Karin Boyd as Juliette Martens

First of all, what a fantastic film and Brandauer's performance as Hendrik Hoefgen is among the best I've ever seen.

Reading through all the posts for this film I was struck that nobody specifically mentioned Karin Boyd's performance or her charcter's role in the film. I assume that there were not too many black women in 1930's Germany, a precarious situation to say the least. I was almost sure that she would be killed off, especially after the General ordered her to be removed from Germany. Her survival was largely due to her relationship with Hoefgen, although the Nazi's could not accept the relationship they at least did not alienate Hoefgen any further by executing her.

All of Juliette's scenes took place in dark rooms, far from the prying eyes of the state and they all have a feverish intensity in them. The chemisty between Juliette and Hoefgen gives the viewer an impression that Hoefgen really could care about something apart from acting (although he ultimately chose the success that comes with acting). Karin Boyd's performance is both subtle (scene when Hoefgen visits her outside of Germany) with great facial exprssions showing the joy of reuniting with her lover and the pain of knowing that her love is not enough to hold him and powerful (scene when she accuses Hoefgan of only thinking of himself) and not the obvious danger that she was in.










The way I see it, is that we weren't retreating, we were just attacking in a new direction.