Steppenwolf

22 January 2010. Perhaps it was the primitive special effects/animation technology, but the by end of the movie the chaotic last third of the movie seemed vastly outdated, outmoded and the fantastic visions of the book seemed to pale into imitation and distortion, losing much of the emotional/surreal impact required of such a movie endeavor. The magical chemistry between the two leads (Harry Haller and Hermine) do not result in a believable intimate relationship by the end of the movie and perhaps thusly the shocking end isn't quite as meaningful nor poignant as it might be. Somehow this movie version doesn't quite have the immersive impact and the dichotomy of the book. While the basic elements of the storyline are captured, the editing and the feel seem less pungent and captivating. 6/10.

I feel like a minority of one by saying I liked Haines' adaptation of Steppenwolf. I first ran across it in 1989 when I found it mis-filed under horror in the video store I was living above my senior year in college. I was already a fan of Hesse, I especially liked the Glass Bead Game, Steppenwolf, Demian and Siddhartha.

I loved Max von Sydow's performance as Harry Haller. I found Dominique Sandia to be a captivating Hermine.

It is definitely a weird film but that adds to its charm. This film captured the spirit of the book quite well -- better than David Lynch's adaptation of Dune. I'm speaking as a fan of David Lynch and of Dune. Some of the animated exposition looked a little awkward but I'm inclined to overlook that because some of it was funny and the live action parts worked really well.

I always thought this wildly psychological Hesse book was unfilmable until I saw this movie . Even thought it contains just a portion of the ideas in the dense original, it was an amazing attempt, especially considering the technical limitations of the period. Using video techniques to pull off the kind of stuff that is done easily with cgi, Haines brings us into the surreal internal reality of Harry haller's psyche. I wish someone would clean this flick up and release it on DVD. Worth getting and watching. I think the rating it received here was really off the mark. A cult film that deserves wider recognition, Max von Sydow does a great job, as does Dominique Sanda and Pierre Clementi

Max Von Sydow is perhaps one of the finest versatile actors of all time. In any film which originate in Europe, one can expect not only finally crafted and intricate drama, but also superb acting. In this complex tale, he is convincing as Herman Hess, a soul in search of himself. Tragic in his troubled journey is the fact that like his character, Max Von Sydow will always fills the bill for classic theater as he does in this dark tale. With supporting actors like Pierre Clémenti who plays Pablo and Dominique Sanda as Hermine the film is both mysterious and deep. Expect the best from both author and actor as you follow along in a surreal life man scratching for the inner man. ***

This adaptation of the novel is a really interesting movie - in ways, I feel like it's so unique that it makes it difficult to judge how "good" the film really is. There are a lot of colorful, unusual and even rather creepy special effects, including animation of several kinds.

The quality of the acting is also difficult to gauge because the interactions between characters are already supposed to be so far removed from the kinds of things that people in your life most likely say and do. Max von Sydow's performance was very different from how the character of Harry Haller existed in my head before seeing the movie: I had read the book first and couldn't quite see Harry as being so silly-looking or laughable throughout the whole story. Dominique Sanda did convey an appropriate mystique as Hermine, and has a really interesting speaking voice. A very nationally and sexually ambiguous guy named Pierre Clementi seemed to have a lot of fun with his crazy take on Pablo. Hilarious! The music and the whole sound concept of the movie were also.. can anyone think of another word for "unique"? But in this case, I also thought they were excellently conceived.

Part of me found that the movie's endearing irregularities were a great way to reflect the absurdity and awkwardness that are felt by the main character, but another part was not entirely convinced. So, I give the movie a 7/10 after some deliberation, partly out of the respect I have for works of true originality, of which this is certainly one.