Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Measured
- Intensity
- Moderate
- Complexity
- Layered
- Violence
- Mild
- provocative
- morally uneasy
- intellectual
- historical film night
- political cinema discussion
What critics said
Critics generally found the provocative alternate-history premise and performances compelling, while acknowledging uneven execution and a banal or implausible script.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
The story imagines Adolf Hitler developing as an artist under Max Rothman's mentorship rather than following the conventional account of his early career.
Hitler's later historical crimes cast an ominous shadow over his interactions with Rothman and the Munich art world.
Hitler's paintings and developing political worldview increasingly merge as he works with the army on anti-Semitic propaganda.
Rothman becomes fascinated by Hitler's artistic viewpoint despite its anti-Semitic basis, creating the film's central moral tension.
Films like Max, and why
The Rise of Evil
historical drama examining the formative years of a future dictator through hindsight, moral ambiguity, and counterfactual speculation
The Wave
provocative historical drama about the origins of fascism, political radicalization, and the danger of charismatic ideology
The Last King of Scotland
serious period drama exploring artistic ambition, political extremism, and the relationship between personal choices and historical catastrophe
Triumph of the Will
stylized historical drama centered on Hitler, propaganda, artistic self-fashioning, and the seductive power of political performance
Movie Details
- Director
- Menno Meyjes
- Release Date
- 2002-09-10
- Runtime
- 106 min
- Rating
- 6.2 / 10 (118)
Cast
- John Cusack
- Noah Taylor
- Leelee Sobieski
- Molly Parker
- Kevin McKidd
- Yuliya Vysotskaya
- Peter Capaldi
- Ulrich Thomsen
- Janet Suzman
- David Horovitch
Where to watch in United States
- Streaming
- Lionsgate+ Amazon Channel
- Rent
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
- Buy
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is Max about?
- In postwar Munich, a one-armed Jewish art dealer mentors an abrasive young veteran whose aesthetic ambitions begin mutating into political extremism.
- What is Max like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Max as measured, its intensity as moderate and its storytelling as layered.
- Is Max violent?
- Only mildly. Ember rates the violence in Max as mild.
- What did critics think of Max?
- Critics generally found the provocative alternate-history premise and performances compelling, while acknowledging uneven execution and a banal or implausible script.
- Which films are like Max?
- Films with a similar feel include The Rise of Evil, The Wave, The Last King of Scotland, and Triumph of the Will.
- How long is Max?
- Max runs 106 minutes.
- Where can I watch Max?
- In United States, Max streams on Lionsgate+ Amazon Channel.
