Hanussen (1988 film)

{{Infobox film

| name = Hanussen

| image = Hanussen88.jpg

| caption = Film poster

| director = István Szabó

| producer = Artur Brauner
Judit Sugár

| writer = Péter Dobai
István Szabó

| screenplay =

| narrator =

| story =

| based_on =

| starring = {{Plainlist|

| music = György Vukán

| cinematography = Lajos Koltai

| editing = Zsuzsa Csákány
Brigitta Kajdácsi
Bettina Rekuc
Éva Szentandrási

| studio =

| distributor =

| released = {{film date|1988|10|6|df=yes}}

| runtime = 140 minutes

| country = Hungary, West Germany, Austria

| language = Hungarian, German

| budget = $59,701

| gross = $82,635

}}

Hanussen is a 1988 Hungarian film directed by István Szabó, centered around the life of Erik Jan Hanussen. Starring Klaus Maria Brandauer, the German-language film received an Academy Award nomination for Best Foreign Language Film.{{Cite web |title=The 61st Academy Awards (1989) Nominees and Winners |url=http://www.oscars.org/oscars/ceremonies/1989 |accessdate=20 August 2015 |work=oscars.org}} It was also featured at the 1988 Cannes Film Festival.{{cite web |title=Festival de Cannes: Hanussen |url=http://www.festival-cannes.com/en/archives/ficheFilm/id/325/year/1988.html |accessdate=2009-07-26 |work=festival-cannes.com}}

Plot

During World War I, Klaus Schneider, a train conductor, is hospitalized for head injuries. His doctor, Dr. Bettelheim, discovers Schneider's clairvoyant abilities. Post-war, he reconnects with Captain Nowotny, who becomes his advisor. Schneider, now known as Erik Jan Hanussen, becomes a successful variety star after Nowotny's guidance. He gains fame for predicting a cruise ship's sinking but faces arrest and trial for fraud. However, he's acquitted after showcasing his abilities in court.

In Berlin, where he resides with his girlfriend Valery (Wally) and Nowotny, he socializes with the elite. Despite his earlier claims of being apolitical, he predicts Adolf Hitler's rise to Chancellor, causing tension with Nowotny and Wally. When he foresees the Reichstag fire, the Nazis brand him a traitor, leading to his murder by the SA on March 24-25, 1933, likely influenced by his Jewish background.