Hotel Lux (film)
Encyclopedia
Hotel Lux is a period film directed by Leander Haußmann
and released in 2011. It is a mixture of comedy, drama and farce that begins in Nazi Germany
and moves to the Soviet Union
. The film, narrated by the main character, Hans Zeisig, draws on numerous historical facts and figures of the era.
, actor and comedian Hans Zeisig (Michael Herbig) and his partner, Siggi Meyer (Jürgen Vogel
) have a successful act at a Berlin cabaret
doing comic impersonations of Joseph Stalin
and Adolf Hitler
. Meyer is politically active in the Communist Party
and through him, Zeisig meets the attractive Dutch Resistance
fighter, Frida (Thekla Reuten
). Zeisig is apolitical; he's busy dreaming about getting to Hollywood. For him, the growing political tension is an unpleasant nuisance, but the Nazis' power grab
has put Meyer in grave danger of arrest and attack. He soon shows up at the theater sporting a black eye and whispers that he's going to go underground. Another of the actors, a Nazi supporter whose act is a stereotyped and demeaning portrayal of a Jewish man, makes a wisecrack about Meyer's black eye. They get into a backstage brawl, fully made up and in costume—the Nazi as a Jew and the Communist as Hitler. The fight careens its way from the dressing room to the stage, with "Hitler" on top of the "Jew". Initially assumed to be part of the show, the audience, full of uniformed Nazis, cheer. They have been a growing presence at the theater, both to judge the portrayal of their leader and to enjoy the racist depiction of a Jew. The melee ends, Meyer flees, and the show goes on.
The situation continues to deteriorate in Germany, audiences grow dour, the theater management grows pro-Nazi, Kristallnacht
takes place and Germany becomes a grim place. Zeisig is asked to take over the act of the stereotyped Jew, but resists. When he is told that it won't hurt anyone, Zeisig says, "It will hurt me! He goes onstage instead in the Hitler costume, pillories the Führer
, knowing that this means he, too, will have to flee. Before leaving, he learns that Meyer has been arrested and sent to Oranienburg concentration camp
. Zeisig acquires a forged passport, dons a fake beard and an assumed name, makes his way across Germany and eventually reaches the Soviet Union, though his final goal is Hollywood. In Moscow, he reaches the Hotel Lux
, an actual hotel in Moscow
, where many German Communists lived in exile during the Nazi era. Zeisig has been advised to seek out the hotel, that he will find help there.
Zeisig quickly runs into Frida, now using a different name, who has an important position in the exiled German Communist Party. He also encounters numerous historical figures, such as Walter Ulbricht
, Herbert Wehner
and others, who after the war, became important political figures in East Germany. The apolitical Zeisig has landed in a hotbed of political intrigue and purges and all important conversations are held with the water running to drown out what's said for those on the other end of the ubiquitous bug
s. Zeisig begins to wonder if he is in more danger at the Moscow hotel than he was in Nazi Germany. He is taken for a ride to an unknown location and discovers that his assumed identity is none other than that of Hitler's astrological advisor, a person of great interest to Stalin, whom he soon meets in the only safe place there is, the bathroom. Stalin motions for him to come forward, but keep silent until he has turned the water on. With the Great Purge
underway, Zeisig realizes that his life is dependent upon his ability to stay in Stalin's good graces. Zeisig narrowly escapes one danger after another, winning the support of Frida and reuniting with Meyer.
, Saxony-Anhalt
. The film is dedicated to the director's late father, Ezard Haußmann
.
Hotel Lux was in pre-production more than four years because the script went through two screenwriters and Herbig, a popular comedian, actor and director known as a perfectionist, required changes before he would sign on. He found the first versions of the script to be "too dramatic, too brutal" and came on board when a lighter tone was reached. Herbig said he could finally relate to the character, a clueless comedian.
said the film "walks the tightrope between comedy and tragedy". Many German newspapers have published reviews analysing and evaluating the film. The official German evaluating institution Deutsche Film- und Medienbewertung
rated Hotel Lux as "especially valuable" (besonders wertvoll), the highest rating possible.
Leander Haußmann
Leander Haußmann is a German theatre and film director.The son of actor Ezard Haußmann and costume designer Doris Haußmann, he attended the Ernst Busch theatre school in Berlin....
and released in 2011. It is a mixture of comedy, drama and farce that begins in Nazi Germany
Nazi Germany
Nazi Germany , also known as the Third Reich , but officially called German Reich from 1933 to 1943 and Greater German Reich from 26 June 1943 onward, is the name commonly used to refer to the state of Germany from 1933 to 1945, when it was a totalitarian dictatorship ruled by...
and moves to the Soviet Union
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
. The film, narrated by the main character, Hans Zeisig, draws on numerous historical facts and figures of the era.
Plot
In 1933, as Germany begins a new era under the leadership of Adolf HitlerAdolf Hitler
Adolf Hitler was an Austrian-born German politician and the leader of the National Socialist German Workers Party , commonly referred to as the Nazi Party). He was Chancellor of Germany from 1933 to 1945, and head of state from 1934 to 1945...
, actor and comedian Hans Zeisig (Michael Herbig) and his partner, Siggi Meyer (Jürgen Vogel
Jürgen Vogel
Jürgen Peter Vogel is a German actor, screenwriter, film producer and singer.-Biography:Jürgen Vogel is the son of a Hamburg waiter and a housewife. He worked as a child model, later had various jobs and visited the Munich drama school for one day. In 1985 he moved to Berlin, where he shared a...
) have a successful act at a Berlin cabaret
Cabaret
Cabaret is a form, or place, of entertainment featuring comedy, song, dance, and theatre, distinguished mainly by the performance venue: a restaurant or nightclub with a stage for performances and the audience sitting at tables watching the performance, as introduced by a master of ceremonies or...
doing comic impersonations of Joseph Stalin
Joseph Stalin
Joseph Vissarionovich Stalin was the Premier of the Soviet Union from 6 May 1941 to 5 March 1953. He was among the Bolshevik revolutionaries who brought about the October Revolution and had held the position of first General Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union's Central Committee...
and Adolf Hitler
Adolf Hitler
Adolf Hitler was an Austrian-born German politician and the leader of the National Socialist German Workers Party , commonly referred to as the Nazi Party). He was Chancellor of Germany from 1933 to 1945, and head of state from 1934 to 1945...
. Meyer is politically active in the Communist Party
Communist party
A political party described as a Communist party includes those that advocate the application of the social principles of communism through a communist form of government...
and through him, Zeisig meets the attractive Dutch Resistance
Resistance during World War II
Resistance movements during World War II occurred in every occupied country by a variety of means, ranging from non-cooperation, disinformation and propaganda to hiding crashed pilots and even to outright warfare and the recapturing of towns...
fighter, Frida (Thekla Reuten
Thekla Reuten
Thekla Simona Gelsomina Reuten is a Dutch actress.Reuten was born in Bussum, Netherlands, the daughter of an Italian mother and a Dutch father. Reuten portrayed Duncan MacLeod's love interest Anna in Highlander: The Source, released in September 2007...
). Zeisig is apolitical; he's busy dreaming about getting to Hollywood. For him, the growing political tension is an unpleasant nuisance, but the Nazis' power grab
Machtergreifung
Machtergreifung is a German word meaning "seizure of power". It is normally used specifically to refer to the Nazi takeover of power in the democratic Weimar Republic on 30 January 1933, the day Hitler was sworn in as Chancellor of Germany, turning it into the Nazi German dictatorship.-Term:The...
has put Meyer in grave danger of arrest and attack. He soon shows up at the theater sporting a black eye and whispers that he's going to go underground. Another of the actors, a Nazi supporter whose act is a stereotyped and demeaning portrayal of a Jewish man, makes a wisecrack about Meyer's black eye. They get into a backstage brawl, fully made up and in costume—the Nazi as a Jew and the Communist as Hitler. The fight careens its way from the dressing room to the stage, with "Hitler" on top of the "Jew". Initially assumed to be part of the show, the audience, full of uniformed Nazis, cheer. They have been a growing presence at the theater, both to judge the portrayal of their leader and to enjoy the racist depiction of a Jew. The melee ends, Meyer flees, and the show goes on.
The situation continues to deteriorate in Germany, audiences grow dour, the theater management grows pro-Nazi, Kristallnacht
Kristallnacht
Kristallnacht, also referred to as the Night of Broken Glass, and also Reichskristallnacht, Pogromnacht, and Novemberpogrome, was a pogrom or series of attacks against Jews throughout Nazi Germany and parts of Austria on 9–10 November 1938.Jewish homes were ransacked, as were shops, towns and...
takes place and Germany becomes a grim place. Zeisig is asked to take over the act of the stereotyped Jew, but resists. When he is told that it won't hurt anyone, Zeisig says, "It will hurt me! He goes onstage instead in the Hitler costume, pillories the Führer
Führer
Führer , alternatively spelled Fuehrer in both English and German when the umlaut is not available, is a German title meaning leader or guide now most associated with Adolf Hitler, who modelled it on Benito Mussolini's title il Duce, as well as with Georg von Schönerer, whose followers also...
, knowing that this means he, too, will have to flee. Before leaving, he learns that Meyer has been arrested and sent to Oranienburg concentration camp
Oranienburg concentration camp
Oranienburg concentration camp was one of the first detention facilities established by the Nazis when they gained power in 1933. It held the Nazis' political opponents from the Berlin region, mostly members of the Communist Party of Germany and social-democrats, as well as a number of homosexual...
. Zeisig acquires a forged passport, dons a fake beard and an assumed name, makes his way across Germany and eventually reaches the Soviet Union, though his final goal is Hollywood. In Moscow, he reaches the Hotel Lux
Hotel Lux
Hotel Lux was a hotel in Moscow that, during the early years of the Soviet Union, housed many leading exiled Communists. During the Nazi era, exiles from all over Europe went there, particularly from Germany. A number of them became leading figures in German politics in the postwar era...
, an actual hotel in Moscow
Moscow
Moscow is the capital, the most populous city, and the most populous federal subject of Russia. The city is a major political, economic, cultural, scientific, religious, financial, educational, and transportation centre of Russia and the continent...
, where many German Communists lived in exile during the Nazi era. Zeisig has been advised to seek out the hotel, that he will find help there.
Zeisig quickly runs into Frida, now using a different name, who has an important position in the exiled German Communist Party. He also encounters numerous historical figures, such as Walter Ulbricht
Walter Ulbricht
Walter Ulbricht was a German communist politician. As First Secretary of the Socialist Unity Party from 1950 to 1971 , he played a leading role in the creation of the Weimar-era Communist Party of Germany and later in the early development and...
, Herbert Wehner
Herbert Wehner
Herbert Richard Wehner was a German politician. A former member of the Communist Party, he joined the Social Democrats after World War II...
and others, who after the war, became important political figures in East Germany. The apolitical Zeisig has landed in a hotbed of political intrigue and purges and all important conversations are held with the water running to drown out what's said for those on the other end of the ubiquitous bug
Covert listening device
A covert listening device, more commonly known as a bug or a wire, is usually a combination of a miniature radio transmitter with a microphone. The use of bugs, called bugging, is a common technique in surveillance, espionage and in police investigations.A bug does not have to be a device...
s. Zeisig begins to wonder if he is in more danger at the Moscow hotel than he was in Nazi Germany. He is taken for a ride to an unknown location and discovers that his assumed identity is none other than that of Hitler's astrological advisor, a person of great interest to Stalin, whom he soon meets in the only safe place there is, the bathroom. Stalin motions for him to come forward, but keep silent until he has turned the water on. With the Great Purge
Great Purge
The Great Purge was a series of campaigns of political repression and persecution in the Soviet Union orchestrated by Joseph Stalin from 1936 to 1938...
underway, Zeisig realizes that his life is dependent upon his ability to stay in Stalin's good graces. Zeisig narrowly escapes one danger after another, winning the support of Frida and reuniting with Meyer.
Background
The film's director, Leander Haußmann, grew up under communism in QuedlinburgQuedlinburg
Quedlinburg is a town located north of the Harz mountains, in the district of Harz in the west of Saxony-Anhalt, Germany. In 1994 the medieval court and the old town was set on the UNESCO world heritage list....
, Saxony-Anhalt
Saxony-Anhalt
Saxony-Anhalt is a landlocked state of Germany. Its capital is Magdeburg and it is surrounded by the German states of Lower Saxony, Brandenburg, Saxony, and Thuringia.Saxony-Anhalt covers an area of...
. The film is dedicated to the director's late father, Ezard Haußmann
Ezard Haußmann
Ezard Haußmann was a German stage, television and film actor. He and costume designer Doris Haußmann were the parents of film director Leander Haußmann...
.
Hotel Lux was in pre-production more than four years because the script went through two screenwriters and Herbig, a popular comedian, actor and director known as a perfectionist, required changes before he would sign on. He found the first versions of the script to be "too dramatic, too brutal" and came on board when a lighter tone was reached. Herbig said he could finally relate to the character, a clueless comedian.
Reception
German international broadcaster Deutsche WelleDeutsche Welle
Deutsche Welle or DW, is Germany's international broadcaster. The service is aimed at the overseas market. It broadcasts news and information on shortwave, Internet and satellite radio on 98.7 DZFE in 30 languages . It has a satellite television service , that is available in four languages, and...
said the film "walks the tightrope between comedy and tragedy". Many German newspapers have published reviews analysing and evaluating the film. The official German evaluating institution Deutsche Film- und Medienbewertung
Deutsche Film- und Medienbewertung
The Deutsche Film- und Medienbewertung is a German federal authority for evaluating and rating film and media. It was founded by resolution on August 20, 1951 by a regular assembly of all German state ministers of education,...
rated Hotel Lux as "especially valuable" (besonders wertvoll), the highest rating possible.
Historical references
The production company has released teaching materials related to the film.Notable figures portrayed or mentioned (partial list)
- Johannes R. BecherJohannes R. BecherJohannes Robert Becher was a German politician, novelist, and poet.-Early life:Johannes R. Becher was the son of Judge Heinrich Becher. In 1910 he tried to commit suicide with a friend; only Becher survived. From 1911 he studied medicine and philosophy in Munich and Jena...
- Lavrentiy BeriaLavrentiy BeriaLavrentiy Pavlovich Beria was a Georgian Soviet politician and state security administrator, chief of the Soviet security and secret police apparatus under Joseph Stalin during World War II, and Deputy Premier in the postwar years ....
- Nikolai BukharinNikolai BukharinNikolai Ivanovich Bukharin , was a Russian Marxist, Bolshevik revolutionary, and Soviet politician. He was a member of the Politburo and Central Committee , chairman of the Communist International , and the editor in chief of Pravda , the journal Bolshevik , Izvestia , and the Great Soviet...
- Lotte Kühn
- Vyacheslav MolotovVyacheslav MolotovVyacheslav Mikhailovich Molotov was a Soviet politician and diplomat, an Old Bolshevik and a leading figure in the Soviet government from the 1920s, when he rose to power as a protégé of Joseph Stalin, to 1957, when he was dismissed from the Presidium of the Central Committee by Nikita Khrushchev...
- Wilhelm PieckWilhelm PieckFriedrich Wilhelm Reinhold Pieck was a German politician and a Communist. In 1949, he became the first President of the German Democratic Republic, an office abolished upon his death. He was succeeded by Walter Ulbricht, who served as Chairman of the Council of States.-Biography:Pieck was born to...
- Joachim von RibbentropJoachim von RibbentropUlrich Friedrich Wilhelm Joachim von Ribbentrop was Foreign Minister of Germany from 1938 until 1945. He was later hanged for war crimes after the Nuremberg Trials.-Early life:...
- Joseph StalinJoseph StalinJoseph Vissarionovich Stalin was the Premier of the Soviet Union from 6 May 1941 to 5 March 1953. He was among the Bolshevik revolutionaries who brought about the October Revolution and had held the position of first General Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union's Central Committee...
- Leon TrotskyLeon TrotskyLeon Trotsky , born Lev Davidovich Bronshtein, was a Russian Marxist revolutionary and theorist, Soviet politician, and the founder and first leader of the Red Army....
- Walter UlbrichtWalter UlbrichtWalter Ulbricht was a German communist politician. As First Secretary of the Socialist Unity Party from 1950 to 1971 , he played a leading role in the creation of the Weimar-era Communist Party of Germany and later in the early development and...
- Vasiliy Ulrikh
- Herbert WehnerHerbert WehnerHerbert Richard Wehner was a German politician. A former member of the Communist Party, he joined the Social Democrats after World War II...
(alias Kurt Funk) - Nikolai YezhovNikolai YezhovNikolai Ivanovich Yezhov or Ezhov was a senior figure in the NKVD under Joseph Stalin during the period of the Great Purge. His reign is sometimes known as the "Yezhovshchina" , "the Yezhov era", a term that began to be used during the de-Stalinization campaign of the 1950s...
Other historical references (partial list)
- Great PurgeGreat PurgeThe Great Purge was a series of campaigns of political repression and persecution in the Soviet Union orchestrated by Joseph Stalin from 1936 to 1938...
- Hotel LuxHotel LuxHotel Lux was a hotel in Moscow that, during the early years of the Soviet Union, housed many leading exiled Communists. During the Nazi era, exiles from all over Europe went there, particularly from Germany. A number of them became leading figures in German politics in the postwar era...
- KristallnachtKristallnachtKristallnacht, also referred to as the Night of Broken Glass, and also Reichskristallnacht, Pogromnacht, and Novemberpogrome, was a pogrom or series of attacks against Jews throughout Nazi Germany and parts of Austria on 9–10 November 1938.Jewish homes were ransacked, as were shops, towns and...
- Lubyanka Building
- MachtergreifungMachtergreifungMachtergreifung is a German word meaning "seizure of power". It is normally used specifically to refer to the Nazi takeover of power in the democratic Weimar Republic on 30 January 1933, the day Hitler was sworn in as Chancellor of Germany, turning it into the Nazi German dictatorship.-Term:The...
- Treaty of Non-Aggression between Germany and the Soviet Union
- Berlin WallBerlin WallThe Berlin Wall was a barrier constructed by the German Democratic Republic starting on 13 August 1961, that completely cut off West Berlin from surrounding East Germany and from East Berlin...
- Retouched photo with Stalin and Nikolai YezhovNonpersonA nonperson is a citizen or a member of a group who lacks, loses, or is forcibly denied social or legal status, especially basic human rights, or who effectively ceases to have a record of their existence within a society , from a point of view of traceability, documentation, or existence...
External links
- Hotel Lux trailer YouTube. Retrieved November 13, 2011
- Hotel Lux Film official website
- Review Screen Daily (November 3, 2011). Retrieved November 10, 2011