Mephisto

I'll give my heart just to one man

The greatest love since time began

He'll come my way and he'll be strong

And he will sing me love's sweet song

- What happened Mr. Höfgen? - What do you want?

I don't need you now! Go to hell!

We're invited to a boring banquet. Sorry, but we have to leave now.

Can't you sit with us, Dora?

No, we're much too late.

Sorry, good evening.

I wanted to say you were marvelous tonight.

It was fantastic. Thank God I saw it.

You fraud, you didn't see the show. Never mind, you're talented.

Me? Talented? Say it louder.

Yes, you're very talented, Herr Höfgen.

I'm sure you'll soon be able to show just how talented you are.

I must be going, goodbye.

- Böck. Seven marks. - But Hendrik...

...if you need money I can lend you fifty marks.

This is men's business. Böck likes giving money.

Good evening, Miklas. Thank you.

So...

...Doctor Kroge lets me starve.

Höfgen, you old sinner! Take a seat.

Well, Director, how'd you like the show?

What's getting you down, Hendrik?

That I'm a provincial actor.

Is that all? Nothing else?

Hello.

You're late.

One day, I'll come to fetch you.

Don't you dread that, Heinz?

- Please don't call me Heinz. - Why not? That's your name.

I dislike it. Understand?

Perfectly, Heinz.

You can't even drink a beer like a man who feels like drinking one.

Shall we start?

What was that about beer?

It's not your style, simply to call for a beer.

"A beer, please" sounds phony when you say it.

I don't drink, Juliette.

I know, Heinz. Take your shoes off.

Come on...

One, two...

One, two...

...one, two, three, four...

On one...

Don't fall down now.

Faster!

Faster! Show me what you can do.

You want to be an actor and show off for money, too?

You comical picture of misery.

If you liked this music, you wouldn't get tired.

You always laugh at me, Juliette.

I can't cry. Would you love me if I could cry?

I love you anyway.

You only love yourself, Heinz, and even then not enough.

Keep talking. What you say is very nice.

Your only concern is your face being devoid of human expression.

It's a mask, you hear?

I, too, have skin and bones and body weight...

...and eyebrows and fingernails, just like you.

I, too, feel the cold. I can be hungry and thirsty.

I, too, think of my mother.

And I know there are Philistines and Communists.

But my eyes are not my eyes.

My legs are not mine, my face is not mine.

My name is not my name, because I am an actor!

Do you know what it means to be an actor?

An actor is a mask...

...among human beings.

Juliette...

Juliette...

Ladies and gentlemen, I have the honor...

...of welcoming you to the first reading of the play.

May I introduce our guest, Nicoletta von Niebuhr...

...who will play the female lead in this production.

Do you mind if my friend watches the rehearsal?

I have no objection.

- Two cognacs, please. - Yes, director.

Coming up right away.

Three beers, please.

There you go.

Please excuse me.

Please excuse me.

Father Hansemann...

Hendrik, will we look lovely in this play?

We are lovely.

May I introduce my best friend, Barbara Bruckner?

Nice to meet you.

What?

There's a nice smell of lavender about you.

Can you smell the lavender, too?

How shocking, on a man. But I need it like my daily bread.

A little on the temples is as good as a night's sleep.

Sleep would be better, but there's no time.

A beer and a mineral water.

We'll hear what he has to say...

...use the good bits, then play it our way.

He's good, but old-fashioned.

The future of Hamburg Art Theater is me.

I mean the two of us.

Most of the plays here are shallow bourgeois stuff.

But we visualize theater that will involve everyone...

...the workers, the dockers.

Where will you perform this theater?

It doesn't matter. In the docks, factories, cellars.

They asked me about the play. We promised it for last week.

Let's get this opening night over first.

We must prove that theater has a political function.

Before it can be political or revolutionary, it first has to be good.

Which actors will be in this sort of theater?

All who think like us. Even workers.

It's what we say, not how we say it.

But I've no qualms if Hendrik stages our plays.

Go on. Why are you looking at me?

Am I not allowed to?

If it pleases you, go ahead.

Without you, I'll be finished, Barbara.

There's too much evil in me.

Alone, I'm too weak to overcome it, but you could help me.

I can't talk anymore. So many thoughts are just parts I've played.

I love you, Barbara.

I'm in love. With a woman.

Juliette, am I a good looking man?

I've never seen you on stage. Maybe you're handsome, but...

...frankly, I've never found you good looking, but...

...sometimes your cold cheating eyes are those of a sad child.

You do it well.

Who have you fallen for?

- A girl. - Great.

You falling in love...

One day you may just learn how to walk, not just dance.

Love the girl, Heinz, and don't tell me anything about her.

- Do we keep in touch? - Yes.

You know what? I'm coming with you.

I have nothing to lose, Heinz.

Are you crazy?

See a psychiatrist.

Though I'm sure you wouldn't dare talk about yourself.

Go, Heinz. We'll meet soon anyway...

...even if I don't want to.

Grandmother, have you a moment?

- I'd like to introduce... - Your fiancé.

I have to take a closer look at my new grandson.

Not bad at all.

Excuse my mother please, she will be here shortly.

I assume you know, my dear Höfgen...

...that loving mothers rarely want their only sons to leave the nest.

Hello, Sebastian.

That is Sebastian.

Mom.

I'm really pleased.

Barbara, my dear child.

And I'm Nicoletta von Niebuhr...

...the bride's best friend, almost her sister.

Often, the bridegroom's mistress. Only onstage, of course.

May I call you Aunt Bella?

But of course, Nicoletta.

Let us leave the ladies to themselves.

I'd like to show you my garden.

I'd love to see it.

Have you unsettling memories, too?

You know, Barbara, memories that give you the creeps?

When I was about twelve, I got into our school choir.

I was overjoyed. I thought I could sing better than the other boys.

We had to sing in church at some wedding.

I wanted to show off. I was so proud of my soprano voice.

I had a great idea. I sang one octave higher than the others.

As I stood there, proudly singing...

...the music teacher looked at me more in disgust than disapproval...

...and he said softly, "Just keep quiet."

Do you understand?

Softly and dryly he said, "Just keep quiet."

When I felt I was singing like an angel.

Do you have such memories?

No.

You've never felt ashamed in your life.

I often have. That was the first time.

I often have to feel awfully ashamed of myself.

So ashamed, I could sink down into hell.

Do you understand me?

This is the basement room. The window faces the street.

Here's a lamp post and here, too. Behind it the bakery...

- ...with workers' wives lined up. - Stop!

Great.

Ms. Schult, you come up past the window.

Barbara, can you put a lamp post here...

...with a light to dazzle the audience?

Then you come here. "I'm Widow Queck who hasn't paid the rent."

We could have several more lamp posts in the auditorium...

...so people feel they're really in their filthy street.

We'll have posters, recent political slogans, all jumbled up.

At the back, a grocer's shop, with nothing to sell, of course.

Everything in the hall must express what we talk about.

Two policemen can patrol the rows and stare at the audience.

An end to passive watching, actors and public isolated from each other.

The public must play an active part. The days of the peepshow are over.

The actor is only one element of the performance...

...not it's focal point.