MOVIE | Hannah Arendt: The Philosopher Who Shook the World
MOVIE | A Look into the Life of a Female Philosopher Who Shook the World
“Hannah Arendt” Depicts the Love and Convictions of a Woman Who Conveyed the Truth
Philosopher Hannah Arendt, whose report on the trial of Nazi war criminal Eichmann and its shocking content sparked public debate. “Hannah Arendt,” which portrays her turbulent life, her love, and her convictions, will be released sequentially nationwide starting October 26 (Saturday) at Iwanami Hall and other theaters.
Text by YANAKA Tomomi
Starring Barbara Sukowa, winner of the German Film Award for Best Actress
This film delves into the truth of Hannah Arendt, a Jewish philosopher who caused a global controversy by publishing her report on the trial of Nazi war criminal Adolf Eichmann in The New Yorker magazine in the early 1960s. The moving true story, which explores the essence of her thought and approaches Arendt as a woman full of love for her husband and friends, was a major topic at last year's Tokyo International Film Festival and is finally coming to theaters.
The film is directed by Margarethe von Trotta, known for “Rosa Luxemburg.” She realized this cinematic adaptation after a decade of planning. Starring again with von Trotta is Barbara Sukowa, who portrays Arendt with a blend of warm charm and a sharp intellect that probes deeply for truth, earning her the German Film Award for Best Actress.
Arendt, who faced intense criticism for asserting the "banality of evil"
Hannah Arendt, a German-Jewish philosopher who escaped Nazi concentration camps during World War II and sought refuge in the United States. A renowned philosopher respected by all, she lived through a tumultuous era with the conviction that "thinking makes one strong."
Then, in the early 1960s, Nazi war criminal Adolf Eichmann, responsible for transporting millions of Jews to concentration camps, was apprehended in Argentina by Israeli intelligence. Arendt attended the historic trial in Israel and published her report in The New Yorker magazine.
Her report argued that Eichmann was not the monstrous villain the public imagined, but rather a mere "bureaucrat" blindly following orders—a concept she termed the "banality of evil." This shocking assertion sent ripples across the world.
Despite facing fierce public condemnation and internal struggle, Arendt continued to assert the "banality of evil." The truth of her turbulent life, which etched her name in history, is revealed on screen half a century later.
Hannah Arendt
Opening October 26 (Saturday) at Iwanami Hall and other theaters nationwide
Director & Screenplay | Margarethe von Trotta
Starring | Barbara Sukowa, Axel Milberg, Ulrich Noethen, Michael Degen
Distribution | Cetera International
2012 / Germany, Luxembourg, France / 114 min
http://www.cetera.co.jp/h_arendt/
©2012 Heimatfilm GmbH+Co KG, Amour Fou Luxembourg sarl, MACT Productions SA, Metro Communicationsltd.