Moloch (film)
Encyclopedia
Moloch is a 1999 Russian biographical drama film directed by Alexander Sokurov
. The storyline was conceived from a screenplay written by Yuri Arabov and Marina Koreneva. It portrays Adolf Hitler
as a humanized figure, living life in an unassuming manner during an abrupt journey to the Bavarian Alps. The film stars actors Leonid Mozgovoy, Yelena Rufanova, Vladimir Bogdanov, and Leonid Sokol in principal roles. Moloch explores companionship, intimacy and dictatorship.
A joint collective effort to commit to the film's production was made by a number of studios including; Arte
, Fabrica, Fusion Product, Goskino
and Lenfilm Studio
. It was commercially distributed by Koch Lorber Films. Following its release, the film was entered into the 1999 Cannes Film Festival
and won other awards selections, including those from the Russian Guild of Film Critics Awards. The film was generally met with mixed critical reviews before its initial screening in 1999.
, Adolf Hitler (Leonid Mozgovoy) retires to his secluded Berghof Retreat nestled on a remote hilltop, within Berchtesgaden in Bavaria to unite with his long time female companion Eva Braun (Yelena Rufanova). At the residence, Braun spends her spare time with trivial pursuits such as whimsically dancing in the nude, humming to military style marching band music, and rummaging through Hitler's personal belongings. Later, Braun is thrilled to learn, that her beloved "Adi" as she affectionately calls him, will be joining her for a visit. Hitler is accompanied by guests Joseph Goebbels (Leonid Sokol), Magda Goebbels (Yelena Spiridonova), Martin Bormann (Vladimir Bogdanov) and a Priest (Anatoli Shvedersky) for conversation and playful banter.
During his stopover, Hitler raves and rants on topics ranging from food, health, and climate change to wartime politics during interactions with his immediate personnel. After roaming through the mountainous landscape, Hitler voices triumph upon hearing of Germany's strategic victorious military sieges, as well as in a scene of political satire, he also claims to have never heard of the Auschwitz Concentration Camp
. Towards the conclusion of Hitler's trip, Braun reminds him that no one can escape death or is infallible; trying to expose a hidden weakness within him as he embarks with his motorcade to continue Nazi Germany
's military campaign.
filmmaker Alexander Sokurov
, the film is the first in Sokurov's biographical trilogy. It was succeeded by Taurus
(2000) about Vladimir Lenin
, The Sun
(2005) involving Japanese Emperor Hirohito
, and Faust
(2011) based on the old German legend Faust
. For production, Sokurov employed Russian actors from St. Petersburg to shoot the film, but their voices were later dubbed by German theater actors from Berlin
.
wrote, "Moloch is lurid without being commercial. Evoking the German romantic landscape he synthesized for Mother and Son, Sokurov places his characteristic understatement at the service of borderline kitsch." Likewise, Jason Anderson of Eye Weekly
gave the film a five-star rating, commenting, "Though he hopes to extract the man from the mythology, he doesn't merely humanize a figure in any conventional sense, as Downfall did to Hitler with troubling results."
, including; Best Actor, Best Actress, Best Cinematography and Best Script. At the 1999 Cannes Film Festival
, the film won the Best Screenplay Award
. It was also chosen as Russia's official Best Foreign Language Film submission at the 72nd Academy Awards
, but did not manage to receive a nomination.
Alexander Sokurov
Alexander Nikolayevich Sokurov is a Russian filmmaker. His most significant works include a semi-documentary, Russian Ark , filmed in a single unedited shot, and Faust , which was honoured with the Golden Lion, the highest prize for the best film at the Venice Film Festival.- Life and work...
. The storyline was conceived from a screenplay written by Yuri Arabov and Marina Koreneva. It portrays 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...
as a humanized figure, living life in an unassuming manner during an abrupt journey to the Bavarian Alps. The film stars actors Leonid Mozgovoy, Yelena Rufanova, Vladimir Bogdanov, and Leonid Sokol in principal roles. Moloch explores companionship, intimacy and dictatorship.
A joint collective effort to commit to the film's production was made by a number of studios including; Arte
Arte
Arte is a Franco-German TV network. It is a European culture channel and aims to promote quality programming especially in areas of culture and the arts...
, Fabrica, Fusion Product, Goskino
Goskino
Goskino USSR is the abbreviated name for the USSR State Committee for Cinematography in the Soviet Union...
and Lenfilm Studio
Lenfilm
Kinostudiya "Lenfilm" is a production unit of the Russian film industry, with its own film studio, located in Saint Petersburg, Russia, formerly Leningrad, R.S.F.S.R. Today OAO "Kinostudiya Lenfilm" is a corporation with its stakes shared between private owners, and several private film studios,...
. It was commercially distributed by Koch Lorber Films. Following its release, the film was entered into the 1999 Cannes Film Festival
1999 Cannes Film Festival
The 52nd Cannes Film Festival was held on May 12-23, 1999. The Palme d'Or went to the French-Belgian film Rosetta by Jean-Pierre and Luc Dardenne.-Jury:* David Cronenberg * André Téchiné * Barbara Hendricks...
and won other awards selections, including those from the Russian Guild of Film Critics Awards. The film was generally met with mixed critical reviews before its initial screening in 1999.
Plot
During the spring of 1942, a few months before the notorious Battle of StalingradBattle of Stalingrad
The Battle of Stalingrad was a major battle of World War II in which Nazi Germany and its allies fought the Soviet Union for control of the city of Stalingrad in southwestern Russia. The battle took place between 23 August 1942 and 2 February 1943...
, Adolf Hitler (Leonid Mozgovoy) retires to his secluded Berghof Retreat nestled on a remote hilltop, within Berchtesgaden in Bavaria to unite with his long time female companion Eva Braun (Yelena Rufanova). At the residence, Braun spends her spare time with trivial pursuits such as whimsically dancing in the nude, humming to military style marching band music, and rummaging through Hitler's personal belongings. Later, Braun is thrilled to learn, that her beloved "Adi" as she affectionately calls him, will be joining her for a visit. Hitler is accompanied by guests Joseph Goebbels (Leonid Sokol), Magda Goebbels (Yelena Spiridonova), Martin Bormann (Vladimir Bogdanov) and a Priest (Anatoli Shvedersky) for conversation and playful banter.
During his stopover, Hitler raves and rants on topics ranging from food, health, and climate change to wartime politics during interactions with his immediate personnel. After roaming through the mountainous landscape, Hitler voices triumph upon hearing of Germany's strategic victorious military sieges, as well as in a scene of political satire, he also claims to have never heard of the Auschwitz Concentration Camp
Auschwitz concentration camp
Concentration camp Auschwitz was a network of Nazi concentration and extermination camps built and operated by the Third Reich in Polish areas annexed by Nazi Germany during World War II...
. Towards the conclusion of Hitler's trip, Braun reminds him that no one can escape death or is infallible; trying to expose a hidden weakness within him as he embarks with his motorcade to continue 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...
's military campaign.
Cast
- Leonid Mozgovoy as Adolf HitlerAdolf HitlerAdolf 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...
- Yelena Rufanova as Eva BraunEva BraunEva Anna Paula Hitler was the longtime companion of Adolf Hitler and, for less than 40 hours, his wife. Braun met Hitler in Munich, when she was 17 years old, while working as an assistant and model for his personal photographer and began seeing him often about two years later...
- Vladimir Bogdanov as Martin BormannMartin BormannMartin Ludwig Bormann was a prominent Nazi official. He became head of the Party Chancellery and private secretary to Adolf Hitler...
- Leonid Sokol as Joseph GoebbelsJoseph GoebbelsPaul Joseph Goebbels was a German politician and Reich Minister of Propaganda in Nazi Germany from 1933 to 1945. As one of Adolf Hitler's closest associates and most devout followers, he was known for his zealous oratory and anti-Semitism...
- Yelena Spiridonova as Magda GoebbelsMagda GoebbelsJohanna Maria Magdalena "Magda" Goebbels was the wife of Nazi Germany's Propaganda Minister Joseph Goebbels...
- Anatoli Shvedersky as the Priest
Filming
Directed by RussianRussians
The Russian people are an East Slavic ethnic group native to Russia, speaking the Russian language and primarily living in Russia and neighboring countries....
filmmaker Alexander Sokurov
Alexander Sokurov
Alexander Nikolayevich Sokurov is a Russian filmmaker. His most significant works include a semi-documentary, Russian Ark , filmed in a single unedited shot, and Faust , which was honoured with the Golden Lion, the highest prize for the best film at the Venice Film Festival.- Life and work...
, the film is the first in Sokurov's biographical trilogy. It was succeeded by Taurus
Taurus (film)
Taurus is a 2001 Russian biographical drama film directed by Alexander Sokurov, portraying Vladimir Lenin. It was entered into the 2001 Cannes Film Festival.-Cast:* Leonid Mozgovoy as Vladimir Lenin* Mariya Kuznetsova as Krupskaya...
(2000) about Vladimir Lenin
Vladimir Lenin
Vladimir Ilyich Lenin was a Russian Marxist revolutionary and communist politician who led the October Revolution of 1917. As leader of the Bolsheviks, he headed the Soviet state during its initial years , as it fought to establish control of Russia in the Russian Civil War and worked to create a...
, The Sun
The Sun (film)
The Sun is a 2005 Russian biographical film surrounding Japanese Emperor Shōwa during the final days of World War II. The film is the third drama in director Aleksandr Sokurov's trilogy following on the leaders of Russia and Germany's .-Plot:Towards the conclusion of the Second World War, Japan...
(2005) involving Japanese Emperor Hirohito
Hirohito
, posthumously in Japan officially called Emperor Shōwa or , was the 124th Emperor of Japan according to the traditional order, reigning from December 25, 1926, until his death in 1989. Although better known outside of Japan by his personal name Hirohito, in Japan he is now referred to...
, and Faust
Faust (2011 film)
Faust is a 2011 Russian film directed by Alexander Sokurov. Set in the 19th century, it is a free interpretation of the Faust legend and its literary adaptations by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe and Thomas Mann. The dialogue is in German...
(2011) based on the old German legend Faust
Faust
Faust is the protagonist of a classic German legend; a highly successful scholar, but also dissatisfied with his life, and so makes a deal with the devil, exchanging his soul for unlimited knowledge and worldly pleasures. Faust's tale is the basis for many literary, artistic, cinematic, and musical...
. For production, Sokurov employed Russian actors from St. Petersburg to shoot the film, but their voices were later dubbed by German theater actors from Berlin
Berlin
Berlin is the capital city of Germany and is one of the 16 states of Germany. With a population of 3.45 million people, Berlin is Germany's largest city. It is the second most populous city proper and the seventh most populous urban area in the European Union...
.
Critical response
Critical reaction to the film was mixed. Among reviews, Derek Elley of Variety noted, "There are no new revelations in this portrayal of an arrogant madman and his sycophants, and though impressive at first, Sokurov's glacial treatment, with its deliberately soft-focus look, pales after a while." More enthusiastically, Jim Hoberman of The Village VoiceThe Village Voice
The Village Voice is a free weekly newspaper and news and features website in New York City that features investigative articles, analysis of current affairs and culture, arts and music coverage, and events listings for New York City...
wrote, "Moloch is lurid without being commercial. Evoking the German romantic landscape he synthesized for Mother and Son, Sokurov places his characteristic understatement at the service of borderline kitsch." Likewise, Jason Anderson of Eye Weekly
Eye Weekly
Eye Weekly was a free weekly newspaper published in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It was owned by Torstar, the parent company of the Toronto Star, and was published by their Star Media Group until its final issue on May 5, 2011. The following week, Torstar launched a successor publication, The Grid.-...
gave the film a five-star rating, commenting, "Though he hopes to extract the man from the mythology, he doesn't merely humanize a figure in any conventional sense, as Downfall did to Hitler with troubling results."
Accolades
The film won four awards at the Russian Guild of Film Critics Awards 1999Russian Guild of Film Critics Awards 1999
-Best Actor:*Leonid Mozgovoy as Adolf Hitler in Molokh*Mikhail Ulyanov as Ivan Fyodorovich in Voroshilovskiy strelok-Best Supporting Actor:*Vladimir Ilyin as Captain Mokin in The Barber of Siberia-Best Cinematography:...
, including; Best Actor, Best Actress, Best Cinematography and Best Script. At the 1999 Cannes Film Festival
1999 Cannes Film Festival
The 52nd Cannes Film Festival was held on May 12-23, 1999. The Palme d'Or went to the French-Belgian film Rosetta by Jean-Pierre and Luc Dardenne.-Jury:* David Cronenberg * André Téchiné * Barbara Hendricks...
, the film won the Best Screenplay Award
Best Screenplay Award (Cannes Film Festival)
The Best Screenplay Award is an award presented at the Cannes Film Festival. It is chosen by the jury from the 'official section' of movies at the festival...
. It was also chosen as Russia's official Best Foreign Language Film submission at the 72nd Academy Awards
72nd Academy Awards
The 72nd Academy Awards ceremony took place at Los Angeles' Shrine Auditorium, and was Billy Crystal's seventh time hosting the Awards. The ceremony attracted 46.53 million viewers, an audience 3.7% bigger than the previous ceremony.The Academy Awards ceremony was dominated by two films...
, but did not manage to receive a nomination.