Good (film)

The film follows John Halder, a well-meaning academic in 1930s Frankfurt, who writes a novel advocating compassionate euthanasia for the terminally ill. His work attracts the attention of the Nazi party, which co-opts his ideas to justify their murderous policies. As Halder rises in the regime's hierarchy, he rationalizes each moral compromise, from ignoring the persecution of his Jewish friends to eventually participating in the machinery of the Holocaust.

The central theme is the gradual, almost imperceptible slide into complicity, illustrating how ordinary people can become instruments of atrocity without a single dramatic act of evil. The narrative emphasizes the power of self-deception and the banality of evil, a concept associated with Hannah Arendt.¹

The screenplay was adapted by John Wrathall from C. P. Taylor's play, which had been acclaimed for its darkly comic and unsettling portrayal of moral decay. The film was directed by Brazilian filmmaker Vicente Amorim, known for his work in television and film. It was produced by Miriam Segal and was a British-German co-production, shot in various locations in Germany to maintain authenticity.

Viggo Mortensen, who also served as an executive producer, was drawn to the project for its exploration of moral ambiguity. The film's score was composed by Samuel Barber, using his Adagio for Strings, which adds a poignant, ironic counterpoint to the unfolding horror.²

Good received mixed reviews from critics, with many praising Mortensen's performance but some finding the film's tone uneven. On Rotten Tomatoes, it holds a 43% approval rating based on 21 reviews, with an average rating of 5.3/10. The site's consensus calls it "a well-acted but dramatically inert adaptation." Metacritic gives it a score of 50 out of 100, indicating "mixed or average reviews."³

Despite the mixed reception, the film has been noted for its timely themes, particularly in the context of contemporary political debates about complicity and authoritarianism. It has been used in academic settings to discuss the psychology of obedience and the Holocaust.⁴

The film's title is deliberately ambiguous, referring both to Halder's initial good intentions and the moral question of what constitutes "good" in a corrupt society. The play was first performed at the Royal Court Theatre in London in 1981, with Alan Howard in the lead role, and was revived in 1999 with Charles Dance.

Viggo Mortensen learned to play the piano for the film, as his character is an amateur musician. The film also features a cameo by the German actor Jürgen Prochnow, known for his role in Das Boot. The production faced challenges in securing funding due to the sensitive subject matter, and it was ultimately financed through a combination of British and German sources.⁵

Banality of evil

A phrase coined by Hannah Arendt to describe the idea that great evils can arise from ordinary people who simply follow orders and conform to societal norms without deep thought.

Euthanasia

The practice of intentionally ending a life to relieve pain and suffering, often a subject of ethical debate.

Holocaust

The systematic, state-sponsored persecution and murder of six million Jews by the Nazi regime and its collaborators.