Hannah Arendt

Released May 29, 2013

1 hr. 53 min.

Drama

List

88%

73 Reviews

Tomatometer

75%

2,500+ Ratings

Audience Score

Writer and philosopher Hannah Arendt (Barbara Sukowa) goes to Israel to cover Adolf Eichmann's war-crimes trial for The New Yorker magazine.

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Critics Consensus

Led by a powerful performance from Barbara Sukowa, Hannah Arendt does a commendable job of dramatizing the life of a complex public figure.

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Audience Member

Interesting movie about one of the most influential philosophers of the XX Century and her interpretation of the events surrounding the WWII and the figure of Adolf Eichmann. Usual irrilevant role for German actress Julia Jentsch.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

01/24/23

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don k

One of RT's critics says, "Von Trotta, however, smartly focuses on a brief, pivotal moment in Arendt's career..." Yes, smartly! Focusing on the crux of a pivotal epoch in Arendt's development as a thinker to become one of the twentieth century's towering influences on current political and moral thinking. Von Trotta takes discursiveness by the hand and leads it to states of definition. He is enable to do this by a superb cast of actors who understood their character's roles in humanity's ongoing saga. An outstanding film made brilliant by insights of cast and director.

Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars

03/31/23

Full Review

william k

Compelling portrayal is mostly to Barbara Sukowa's credit, who delivers a remarkable performance, but otherwise direction is messy and inconsequential.

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

03/31/23

Full Review

Audience Member

It is a good movie, yet it is important to know that the movie doesn't cover any aspect properly. it didn't cover her life nor her philosophy. it is more of a screenshot or a short clip taken out of a long movie. still enjoyable though just doesn't do justice to Ardent.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

02/16/23

Full Review

Audience Member

Barbara Sukowa gave a powerful performance as one of the most influential political philosophers in the 20th century here. Hannah Arendt knows perfectly well of the rise of totalitarianism and delivered the concept of the evil of banality, meaning that everybody could have been as evil as Adolf Eichmann once they gave up thinking. And regrettably indeed, this idea is becoming more and more prominent in recent years.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

02/25/23

Full Review

Audience Member

Not too late to see the wonderful movie about Arendt. Though criticized by a lot, her theory about banality of evil is worthy of being spread in present times. Human with ability to think is real human being, otherwise he/she only performs a component in a big social machine. Today, the banality of evil has its modern demonstration like exquisite egoist or excellent sheep.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

01/18/23

Full Review

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Margarethe von Trotta

Director

Barbara Sukowa

Hannah Arendt

Axel Milberg

Heinrich Blücher

Janet McTeer

Mary McCarthy

Julia Jentsch

Lotte

Ulrich Noethen

Hans Jonas

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Mary Creighton

Bitch Media

It is an absolute treasure to see and inspires its viewers to return to the literature of this lauded thinker.

Jan 14, 2021

Full Review

Bilge Ebiri

Spirituality & Health

Von Trotta, however, smartly focuses on a brief, pivotal moment in Arendt's career...

Mar 24, 2020

Full Review

Jordan Hoffman

Times of Israel

This all may sound all very heavy, but it is important to also point out that Hannah Arendt is also a good movie.

Sep 26, 2017

Full Review

Molly Templeton

Eugene Weekly (OR)

Thoughtful, fierce and imperfect, Hannah Arendt runs a bit long, but is an inspiring slice of history that might just convince you to go out and read one of its subject's books.

Feb 26, 2019

Full Review

Tara Judah

Overland

Von Trotta's film is neither profound, nor radical. It belongs to that grand dramatic tradition that trivialises and sentimentalises history until all that's left is a series of generic conventions.

Jan 8, 2019

Full Review

Monica Reid

Far Out Magazine

Philosophy must be an incredibly difficult thing to translate into film, so I give the filmmakers credit for bringing across Hannah Arendt's thinking, and that of her opponents, so clearly.

Aug 27, 2018

Full Review

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Synopsis

Writer and philosopher Hannah Arendt (Barbara Sukowa) goes to Israel to cover Adolf Eichmann's war-crimes trial for The New Yorker magazine.

Director: Margarethe von Trotta
Screenwriter: Margarethe von Trotta, Pam Katz
Distributor: Zeitgeist
Production Co: Transfax Film Productions, Heimatfilm, Sienna Films Inc., MACT Productions, Doco Digital
Genre: Drama
Original Language: German
Release Date (Theaters): May 29, 2013, Limited
Release Date (Streaming): Mar 22, 2016
Box Office (Gross USA): $714.4K

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