Das letzte Mahl 

English title: Last Supper (The)

Genre: social, psychological and political drama

With: Bruno Eyron (Aaron Glickstein), Sharon Brauner (his wife Rebekka), Michael Degen and Daphna Rosenthal (Aaron’s father, Jacob, and his wife Ruth), Mira Elisa Goeres and Patrick Mölleken (Leah and Michael, Aaron’s daughter and son), Bela B (Rabbi Benjamin Aschkenasi), Sandra von Ruffin (Sarah, Aaron’s sister), Adrian Topol and Judith Hoersch (Daniel, Aaron’s brother, and his wife Monika), Charles Brauer (Max Liebermann), Werner Daehn (Siegmund Loewe)

Director: Florian Frerichs

Screenplay: Florian Frerichs and Stephan Warnatsch

Release: 2018

Studio: Menemsha Films, Warnuts Entertainment, Ventaro Media, Frame 12

Rating: -

MBiS score: 8.4/10 

 

‟I am German first, and a Jew second.” 

 

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Story-line: Berlin, January 30, 1933. At the Salon Olympia, Jewish businessman Aaron Glickstein meets Liebermann, an old friend, and invites him to a birthday dinner honouring his father Jacob. Liebermann doesn’t commit… and will look all the wiser for it. That evening, Aaron’s business dealings, conflicts among relatives and current events in Germany (Hitler’s appointment as chancellor) will cast a pall over what was supposed to be a festive occasion for the Glicksteins.

Pluses: credible and involved acting by the whole cast − led by Bruno Eyron as the flawed but respectable Aaron −, smooth direction, an astute and urgent screenplay rich in interplay, character development and intelligent dialogues, elegant production values, polished cinematography, a tasteful musical score and a thought-provoking denouement.

Minuses: at first blush, the film’s premise may seem artificial… but this is clearly a case where first impressions don’t count.

Comments: THE LAST SUPPER − which recalls one critical day for the Glicksteins and takes place mostly in the family home − has a patently theatrical feel because of its staging, emphasis on dialogues and existential subject matter (the quest for one’s identity). Every character seated at the table has something important to say… and Aaron, to his own astonishment, suddenly discovers that the world has changed behind his back. If this modest movie doesn’t show much in the way of ‟action”, it sets up a robust clash of personalities and ideas that makes it an excellent choice for movie buffs. 

 

MBiS 

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