Pilate and Others (german: Pilatus und andere - Ein Film für Karfreitag) is a 1972 German
drama film
In film and television, drama is a category or genre of narrative fiction (or semi-fiction) intended to be more serious than humorous in tone. Drama of this kind is usually qualified with additional terms that specify its particular super-g ...
directed by
Andrzej Wajda
Andrzej Witold Wajda (; 6 March 1926 – 9 October 2016) was a Polish film and theatre director. Recipient of an Honorary Oscar, the Palme d'Or, as well as Honorary Golden Lion and Honorary Golden Bear Awards, he was a prominent member of the ...
, based on the 1967 novel ''
The Master and Margarita
''The Master and Margarita'' (russian: Мастер и Маргарита) is a novel by Soviet writer Mikhail Bulgakov
Mikhail Afanasyevich Bulgakov ( rus, links=no, Михаил Афанасьевич Булгаков, p=mʲɪxɐˈil ɐf ...
'' by the
Soviet
The Soviet Union,. officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR),. was a List of former transcontinental countries#Since 1700, transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 to 1991. A flagship communist state, ...
writer
Mikhail Bulgakov
Mikhail Afanasyevich Bulgakov ( rus, links=no, Михаил Афанасьевич Булгаков, p=mʲɪxɐˈil ɐfɐˈnasʲjɪvʲɪtɕ bʊlˈɡakəf; – 10 March 1940) was a Soviet writer, medical doctor, and playwright active in the fir ...
, although it focuses on the parts of the novel set in biblical
Jerusalem
Jerusalem (; he, יְרוּשָׁלַיִם ; ar, القُدس ) (combining the Biblical and common usage Arabic names); grc, Ἱερουσαλήμ/Ἰεροσόλυμα, Hierousalḗm/Hierosóluma; hy, Երուսաղեմ, Erusałēm. i ...
.
The film has the subtitle ''Ein Film für Karfreitag'' ( en, The Film for
Good Friday
Good Friday is a Christian holiday commemorating the crucifixion of Jesus and his death at Calvary. It is observed during Holy Week as part of the Paschal Triduum. It is also known as Holy Friday, Great Friday, Great and Holy Friday (also Hol ...
) because it was released on March 29, 1972, on the eve of
Easter
Easter,Traditional names for the feast in English are "Easter Day", as in the '' Book of Common Prayer''; "Easter Sunday", used by James Ussher''The Whole Works of the Most Rev. James Ussher, Volume 4'') and Samuel Pepys''The Diary of Samuel ...
. It was also shown at the
Berlin Film Festival
The Berlin International Film Festival (german: Internationale Filmfestspiele Berlin), usually called the Berlinale (), is a major international film festival held annually in Berlin, Germany. Founded in 1951 and originally run in June, the festi ...
on February 15, 2006, when director Andrzej Wajda received an
Honorary Golden Bear
The Honorary Golden Bear (german: Goldener Ehrenbar) is the Berlin International Film Festival
The Berlin International Film Festival (german: Internationale Filmfestspiele Berlin), usually called the Berlinale (), is a major international fil ...
.
Background
Andrzej Wajda had already received two scripts from Warsaw to make a movie about the
Passion but he had rejected both of them. When he had read
The Master and Margarita
''The Master and Margarita'' (russian: Мастер и Маргарита) is a novel by Soviet writer Mikhail Bulgakov
Mikhail Afanasyevich Bulgakov ( rus, links=no, Михаил Афанасьевич Булгаков, p=mʲɪxɐˈil ɐf ...
, he decided to use
Mikhail Bulgakov’s dialogues for his film.
The shootings were done in
Nuremberg
Nuremberg ( ; german: link=no, Nürnberg ; in the local East Franconian dialect: ''Nämberch'' ) is the second-largest city of the German state of Bavaria after its capital Munich, and its 518,370 (2019) inhabitants make it the 14th-largest ...
, on the ruines of the
Derde Rijk
The ''derde'' (derda, derdai, dardai) of Toubou residence at Zouar Tibesti is the title held by the highest religious and political authority for all Toubou Fron south Libya, north Chad, and northeast of Niger.
He is elected among the three most ...
. Wajda used the platform, from which
Adolf Hitler
Adolf Hitler (; 20 April 188930 April 1945) was an Austrian-born German politician who was dictator of Nazi Germany, Germany from 1933 until Death of Adolf Hitler, his death in 1945. Adolf Hitler's rise to power, He rose to power as the le ...
held his speeches when he was addressing the
Nazi Party
The Nazi Party, officially the National Socialist German Workers' Party (german: Nationalsozialistische Deutsche Arbeiterpartei or NSDAP), was a far-right politics, far-right political party in Germany active between 1920 and 1945 that crea ...
in Nuremberg.
Story
In the novel
The Master and Margarita
''The Master and Margarita'' (russian: Мастер и Маргарита) is a novel by Soviet writer Mikhail Bulgakov
Mikhail Afanasyevich Bulgakov ( rus, links=no, Михаил Афанасьевич Булгаков, p=mʲɪxɐˈil ɐf ...
by the Russian author
Mikhail Bulgakov
Mikhail Afanasyevich Bulgakov ( rus, links=no, Михаил Афанасьевич Булгаков, p=mʲɪxɐˈil ɐfɐˈnasʲjɪvʲɪtɕ bʊlˈɡakəf; – 10 March 1940) was a Soviet writer, medical doctor, and playwright active in the fir ...
, on which the film is based, three story lines are interwoven: a satirical story line in which
Satan
Satan,, ; grc, ὁ σατανᾶς or , ; ar, شيطانالخَنَّاس , also known as Devil in Christianity, the Devil, and sometimes also called Lucifer in Christianity, is an non-physical entity, entity in the Abrahamic religions ...
, called Woland here, goes to the city of
Moscow
Moscow ( , US chiefly ; rus, links=no, Москва, r=Moskva, p=mɐskˈva, a=Москва.ogg) is the capital and largest city of Russia. The city stands on the Moskva River in Central Russia, with a population estimated at 13.0 million ...
in the 30s to deal in hilarious manner with the corrupt lucky ones, bureaucrats and profiteers from the
Stalin
Joseph Vissarionovich Stalin (born Ioseb Besarionis dze Jughashvili; – 5 March 1953) was a Georgian revolutionary and Soviet political leader who led the Soviet Union from 1924 until his death in 1953. He held power as General Secretar ...
era, a second one describing the internal struggle fought by
Pontius Pilate
Pontius Pilate (; grc-gre, Πόντιος Πιλᾶτος, ) was the fifth governor of the Roman province of Judaea, serving under Emperor Tiberius from 26/27 to 36/37 AD. He is best known for being the official who presided over the trial of J ...
before, during and after the conviction and execution of
Yeshua Ha Nozri (Jesus from Nazareth), and a third one telling the story of the love between the master, an unnamed writer in Moscow during the 30s and his beloved Margarita, which goes to the extreme to save her master. The master has written a novel about Pontius Pilate, and is addressed by the authorities because this was an issue which in the officially atheistic
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union,. officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR),. was a transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 to 1991. A flagship communist state, it was nominally a federal union of fifteen national ...
was taboo.
The film ''Pilate and Others'' only tells the biblical story of the novel: the story of
Pontius Pilate
Pontius Pilate (; grc-gre, Πόντιος Πιλᾶτος, ) was the fifth governor of the Roman province of Judaea, serving under Emperor Tiberius from 26/27 to 36/37 AD. He is best known for being the official who presided over the trial of J ...
and
Yeshua Ha Nozri (Jesus from Nazareth),
Differences from the novel
The biblical story of the novel is situated in
Jersjalajim, but Wajda transferred it to
Germany
Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwe ...
in the present time. Levi Matvei is a modern TV
reporter
A journalist is an individual that collects/gathers information in form of text, audio, or pictures, processes them into a news-worthy form, and disseminates it to the public. The act or process mainly done by the journalist is called journalism ...
who makes reports from
Golgotha
Calvary ( la, Calvariae or ) or Golgotha ( grc-gre, Γολγοθᾶ, ''Golgothâ'') was a site immediately outside Jerusalem's walls where Jesus was said to have been crucified according to the canonical Gospels. Since at least the early mediev ...
; Yeshua Ha-Nozri passes
Way of the Cross
The Stations of the Cross or the Way of the Cross, also known as the Way of Sorrows or the Via Crucis, refers to a series of images depicting Jesus Christ on the day of his crucifixion and accompanying prayers. The stations grew out of imitati ...
on streets of
Frankfurt am Main
Frankfurt, officially Frankfurt am Main (; Hessian: , "Frank ford on the Main"), is the most populous city in the German state of Hesse. Its 791,000 inhabitants as of 2022 make it the fifth-most populous city in Germany. Located on its na ...
.
Cast
*
Wojciech Pszoniak
Wojciech Zygmunt Pszoniak (2 May 1942 – 19 October 2020) was a Polish film and theatre actor.
Biography and career
Pszoniak was born in Lwów, Nazi occupied Poland, now in Ukraine. He gained international visibility following Andrzej Wajda's 19 ...
as Yeshua Ha-Nozri
*
Jan Kreczmar
Jan Kreczmar (6 May 1908 in Warsaw - 29 August 1972 in Warsaw) was a Polish theatre and film actor.Jan Kreczmar
at ...
as
Pontius Pilate
Pontius Pilate (; grc-gre, Πόντιος Πιλᾶτος, ) was the fifth governor of the Roman province of Judaea, serving under Emperor Tiberius from 26/27 to 36/37 AD. He is best known for being the official who presided over the trial of J ...
*
Daniel Olbrychski
Daniel Marcel Olbrychski (; born 27 February 1945) is a Polish film and theatre actor who is widely considered one of the greatest Polish actors of his generation. He appeared in 180 films and TV productions and is best known for leading roles ...
as
Levi Matvei
*
Andrzej Lapicki as Aphranius
*
Marek Perepeczko
Marek Perepeczko (3 April 1942 – 17 November 2005Data śmierci według poprawionej informacji żony Agnieszki Fitkau-Perepeczko. TVN ''Rozmowy w toku'', 2007.01.25.) was a popular Polish movie and theatrical actor.
Between 1960 and 1961, he a ...
as Marcus
*
Jerzy Zelnik
Jerzy Zelnik (born 14 September 1945) is a Polish actor. He has appeared in more than 60 films and television shows since 1963. He was awarded the Badge of Merit in Culture (1997) and Knight's Cross of the Order of Polonia Restituta (2007).
Sel ...
as
Judah of Kiriaf
*
Vladek Sheybal
Vladek Sheybal (born Władysław Rudolf Zbigniew Sheybal; 12 March 1923 – 16 October 1992) was a Poles, Polish character actor, singer and director of both television and Theatre director, stage productions. He was well known for his portrayal ...
as
Caiaphas
Joseph ben Caiaphas (; c. 14 BC – c. 46 AD), known simply as Caiaphas (; grc-x-koine, Καϊάφας, Kaïáphas ) in the New Testament, was the Jewish high priest who, according to the gospels, organized a plot to kill Jesus. He famously p ...
*
Andrzej Wajda
Andrzej Witold Wajda (; 6 March 1926 – 9 October 2016) was a Polish film and theatre director. Recipient of an Honorary Oscar, the Palme d'Or, as well as Honorary Golden Lion and Honorary Golden Bear Awards, he was a prominent member of the ...
as reporter
Soundtrack
Johann Sebastian Bach
Johann Sebastian Bach (28 July 1750) was a German composer and musician of the late Baroque period. He is known for his orchestral music such as the '' Brandenburg Concertos''; instrumental compositions such as the Cello Suites; keyboard w ...
-
Matthäus-Passion
The ''St Matthew Passion'' (german: Matthäus-Passion, links=-no), BWV 244, is a '' Passion'', a sacred oratorio written by Johann Sebastian Bach in 1727 for solo voices, double choir and double orchestra, with libretto by Picander. It set ...
Other screen adaptations of The Master and Margarita
*Giovanni Brancale - Il Maestro e Margherita - 2008 (film)
*
Vladimir Bortko
Vladimir Vladimirovich Bortko (russian: Владимир Владимирович Бортко; born 7 May 1946) is a Russian film director, screenwriter, producer and politician. He was a member of the State Duma between 2011 and 2021, and was aw ...
-
Master i Margarita - 2005 (TV series)
*Ibolya Fekete - A Mester és Margarita - 2005 (film)
*Sergey Desnitsky - Master i Margarita - 1996 (film)
*
Yuri Kara
Yuri Viktorovich Kara (Russian: Юрий Викторович Кара), born on 12 November 1954 in Stalino, is a Russian film director, screenwriter and producer.
Biography
Yuri Kara was born on 12 November 1954 in the Stalino, which is now c ...
-
Master i Margarita - 1994 (film)
*
Paul Bryers
Paul Bryers (born 1 August 1955 in Liverpool) is a British film director, screenwriter and fiction author.
Biography
Paul Bryers studied Modern history, politics and economy at the University of Southampton. Later he joined the Daily Mirror’ ...
-
Incident in Judea - 1991 (tv-film)
*Oldřich Daněk - Pilát Pontský, onoho dne - 1991 (film)
*Andras Szirtes - Forradalom Után - 1990 (film)
*Aleksandr Dzekun - Master i Margarita - 1989 (tv-reeks)
*
Maciej Wojtyszko
Maciej Wojtyszko (; born in Warsaw, Mazowieckie on April 14, 1946) is a Polish film director, screenwriter and fiction author.
Biography
Maciej Wojtyszko graduated from the ''Liceum Technik Teatralnych'' in Warsaw in 1965. After having studied ...
-
Mistrz i Małgorzata - 1988 (TV series)
*Vladimir Vasilyev and Boris Yermolaev - Fuete - 1986 (film)
*
Aleksandar Petrović -
Il Maestro e Margherita - 1972 (speelfilm)
;To be expected:
*
Scott Steindorff
Robert Scott Steindorff is an American television and film producer, executive producer and film consultant.
Early life and education
Steindorff was born in Minnesota and then moved to Arizona during his childhood. He attended Arizona State Uni ...
- The Master and Margarita - 2012 (film)
*Rinat Timerkaev - Master i Margarita - 2012 (animation film)
References
External links
*
*
{{The Master and Margarita
1972 films
Films based on works by Mikhail Bulgakov
German television films
Films directed by Andrzej Wajda
1972 drama films
Films based on Russian novels
Portrayals of Jesus on television
1970s German-language films