In 1937 Berlin, the Nazi authority calls in literature professor John Halder (Viggo Mortensen). They want him to write a paper approving mercy killings since his book discusses his terribly sick mother. It's 1933. Halder is being pulled in direct directions as the Nazis take over German life. His Jewish friend Maurice (Jason Isaacs) is struggling but his mistress former student Anne (Jodie Whittaker) advises him to join the new Germany.
The premise is that a good man can be corrupted to evil purposes. It's a big idea and an important one. He starts out opposed to book banning but he slowly becomes a cog in the vast machine. It's done slowly and that's a problem for cinematic purposes. It feels slow. Still, the performances are solid and I like the idea. There are moments of high tension. It needs to show Maurice more. The stakes for John is not immediate but it is for Maurice. The slow pacing does wear thin after awhile until the build-up to Kristallnacht. Then it picks up again.
The premise is that a good man can be corrupted to evil purposes. It's a big idea and an important one. He starts out opposed to book banning but he slowly becomes a cog in the vast machine. It's done slowly and that's a problem for cinematic purposes. It feels slow. Still, the performances are solid and I like the idea. There are moments of high tension. It needs to show Maurice more. The stakes for John is not immediate but it is for Maurice. The slow pacing does wear thin after awhile until the build-up to Kristallnacht. Then it picks up again.