TAKING SIDES
Directed by: István Szabó.
Produced by: Yves Pasquier.
Written by: Ronald Harwood, based on his play.
Director of Photography: Lajos Koltai.
Edited by: Sylvie Landra.
Released by: New Yorker.
Country of Origin: Germany. 105 min. Not Rated.
With: Harvey Keitel, Stellan Skarsgård, Moritz Bleibtreu & Birgit Minichmayr.

In 1946 post-WW II Berlin, during the Allied occupation and war crime trials, the de-Nazification process pursues Germans in the limelight. Wilhelm Furtwängler, played with exquisite finesse by Swedish actor Stellan Skarsgård, is at the top of his profession. As Germany's leading musical conductors fled the Nazi state, Furtwängler remained to lead the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra. Although he helped many Jewish musicians and their families to escape (this is mentioned but not detailed in the film), he also played on many occasions for Adolph Hitler. American Army Major Steve Arnold, assigned to investigate Furtwängler, attempts to prove Furtwängler’s membership in the Nazi party. As played by Harvey Keitel in a mannered performance, Arnold is the ugly American--angry, brash, manipulative and snide. His is a foregone conclusion, and Arnold never considers any answer but the one he has been instructed to reach. He is aided by his secretary Emmi, a former political prisoner, and Lieutenant David Wills, an Americanized German Jew. Both are beautifully played with subtlety and grace by Austrian actress Birgit Minichmayr and rising German star Moritz Bleibtreu. What ensues is both fascinating and frustrating; at times horrifying (some actual footage will stay with you), exalting (the music of Beethoven, Bruckner, and Schubert) and distracting (a dead-end romantic triangle); but Taking Sides is always thought provoking as the major attacks and the conductor struggles to defend himself. While the film is uneven, the argument here is more than Art versus Politics, but also personal responsibility. Do we blithely leave the ruling of our lives and the representation of ourselves to governments that claim to be righteous? Seeing this film will certainly lead to a lively discussion.
Kathleen Bishop, Actress/Director, Artistic Director TTT Theatre Group, Resident Director WOMANSeeking..., both in New York City
September 5, 2003