Synopsis:
As a child and young man, Diederich Hessling (Werner Peters) learns an important lesson for an ambitious man: one must first serve power to gain power for oneself. From then on, his modus operandi is to bow to superiors and kick underlings. This historical satire, set in the 1890s, is based on Heinrich Mann’s world-famous novel, Der Untertan, considered a key text on the "authoritarian personality." The film – a bitterly comic classic by one of Germany’s great directors – was banned in West Germany for five years, before being released in an edited version which leaves out the final scenes. The Kaiser’s Lackey is ranked by film critics among the 100 Most Significant German Films of all time.

Press Comments:

One of the best films of all time! - Cinémathèque Royale, Brussels

A stylistically dazzling adaptation of Mann's satirical novel. - TATE Modern, London

A masterpiece. An exceptional film. An astonishing film satire, surprisingly current. - Ralf Schenk, film historian

...explored the authoritarian, nationalistic, and sycophantic character of bourgeois citizens in imperial Germany. - Heide Fehrenbach, Cinema in Democratitizing Germany

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