsis, director, box office, and release information.
What is Mephisto about?
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.
Who directed Mephisto?
Mephisto was directed by István Szabó.
Who stars in Mephisto?
The principal cast of Mephisto includes Klaus Maria Brandauer, Krystyna Janda, Ildikó Bánsági, Rolf Hoppe, Karin Boyd.
When was Mephisto released and how long is it?
Mephisto was released in 1981 with a total runtime of 2h 25m.
Who composed the musical score for Mephisto?
The original motion picture soundtrack for Mephisto was composed by Zdenkó Tamássy.
Is Mephisto based on a book or true story?
Mephisto is adapted from the following source material: Novel: "Klaus Mann".
What is the age rating and content advisory for Mephisto?
Mephisto holds official age classifications: DE: 12 (FSK 12 — Restricted to viewers aged 12 and older.).