Ein Feind des Volkes

Steve McQueen made a career out of playing action roles, and although he played with a certain sense of cerebrality, by 1977 he wanted to prove that he could "act", in the classic sense. He proves beyond a doubt that he can in "An Enemy of The People", which was adapted from a play by Norwegian playwright Heinrik Ibsen.

McQueen gives a sublime performance in a film that was never properly released, promoted, or issued on video simply because the filmmakers didn't know what to do with it. It was a complete 360 degree turnaround role for McQueen, it's based on a play that, although famous, isn't well known by people who aren't college students, and they simply didn't know how to market it.

All the actors for this film were well chosen and all turn in excellent performances. McQueen himself certainly looks the part of the town doctor with his granny glasses, professor's 3 piece suit, and long shaggy beard.

It should be noted that this does appear on PBS from time to time, and videotaped versions of this are floating around. If you get a chance to see it, whether on tv or on someones videotaped version, then by all means do so.

It's too bad this little film got pulled from release before anybody got a chance to see it. It's quite good, actually. Steve McQueen -- known more for his rugged, action-packed roles -- is superb as a village doctor during the late 1800s who must speak up against an injustice taking place...even at the cost of his career and reputation. If you notice "An Enemy of the People" being shown on TV, do yourself a favor and see it. You won't be disappointed.

Late in his brief career, Steve McQueen, a superstar for his roles in action movies, intensely wanted a chance to demonstrate his abilities in a classical framework. To that end he produced this cinematic version of the Ibsen play about a 19th-Century whistleblower and worked for scale, as did other actors. The script is adapted from the excellent adaptation done by Arthur Miller a half-century ago.

The screenplay closely follows the original work and utilizes a minimum of sets with only one exterior shoot. Despite this constriction, this film is truly unforgettable. The acting by McQueen, Richard Dysart, Charles Durning and Bibi Anderson is superb. The cinematography is excellent as well, conveying an almost tactile appreciation of period costumes and interiors of the sort found in Matewan by John Sayles.

The examination of the political and emotional whirlwinds described by Ibsen would be topical today.

The regrettable part of this enterprise was the inexplicable failure of the studio to release the film in the U.S. DVD versions can be found and used PAL videotape versions are available from the U.K., Australia and other countries that use that format.

thanx to one of the guys writing here I received this tape a few years ago. And believe it or not, in my hometown - Zurich, Switzerland - they actually show this movie at the movie theater, starting next week. I can't believe this!!! Steve McQueen's acting is amazing and memorable. Actually in all of his movies - I got it all - but especially here too. It's a shame they never published this. Whenever you got the chance on watching this jewel then just do it. You might be bored at the begin, especially if you're expecting a typical McQueen- Movie. Give it a chance and don't turn off the TV after ten minutes or so. You won't regret. However, the end was a little fast (don't know exactly how to tell this in English). I am so excited to watch this at the movies next week and just can't believe it still. It's also showing on TV in the States sometimes but those people probable know this already.

Executive Producer and star Steve McQueen and director George Schaefer bring Henrik Ibsen's `An Enemy of the People' to the screen, giving life and imagery to the powerful words of this Master playwright. First performed on stage in Oslo in the 1880's, the story is every bit as pertinent today as it was when it was written, for the themes of right and wrong, principle and ideal, democracy and commitment are timeless. What must a man do when he knows he is right? How far should he be willing to go, how much sacrifice should be made in the name of the truth? Ibsen contends that there can be no shades of gray when it comes to such matters, that truth is nothing less than absolute, and must be maintained as such; honesty cannot be found in acquiescence to the solid majority. As Doctor Thomas Stockman, McQueen is the embodiment of morality; the good and the just, the voice of reason and truth crying out amid a wilderness of complacency, corruption and complicity, the individual against the masses. It's the strength of the pure against the desperate agenda of the moderates who would conspire and compromise away all that is holy for the sake of self-aggrandizement. This is a stirring and emotional story that exposes the heart of darkness which unfortunately dwells within the human spirit; but in doing so, it also serves to illuminate the magnanimity of that same spirit, as well. The construction is done with precision and the message is unequivocal; simply put, it is a masterful study of the human condition.

Ironically, the fate of this movie was ultimately decided by circumstances not unlike those within the story itself. Never released, still unavailable on video and very rarely shown on television (even cable, which seems quite inexplicable), the Powers that Be decided that this was not the Steve McQueen (heavier, with long hair and full beard) the public wanted to see; what `they' wanted (they contend) was a McQueen `with a gun in his hand,' and plenty of action. They decreed that a meaningful drama starring an action hero was somehow taboo. And that reasoning must be regarded now as nothing less than criminal. Because Steve McQueen is brilliant in this role; there is a depth and heart to his Stockman that wrings every bit of strength and truth out of Ibsen's words. Anyone who is lucky enough to have seen this film would agree, I believe, that its unavailability in not only unbelievable, but unforgivable. The wonderful Bibi Andersson also gives an exceptional performance here as Catherine Stockman, a part for which she could easily (and should) have received an Oscar nomination. The supporting cast includes Charles Durning (Peter Stockman), Richard Dysart (Aslaksen), Michael Cristofer (Hovstad), Michael Higgins (Billing), Eric Christmas (Morten), Robin Pearson Rose (Petra) and Richard Bradford (Captain Forster). `An Enemy of the People' is an excellent rendering of a timeless classic by one of the world's master dramatists; the movie itself is a classic in its own right. It took courage for McQueen to venture into this territory, but the result is indeed his triumph; this film deserves to be seen, and hopefully, through the magic of video, some day it will be. I rate this one 10/10.