Stefan Zweig is one of my favorite German writers. I already reviewed on these pages the film Secret Burning based on his novel and his Chess novel. Both are fantastic. This film is about the life of Zweig. I knew how Zweig’s life ended but I had no idea of his years in Exile. Zweig was a Jew and he—unlike so many others who ended up in concentration camps—had the good sense to leave Austria and Germany shortly after the Nazis took power. The film covers his exile years. Its method is to pick out 5 episodes in a ten year period. Vor der Morgenröteis as poetic as Zweig’s work and it is a major accomplishment. The performance of Josef Hader as Zweig is stunning.
I was saw Hader live doing in a stand-up comedy show and this allowed me to see how Hader effectively hid is own personality to play Zweig.
Many reviewers commented on how much the film speaks to current affairs. Zweig lived his final years Brazil. He made an observation about Brazil 70 years that I found also to be true when I visited Brasil not long ago. He pointed out that already in the 1930s Brazil was an example of how different races can live together peaceful. He called the country a model for the future of Europe. I just ordered myself his book on Brazil because I want to know more about his impression of this interesting country.
Go see Vor der Morgenröte.
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