Mother Night (film)

Last updated
Mother Night
Mother Night poster.jpg
Theatrical poster
Directed by Keith Gordon
Screenplay by Robert B. Weide
Based on Mother Night
by Kurt Vonnegut
Produced byKeith Gordon
Robert B. Weide
Mark Ordesky
Starring Nick Nolte
Sheryl Lee
Alan Arkin
Kirsten Dunst
Frankie Faison
John Goodman
Cinematography Tom Richmond
Edited by Jay Rabinowitz
Music by Michael Convertino
Production
companies
New Line Cinema
Whyaduck Productions
Distributed by Fine Line Features
Release dates
  • August 14, 1996 (1996-08-14)(Montreal)
  • November 1, 1996 (1996-11-01)
Running time
114 minutes [1]
CountryUnited States
LanguagesEnglish
German
Yiddish
Budget$6 million
Box office$403,701 [2]

Mother Night is a 1996 American romantic war drama film produced and directed by Keith Gordon. It is based on Kurt Vonnegut's 1961 novel of the same name.

Contents

Nick Nolte stars as Howard W. Campbell, Jr., an American who moves with his family to Germany after World War I and goes on to become a successful German-language playwright. As World War II looms, Campbell meets a man who claims to be from the United States Department of War, and is recruited to spy for the U.S., transmitting Nazi propaganda containing hidden messages that can only be decoded by Allied intelligence. After the war, Campbell relocates to New York City, where he attempts to live in obscurity. Since the U.S. government keeps his true wartime role a closely guarded secret, Campbell is forced to live under an assumed identity. The film is narrated by Campbell, through a series of flashbacks, as he sits in a jail cell in Israel, writing his memoirs, and awaiting trial for war crimes.

The film also stars Sheryl Lee, John Goodman, Kirsten Dunst, Alan Arkin, and Frankie Faison. Vonnegut makes a brief appearance in a scene in New York City.

Plot

Confined in an Israeli jail, Howard W. Campbell, Jr. writes a memoir about his career in Nazi Germany. During the buildup to World War II, Campbell, an American playwright of German language stage productions, is approached by War Department operative Frank Wirtanen. Wirtanen asks Campbell to work as a spy for the U.S. in the approaching war, though he promises no reward or recognition. Campbell rejects the offer, but Wirtanen adds that he wants Campbell to take some time to consider, telling him that Campbell's answer will come in the form of how he acts and what positions he assumes once the war begins.

In the initial stages of the war, Campbell works his way up through Joseph Goebbels' Propaganda Ministry, eventually becoming the "voice" of English language broadcasts propagating Nazism and anti-Semitism at American citizens (a parallel to the real broadcaster, Dr. Edward Vieth Sittler). [3] [4] [5] [6] Unknown to the Nazis, all of the idiosyncrasies of his speech deliberate pauses, coughing, etc. form a secret code that covertly transmits information to Allied intelligence agencies. Late in the war, after his wife, Helga, is reportedly killed on the Eastern Front, Campbell visits her family in early 1945 outside Berlin, just before the Red Army arrives. Helga's younger sister, Resi, confesses that she is in love with him.

Eventually, Campbell is captured when an American infantryman recognizes his voice. Before he can be executed, Wirtanen arranges for Campbell's discreet release and helps his relocation to New York City. Campbell is shocked to learn that the American government will not reveal Campbell's true role in the war, because that would also reveal the spycraft techniques that America may continue to need for the next war. Although that means that Campbell is doomed to be a pariah, Wirtanen is unsympathetic, reasoning that Campbell would not have wanted the truth known had Germany won the war.

In New York City, Campbell lives a lonely existence for fifteen years, sustained only by memories of Helga and an indifferent curiosity about his eventual fate. Mrs. Epstein, a Holocaust survivor living in Campbell's building, is the only person who suspects his true identity; he seems to avoid her suspicions by feigning ignorance of German. Campbell's only friend is George Kraft, an elderly painter who, through an extraordinary coincidence, happens to be a Soviet intelligence agent.

Over many games of chess, Campbell reveals his secret past to Kraft, who tries to use this information to improve his standing with his handlers by forcing Campbell into a position where he must flee to Moscow. He leaks information about Campbell's whereabouts, which gets the attention of a neo-Nazi organization. Representatives of this group meet Campbell and present him with a woman who seems to be Helga. However, it is not long before Campbell discovers that Helga is actually Resi, who had taken Helga's identity to escape from East Germany.

The neo-Nazis shelter Campbell, along with Kraft and Resi, in their Manhattan hideout. Wirtanen reappears, warning Campbell of Kraft's true identity and explaining that Kraft and Resi have put Campbell in an awkward position with the neo-Nazis to ensure his transfer to Moscow. Campbell returns to the hideout to confront the pair; in light of her exposure, Resi commits suicide. Moments later, the FBI raids the hideout but, again, Wirtanen uses his influence to ensure Campbell walks free. Upon his release, he freezes in the middle of a footpath having lost all meaning to his life, until a police officer finally tells him to move along. Campbell returns to his wrecked apartment and decides to turn himself in to the Israelis to stand trial.

Campbell is taken to Haifa, where he is incarcerated in the cell below an unrepentant Adolf Eichmann. The film ends with the arrival of a letter from Wirtanen providing the corroborating evidence that Campbell was indeed a U.S. spy during the war. Moments later, Campbell hangs himself not, he says, for crimes against humanity, but rather for "crimes against myself."

Cast

Reception

Mother Night received mixed to positive reviews, currently holding a 64% "fresh" rating on Rotten Tomatoes based on 28 reviews. [7] Many reviewers commended Nick Nolte's performance, but criticized the ambiguity of the film's message. Roger Ebert wrote, "It is a tribute to Nolte's performance that while we are confused about the meaning of the story, we never doubt the presentation of his character." [8] He acknowledged, however, that the ambiguity and the discordant tone are faithful to Vonnegut's novel. Gene Siskel of the Chicago Tribune observed that the confused message is exacerbated by the outsize emphasis placed on the propagandist speeches delivered by the main character. [9]

Marjorie Baumgarten praised the film's ambition and other elements, but called the overall experience "disappointing": "Though disappointing, Mother Night is not without pleasures (high among these are the performances of Arkin, Goodman, and Henry Gibson as the voice of Adolph Eichmann, and the walk-on cameo of Vonnegut himself in a street scene); it just never finds a comfortable stride." [10]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kurt Vonnegut</span> American author (1922–2007)

Kurt Vonnegut was an American writer and humorist known for his satirical and darkly humorous novels. In a career spanning over 50 years, he published fourteen novels, three short-story collections, five plays, and five nonfiction works; further collections have been published after his death.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Alan Arkin</span> American actor, filmmaker (1934–2023)

Alan Wolf Arkin was an American actor and filmmaker. In a career spanning seven decades, he received numerous accolades, including an Academy Award, a BAFTA Award, a Golden Globe Award, and a Tony Award as well as nominations for six Emmy Awards.

<i>Slaughterhouse-Five</i> 1969 novel by Kurt Vonnegut

Slaughterhouse-Five, or, The Children's Crusade: A Duty-Dance with Death is a 1969 semi-autobiographic science fiction-infused anti-war novel by Kurt Vonnegut. It follows the life and experiences of Billy Pilgrim, from his early years, to his time as an American soldier and chaplain's assistant during World War II, to the post-war years, with Billy occasionally traveling through time. The text centers on Billy's capture by the German Army and his survival of the Allied firebombing of Dresden as a prisoner of war, an experience which Vonnegut himself lived through as an American serviceman. The work has been called an example of "unmatched moral clarity" and "one of the most enduring anti-war novels of all time".

<i>Mother Night</i> 1962 novel by Kurt Vonnegut

Mother Night is a novel by American author Kurt Vonnegut, first published in February 1962.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Arthur Hiller</span> Canadian-American director

Arthur Hiller, was a Canadian television and film director with over 33 films to his credit during a 50-year career. He began his career directing television in Canada and later in the U.S. By the late 1950s he began directing films, most often comedies. He also directed dramas and romantic subjects, such as Love Story (1970), which was nominated for seven Oscars.

<i>Führerprinzip</i> Principle of political authority in the Third Reich

The Führerprinzip prescribed the fundamental basis of political authority in the Government of Nazi Germany. This principle can be most succinctly understood to mean that "the Führer's word is above all written law" and that governmental policies, decisions, and offices ought to work toward the realisation of this end. In actual political usage, it refers mainly to the practice of dictatorship within the ranks of a political party itself, and as such, it has become an earmark of political fascism. Nazi Germany aimed to implement the leader principle at all levels of society, with as many organisations and institutions as possible being run by an individual appointed leader rather than by an elected committee. This included schools, sports associations, factories, and more. A common theme of Nazi propaganda was that of a single heroic leader overcoming the adversity of committees, bureaucrats, and parliaments. German history, from Frederick the Great and Otto von Bismarck, and Nordic sagas were interpreted to emphasise the value of unquestioning obedience to a visionary leader.

<i>Swing Kids</i> (1993 film) 1993 film by Thomas Carter

Swing Kids is a 1993 American drama film directed by Thomas Carter and starring Christian Bale, Robert Sean Leonard and Frank Whaley. In pre-World War II Germany, two high school students attempt to be swing kids by night and Hitler Youth by day, a decision that acutely impacts their friends and families.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Simon Wiesenthal</span> Jewish Austrian Nazi hunter (1908–2005)

Simon Wiesenthal was a Jewish Austrian Holocaust survivor, Nazi hunter, and writer. He studied architecture and was living in Lwów at the outbreak of World War II. He survived the Janowska concentration camp, the Kraków-Płaszów concentration camp, the Gross-Rosen concentration camp, a death march to Chemnitz, Buchenwald, and the Mauthausen concentration camp.

<i>Slaughterhouse-Five</i> (film) 1972 American film directed by George Roy Hill

Slaughterhouse-Five is a 1972 American comedy-drama military science fiction film directed by George Roy Hill and produced by Paul Monash, from a screenplay by Stephen Geller, based on the 1969 novel of the same name by Kurt Vonnegut. The film stars Michael Sacks as Billy Pilgrim, who is "unstuck in time" and has no control over where he is going next. It also stars Ron Leibman as Paul Lazzaro and Valerie Perrine as Montana Wildhack.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Martin James Monti</span> American defector to Nazi Germany

Martin James Monti was a United States Army Air Forces pilot who defected to Nazi Germany in October 1944, joined the Waffen-SS, and worked as a propagandist and writer. After the end of World War II, he was tried and sentenced for theft and desertion. Monti was granted clemency six months later. However, in 1948, after his involvement in Nazi propaganda was discovered, he was arrested, tried for treason, and sentenced to 25 years in prison.

<i>The Man Who Captured Eichmann</i> 1996 television film directed by William Graham

The Man Who Captured Eichmann is a 1996 American historical drama television film directed by William Graham and written by Lionel Chetwynd, based on the 1990 book Eichmann in My Hands by Peter Malkin and Harry Stein. The film stars Robert Duvall as Nazi war criminal Adolf Eichmann, who lived under the name Ricardo Klement in Buenos Aires, Argentina, and Arliss Howard as Israeli Mossad agent Peter Malkin, who captured Eichmann in 1960.

<i>The Rocketeer</i> (film) 1991 film by Joe Johnston

The Rocketeer is a 1991 American period superhero science fiction film from Walt Disney Pictures and Touchstone Pictures. It was produced by Charles Gordon, Lawrence Gordon, and Lloyd Levin, directed by Joe Johnston, and stars Billy Campbell, Jennifer Connelly, Alan Arkin, Timothy Dalton, Paul Sorvino, and Tiny Ron Taylor. It is based on the character of the same name created by comic book artist and writer Dave Stevens.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Goebbels children</span> Six children of Joseph and Magda Goebbels

The Goebbels children were the five daughters and one son born to Nazi propaganda minister Joseph Goebbels and his wife Magda Goebbels. The children, born between 1932 and 1940, were murdered by their parents in Berlin on 1 May 1945, the day both parents committed suicide.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Adolf Eichmann</span> German Nazi war criminal (1906–1962)

Otto Adolf Eichmann was a German-Austrian official of the Nazi Party, an officer of the Schutzstaffel (SS), and one of the major organisers of the Holocaust. He participated in the January 1942 Wannsee Conference, at which the implementation of the genocidal Final Solution to the Jewish Question was planned. Following this, he was tasked by SS-Obergruppenführer Reinhard Heydrich with facilitating and managing the logistics involved in the mass deportation of millions of Jews to Nazi ghettos and Nazi extermination camps across German-occupied Europe. He was captured and detained by the Allies in 1945, but escaped and eventually settled in Argentina. In May 1960, he was tracked down and abducted by Israel's Mossad intelligence agency, and put on trial before the Supreme Court of Israel. The highly publicised Eichmann trial resulted in his conviction in Jerusalem, following which he was executed by hanging in 1962.

Joseph Andrew Sittler was an American Lutheran minister and theologian who taught at Maywood Seminary, eventually merged into the Divinity School of the University of Chicago and the Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago. He was also active in the Christian ecumenical movement, working with World Council of Churches and the National Council of Churches.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Benjamin Murmelstein</span> Austrian Rabbi

Benjamin Israel Murmelstein was an Austrian rabbi. He was one of 17 community rabbis in Vienna in 1938 and the only one remaining in Vienna by late 1939. An important figure and board member of the Jewish group in Vienna during the early stages of the war, he was also an "Ältester" of the Judenrat in the Theresienstadt concentration camp after 1943. He was the only "Judenältester" to survive the Holocaust and has been credited with saving the lives of thousands of Jews by assisting in their emigration, while also being accused of being a Nazi collaborator.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kalman Taigman</span> Israeli-Polish Holocaust survivor

Kalman Taigman also Teigman Hebrew: קלמן טייגמן was an Israeli citizen who was born and grew up in Warsaw, Poland. One of the former members of the Jewish Sonderkommando who escaped from the Treblinka extermination camp during the prisoner uprising of August 1943, Taigman later testified at the 1961 Eichmann Trial held in Jerusalem.

<i>Operation Finale</i> 2018 film directed by Chris Weitz

Operation Finale is a 2018 American historical dramatic thriller film directed by Chris Weitz from a screenplay by Matthew Orton about a 1960 clandestine operation by Israeli commandos to capture former SS officer Adolf Eichmann, and transport him to Jerusalem for trial on charges of crimes against humanity. The film stars Oscar Isaac as the Mossad officer Peter Malkin, and Ben Kingsley as Eichmann, with Lior Raz, Mélanie Laurent, Nick Kroll, and Haley Lu Richardson. Several source materials, including Eichmann in My Hands, by Peter Malkin and Harry Stein, provided the basis for the story.

Edward Vieth Sittler (1916-1975) was an American musician and educator who renounced his United States citizenship before World War II in order to take German citizenship, and worked for the Nazis as a broadcaster during World War II.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Walter Sittler</span> German-American actor

Walter Sittler is an American-German actor, producer, and writer.

References

  1. "MOTHER NIGHT (15)". British Board of Film Classification . 1996-10-15. Retrieved 2012-08-25.
  2. Mother Night at Box Office Mojo
  3. "U.S. Immigration Authorities Asked to Investigate the Sittler Case". Jewish Telegraphic Agency. 1959-12-16. Retrieved 2021-06-23.
  4. "Ex-nazi Professor Sittler Resigns from Long Island University". Jewish Telegraphic Agency. 1959-12-17. Retrieved 2021-06-23.
  5. "Edward Vieth Sittler, Petitioner-appellant, v. United States of America, Respondent-appellee, 316 F.2d 312 (2d Cir. 1963). US Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit - 316 F.2d 312 (2d Cir. 1963). Argued January 10, 1963. Decided April 12, 1963". JUSTIA. Retrieved 2021-06-23.
  6. "Edward V. Sittler Dismissal Records, 1949-1962; Michigan College of Mining and Technology". ARCHIVE GRID. Michigan Technological University - J.R. Van Pelt and Opie Library. Retrieved 2021-06-23.
  7. Mother Night at Rotten Tomatoes
  8. Ebert, Roger (1996-11-15). "Mother Night Movie Review and Film Summary (1996)." RogerEbert.com . Retrieved 2019-01-02.
  9. Siskel, Gene (1996-11-15). "MJ Delivers on the Screen in 'Space Jam'." Chicago Tribune. Retrieved 2019-01-02.
  10. Baumgarten, Marjorie (1996-12-06). "Mother Night." The Austin Chronicle . Retrieved 2019-01-02.