Colonel Redl (1985)

Blackmail. Espionage. Unholy alliences. These are the ingredients of Istvan Szabo's Colonel Redl. Colonel Redl is the Ukrainian boy who advances in the Austro-Hungarian military hierarchy. He has many enemies and in his homophobic world, his romances are held against him. He is thought to have been a spy for the Russians and at the same time he appears to be a supporter of the Habsburg regime. Redl is the pariah who learns to play the game, to keep up appearances, to pretend to be the perfect soldier. Tragedy, of course, ensues. The story is intertwined by the upheavals within the empire: ethnic groups are persecuted, order is to be kept up at any price. I must admit it was not all too simple to follow this movie and what Szabo is trying to say. Redl is portrayed as a man who can do almost anything to rise in the hierarchy. He's a climber. But Szabo tries to understand him and his motives for acting the way he does. We see him live an affluent, guarded life in the secret service. He is lured into treason because he wants to keep climbing; this happens almost by chance, in a moment of hapless speech. Szabo's rendition of the scandal has puzzled many. He tones down Redl's affairs with men and ascribes to him "noble" characteristics. Szabo's film is at its best when it focuses on the social situations in which pretense and play-acting stand at the fore. Early on in the film, Redl is introduced to high society. He's a poor boy who quickly learns the rules of the game. Szabo focuses on tragedy, rather than harsh critique. In the end, he is seen as a doomed figure in a big net of players in a restless time.