Die letzte Rolle

The ageing actor Peter Poller, whose name still has traction, is engaged as a guest at a provincial theater. They are performing a play by Molière. Poller is an alcoholic and his physical collapse is only a matter of time. His colleagues are watching him: the fear that the performance could fail through his fault is coupled with envy of his star role, which he also plays in his private life. His old "friend" and rival, the actor Karl Tietz, lurks unsuspectingly for the opportunity to stand in for him. Only the young Dagmar Möller seems to trust her great colleague. She makes every effort to help Poller overcome his problem and mediate between him and Tietz. But the battle continues - one wants to destroy the other. In the end, it is Dagmar who is broken by this game of intrigue, which she does not want to play and which she is not up to. However, the two old ladies are back on stage together - in a role that, like so many others, will "irrevocably" be their "last"...

Directed by Egon Günther, Die letzte Rolle leans on a strong ensemble — Hans Christian Blech, Corinna Kirchhoff, Jürgen Holtz — to carry a story that balances spectacle with character.

The film landed with audiences for its craft and performances, and remains one of the most talked-about screen titles of 1986.