Hanussen
“He saw the future. And it was war.”
Synopsis
A man's story parallels Hitler's rise. Austrian Klaus Schneider, wounded in World War I, recovers in the care of Dr. Emil Bettleheim. Bettleheim discovers that Schneider possesses powers of empathy and of clairvoyance, such that could aid suicidal patients. After the war, with one friend as his manager and another as his lover, Schneider changes his name to Eric Jan Hanussen and goes to Berlin, as a hypnotist and clairvoyant performing in halls and theaters. He always speaks the truth, which brings him to the attention of powerful Nazis. He predicts their rise (good propaganda for them) and their violence (not so good). He's in pain and at risk. What is Hanussen's future?
Top Cast
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Klaus Maria Brandauer
Klaus Schneider / Eric Jan Hanussen
Erland Josephson
Dr. Bettelheim
Ildikó Bánsági
Sister Betty
Walter Schmidinger
Propaganda Chief
Károly Eperjes
Tibor Nowotny
Grażyna Szapołowska
Valery de la Meer
Colette Pilz-Warren
Dagma
Adrianna Biedrzyńska
Wally
György Cserhalmi
Count Trantow-Waldbach
Michał Bajor
Becker
Jiří Adamíra
Rattinger
Róbert Rátonyi
Prof. Gábor
Gabriela Kownacka
Wife of Propaganda Chief
Ewa Błaszczyk
Hennie Stahl
Péter Andorai
Fabian
Kalina Jędrusik
Lajos Kovács
Éva Kerekes
Release History & Theatrical Window
March 10, 1989
Wide Cinema Exhibition
February 11, 2010
Physical Home Media
Key Information & Fast Facts
- Director
- István Szabó
- Screenplay & Story
- István Szabó, Péter Dobai
- Original Score
- Zdenkó Tamássy, György Vukán
- Original Title
- Hanussen
- Country of Origin
- Austria, Germany, Hungary
- Spoken Languages
- German, Hungarian
- Runtime
- 2h 20m
- Production Studios
- ZDF, Hungarofilm, Mafilm, Mokép, Objektív Filmstúdió Vállalat, CCC Filmkunst
Creative Leadership & Key Crew
István Szabó
István Szabó, Péter Dobai, Gabriella Prekop, Heinz Freitag
Zdenkó Tamássy, György Vukán
Lajos Koltai
Zsuzsa Csákány, Brigitta Kajdácsi, Bettina Rekuc
Artur Brauner, Judit Sugár
Department Leadership Roster
István Szabó
Director
István Szabó
Screenplay
Péter Dobai
Screenplay
Artur Brauner
Producer
Judit Sugár
Producer
Lajos Koltai
Director of Photography
Zsuzsa Csákány
Editor
Brigitta Kajdácsi
Editor
Bettina Rekuc
Editor
Éva Szentandrási
Editor
József Romvári
Production Design
Zsuzsa Stenger
Costume Design
Nelly Vágó
Costume Design
Lambert Hofer Jr.
Costume Design
Age Classification & Content Advisories
Official viewer rating standards and content warnings across international classification boards.
International Certification Matrix
Interdit aux moins de 16 ans — 16+ only.
Production Stills & Gallery
Official cinematic photography and background stills for Hanussen.
Featured In Curated Collections
Editorial lists, community rankings, and cinematic collections featuring Hanussen.
War: World War II
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World War II Films and TV
Golden Globe Nominated Titles - IMDb
Oscar Best Foreign/International Picture Nominees
Complete list of Oscar Best Foreign/International Picture Nominees
Oscars 1989
Nominees and selected films for the 61st Academy Awards (ceremony year 1989).
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Frequently Asked Questions About Hanussen
Quick factual answers about cast, synopsis, director, box office, and release information.
What is Hanussen about?
A man's story parallels Hitler's rise. Austrian Klaus Schneider, wounded in World War I, recovers in the care of Dr. Emil Bettleheim. Bettleheim discovers that Schneider possesses powers of empathy and of clairvoyance, such that could aid suicidal patients. After the war, with one friend as his manager and another as his lover, Schneider changes his name to Eric Jan Hanussen and goes to Berlin, as a hypnotist and clairvoyant performing in halls and theaters. He always speaks the truth, which brings him to the attention of powerful Nazis. He predicts their rise (good propaganda for them) and their violence (not so good). He's in pain and at risk. What is Hanussen's future?
Who directed Hanussen?
Hanussen was directed by István Szabó.
Who stars in Hanussen?
The principal cast of Hanussen includes Klaus Maria Brandauer, Erland Josephson, Ildikó Bánsági, Walter Schmidinger, Károly Eperjes.
When was Hanussen released and how long is it?
Hanussen was released in 1988 with a total runtime of 2h 20m.
Who composed the musical score for Hanussen?
The original motion picture soundtrack for Hanussen was composed by Zdenkó Tamássy, György Vukán.
What is the age rating and content advisory for Hanussen?
Hanussen holds official age classifications: FR: 16 (Interdit aux moins de 16 ans — 16+ only.).