A German soldier with a serious head wound survives The Great War to become a celebrated clairvoyant in Depression-era Berlin, mesmerizing audiences (and critics) by the sheer force of his personality. No, his stage name isn't Adolph Hitler, but the parallels soon become clear. Are his powers a supernatural gift or merely sensitive guesswork? The question takes on added significance when the apolitical showman begins predicting the rise of fascism and falls under the influence (against his own will) of the fledgling Nazi Party. The film presents an intriguing, if not always cohesive, portrait of an entertainer (and by extension, a nation) under the spell of forces beyond anyone's control, with the title role coming vividly to life in Klaus Maria Brandauer's equally mesmerizing performance. His efforts helped earn the film a nomination for Best Foreign Language Feature, but the results were likely too dark and ambiguous to win the Oscar.
