Jew Suss: Rise and Fall

A rising film star whose career surges when Goebbels selects him for Jud Süß. The lure of fame pulls him into the Nazi propaganda machine, and his temperament shifts as public acclaim grows. His growing involvement tests his conscience as the regime tightens its grip on culture and personal life.

Nazi propaganda minister who personally mates Marian to Jud Süß and uses cinema as a tool of ideological control. He wields power to shape public opinion and push individuals into complicity. His calculations reveal the chilling fusion of politics and art under totalitarian rule.

Marian's wife, whose life becomes entangled in the regime's machinations. She is used as leverage by Goebbels, and her fate—revealed after the war—highlights the personal cost of political games. Her experience exemplifies the domestic casualties of a society ruled by fear and manipulation.

The household servant who betrays Wilhelm Adolf Deutscher to Lutz, illustrating how personal networks can be weaponized within a climate of fear. Her actions contribute to a web of betrayal that entangles both victims and bystanders. Her role underscores how ordinary people become instruments of larger political schemes.

A Czech actress who begins an affair with Marian, reflecting the personal entanglements formed under wartime pressures. Her relationship intersects with political danger when she becomes involved with a U.S. soldier, contributing to Marian's mounting inner turmoil. Her presence personifies the tension between art, desire, and survival.

The Jewish actor hidden in Marian's garden house, posing as a gardener, whose existence becomes a stark symbol of persecution and risk. His presence tests Marian's loyalty and humanity as betrayals threaten to upend both lives. The situation reveals the harms of a society built on surveillance and fear.

Director of Jud Süß, guiding the film's production under the Nazi regime. His role embodies the professional complicity of cinema in propagating anti-Semitic ideology. The film's creation under his direction illustrates how art can be co-opted for political ends.

A friend who becomes entangled in the consequences of Britta's betrayal. His relationship with Marian and others underscores the far-reaching impact of personal actions within a politically charged environment. He embodies the human fallout of a culture of fear and manipulation.