Voyager ( Homo Faber ) ( Taxidiotis, O )

The film Homo Faber is based upon the classic bestseller book by the same name written by the Swiss writer Max Frisch and adapted for the screen by screenwriters Rudi Wurlitzer and Volker Schløndorff with Schløndorff as director. The story of Homo Faber, meaning "the man who creates his own destiny" begins in 1957 but make convincingly flashbacks in sepia tone to the war years in Zurich Switzerland where Faber meets the young Jewish girl Hannah and fall in love with her. Hannah gets pregnant with Faber, tells him about the good news and discovers to her disbelief that Faber sees the pregnancy as very inconvenient to him now that he has received a tempting business proposal to head the building of a hydro electric dam in one of the third world countries. Hannah gets an emotional chock and rejects Faber from the bottom of her heart. In anger and disappointment she now turns to Joachim (played by August Zirner) a common student friend of theirs for support and he marries the pregnant Hannah. (But Faber does not know this then)With a psychological thriller-like opening the story has set the tragic undercurrent which runs through the rest of the film like a dark river.

The role of Faber is genuinely well played by the American actor Sam Shepard. Faber is a man of sciences who believes only in what is calculable and rational, he distrusts emotions and those things happening by chance.

On a flight from Caracas, Venezuela to New York Faber's plane has to ditch down in the Mexican desert due to fire in two of the plane's four propeller engines. While in the Mexican desert Faber coolly opens his travel typewriter and sits down to write a letter of goodbye to his old New York girl friend Ivy (played with conviction by Deborah-Lee Furness). One of the fellow (and surviving) passengers is Herbert Henche (played by Dieter Kirchlechner) who happens to be the brother of Joachim from the student days in Zurich. Henche tells Faber that Joachim now owns a tobacco plantation in Central America and Faber decides to join him. Together they travel back to Central America to find Joachim. On arrival they sadly discover that Joachim has taken his own life. Upon returning to New York Faber is surprised to know that his old flame Ivy has created a special welcoming dinner for two in his apartment (she had a spear key) and she pushes Faber to make a commitment to her. This however is Faber's worst nightmare and he flees. He instantly books a ticket on a passenger ship headed for France. On board Faber meets the young and exciting woman Sabeth (played charmingly by Julie Delpy) and is instantly attracted to her. They fall in love and Faber offers to drive her to Rome where she will study art. In Italy they live out their romance among beautiful buildings and art. But now the dark undercurrent in the theme forces its way through and in a chocking revelation Faber discovers that Sabeth is actually his daughter with Hannah who he once found inconvenient to have and rejected. With an ugly twist of faith the story comes to a tragic conclusion in Greece where Faber surprisingly meets Hannah.

The film is a feast for the eyes. Beautifully shot in many countries on three continents with stunning sceneries like the ones of the four engine air plane, the wide fields in Italy and inside the Louvre Museum in Paris just to mention a few. With his book Homo Faber Max Frisch created a universal theme. The filmed version extends this best seller to an even wider audience.

Without going much further into detail about the storyline that was previously given by someone else, I'd like to comment on the overall concept of the movie and its main characters. Beautifully shot on location in various locales in Europe helped to give the characters more depth in their surroundings. Sam Shepard and Julie Delpy were very convincing as tender lovers in this haunting and thought provoking story.
In reality, this subject matter would naturally have herendous repercussions. Though its characters are gripped by what has happened, the film makes you FEEL for the two lovers and the girl's mother. Total escapism for the senses yet mind blowing!
I saw this film about 7 years ago on cable tv and later purchased the video. I am so
happy that it has finally been released on DVD! I have now purchased this format and
anticipate seeing the deleted scences, etc. It's near the top of my all time favorite films!

Homo Faber is one of my all-time favorite novels. I was skeptical that the movie wouldn't live up to the book (despite the director and cast). But it turned out to be one of those rare movies that successfully captures the original spirit of the author. Great love story.