The Tobacconist

"The Tobacconist" (2018 release from Austria and Germany; 114 min.) brings the story of Franz, a 17 yr. old kid in Austria. As the movie opens, Franz's dad is swimming in the nearby lake but fatally struck by lightning. Franz's mom decides to send Franz to an acquaintance in Vienna who runs a tobacco and newspaper shop. The shop is frequented among others by a Nazi sympathizer but also by "the Professor", being Sigmund Freud. Franz is interested in Freud's practice. Meanwhile in a parallel story, Franz meets the girl of his dreams, a Bohemian called Anezka.... At this point we are 10 min. into the movie but to tell you more of the plot would spoil your viewing experience, you'll just have to see for yourself how it all plays out.

Couple of comments: this movie is directed by well-know German TV director Nikolaus Leytner. Turns out this is a bit of a problem, as the movie indeed feels very much like made-for-TV. The acting is awkward (you can practically hear the director go "and... ACTION!" The script (based on the novel of the same name, which I haven't read) is incredibly poor. And what should feel like a tense movie (with the worsening conditions due to the looming Nazi regime) is simply not there. But the worst of all is the imaginary bond that develops between Sigmund Freud and Franz. I feel bad for Bruno Ganz, a gifted actor (playing the role of Freud), but he has nothing to work with. Franz's dream sequences (which Freud then interprets) are laughably simple. I'm sorry that I don't have better things to say about this film. The bottom line is that this film is just plain boring and that at no time did I feel any emotional or other investment in any of these characters.

"The Tobacconist" opened out of the blue this past weekend at my local art-house theater here in Cincinnati. The theater strictly follows COVID-19 guidelines. Not that it mattered as the Sunday early evening screening where I saw this at turned out to be a private screening: I was literally the only person in the theater. In any event I cannot recommend this film to anyone in good conscience. Of course, if you have an interest in Sigmund Freud or in Vienna's waning pre-WWII era, I encourage you to check it out and draw your own conclusion.

Making a coming of age story with Freud as a character would be particularly difficult, all on its own. And the film does succeed on a number of levels with Ganz and the other actors offering compelling performances to pull off a number of deeply emotional moments. But when you consider that this film is also largely about the Nazi occupation of Austria, there is just too much going on. Similarly, there are a number of dream sequences (a nod to psychoanalysis), that can take the viewer out of the story. This film is definitely worth the watch, however, with some powerful moments and great cinematography.

An incredible film about psychology, dreams, love, passion, terror, and suffering set at one of Europe's most bizarre periods. The old Vienna is well depicted, and the mysterious but fatherly figure of Sigmund Freud is astounding.

Rarely have I been so impressed by a new film, or so eager to see it again. This one is all about eye candy and superb acting. The visual opportunities of the Alpine village where it begins and the Freudian dream interpretation angle are fully exploited. Ganz's powerful portrayal of Sigmund Freud--so much more sympathetic than the man himself--might overshadow all else. While indifferent as a history lesson, this does have a fine ring of truth from all I know about the place and period. It caught my eye that when Anezka takes up with a Nazi, he is a member of Waffen SS. Does that mean she will soon be brutalized by an arch psychopath, or that she has placed her bet on someone with a very short life expectancy? I am exercised to read the underlying novel to find out. I have a gripe with the period cars. Was every other car in Austria a Model A Ford? And an immaculate, bright colored collector car at that? (The cars other than Fords are appropriate.) The opportunities to see this in a theater will be sadly few. Please watch for it.

This is a sad story in the turbulent times during Nazi rule, through the eyes of a young man working as an apprentice in a newsagent. I like the friendship between the boy and the newsagent; even though Sigmund Freud may have been the draw.