Mephisto(1981) ❲2025❳

(1981), directed by István Szabó, is a haunting cinematic masterpiece that explores the seductive power of fame and the moral erosion of an artist under a totalitarian regime. The film, which won the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film, is the first in Szabó's acclaimed trilogy on European history, followed by Colonel Redl (1985) and Hanussen (1988). Feature Profile: The Price of the Spotlight