Colonel Redl (ej svensk text)

The second film in the trilogy of celebrated collaborations between director Istvan Szabo and actor Klaus Maria Brandauer (Mephisto and Hanussen), Colonel Redl continues the examination of ambition, political intrigue, betrayal and destruction. Set during the fading glory of the Austro-Hungarian empire, the film tells of the rise and fall of Alfred Redl (Brandauer), an ambitious young officer who proceeds up the ladder to become head of the Secret Police only to become ensnared in political deception. Based on a real life figure and the subject of John Osborne's "A Patriot For Me", Colonel Redl boasts a distinguished performance by Brandauer who imbues his character with the sense of a man being overwhelmed by history. Subtly directed by Istvan Szabo, it was awarded the Cannes Jury Prize in 1985 and nominated for Best Foreign Film at the 1986 Academy Awards.