A man's story parallels Hitler's rise. Austrian Klaus Schneider, wounded in World War I, recovers in the care of Dr. Emil Bettleheim. Bettleheim discovers that Schneider possesses powers of empathy and of clairvoyance, such that could aid suicidal patients. After the war, with one friend as his manager and another as his lover, Schneider changes his name to Eric Jan Hanussen and goes to Berlin, as a hypnotist and clairvoyant performing in halls and theaters. He always speaks the truth, which brings him to the attention of powerful Nazis. He predicts their rise (good propaganda for them) and their violence (not so good). He's in pain and at risk. What is Hanussen's future?

Genres

Cast

Klaus Maria Brandauer

Klaus Schneider / Eric Jan Hanussen

Erland Josephson

Dr. Bettelheim

Ildikó Bánsági

Sister Betty

Walter Schmidinger

Propaganda Chief

Károly Eperjes

Tibor Nowotny

Grażyna Szapołowska

Valery de la Meer

Adrianna Biedrzyńska

Wally

György Cserhalmi

Count Trantow-Waldbach

Michał Bajor

Becker

Jiří Adamíra

Rattinger

Róbert Rátonyi

Prof. Gábor

Gabriela Kownacka

Wife of Propaganda Chief