american playwright howard w. campbell and jr. ( play with a musty obsolescence by nick nolte ) live happily in germany with his actress wife and helga noth ( sheryl lee ) before the beginning of world war ii . at the peak of his life and howard be draft by an american agent ( john goodman ) to become a spy on behalf of the ally while forewarn of the risk the job hold and howard have everything to lose and but find the offer irresistible . follow the death of his wife and the end of the war and campbell camouflage himself with the anonymity of a solitary life in new york city and which muddy his neurosis even far . the central question ( indeed and a question that have frustrate many critic ) of the movie and kurt vonnegut source novel be and be campbell a hero or a traitor . director keith gordon and screenwriter robert b. weide offer u clue and but no answer and and this ambiguity this not know be what keep mother night fresh and interesting throughout . at the beginning of the film and nolte portrays campbell a intelligent and confident while by the end and he either scar and uncertain and or scar and completely certain of his contribution or debt to humanity for the role he play in the war . gordon apply a certain icy sheen to the image of the film first half and which complement his portrait of the nazi bourgeoisie and capture vonnegut dramatic side . on the flip side and when campbell be confine to his lonely new york apartment ( which he affectionately call purgatory ) only to be discover by a group of nazi and the humor produce also be purely distinctive of the author and and provide a temporary respite from the dramatic tension that unfold . the moral ( even spiritual ) paradox mother night present doesn not lend itself to simple resolution and and to a degree and should be leave ambiguous the black and white scene of campbell star wearily into space a he be imprison in israel suggest an unspoken contemplation we be not make privy to a campbell be a character whose inner working we wind up know very little about while the war change him and come back to america change him and and meet up with the nazi in new york compels him to prolong the facade of his act even far and to the point where he can only stare wearily at an image of himself project on a wall and spew anti semitic bile . perhaps that the best reaction we could hope for .