A German stage actor finds unexpected success and mixed blessings in the popularity of his performance in a Faustian play as the Nazis take power in pre-WWII Germany. As his associates and friends flee or are ground under by the Nazi terror, the popularity of his character supersedes his own existence until he finds that his best performance is keeping up appearances for his Nazi patrons.
If you want to win an Oscar, it never hurts to make a film about World War II, and especially if you throw the Holocaust in there. This film does not address the Holocaust, but does focus on a man in a very awkward position during the war -- does he flee or does he stay and accept the new way? Although not intentional (at least, not obviously so), it seems oddly like the story of Emil Jannings.
If you want to win an Oscar, it never hurts to make a film about World War II, and especially if you throw the Holocaust in there. This film does not address the Holocaust, but does focus on a man in a very awkward position during the war -- does he flee or does he stay and accept the new way? Although not intentional (at least, not obviously so), it seems oddly like the story of Emil Jannings.