Ludwig (Blu-ray + DVD Combo)

By: Raymond Murray
In-House Review - Dec 19 2016

Through a series of talking heads, each of accusation, the downfall of one of Europe's most tragic and historically enigmatic figures is brought to life.

Helmut Berger (in all of his European beauty) is "the mad king of Bavaria," who saw himself as a poet and architect of dreams through the construction of Gothic castles for his people's destiny of happiness, and who ironically, as he was slowly going mad, secluded himself in his self-made "prison." His friendships with Wagner and other artists eventually became a vampire on the Bavarian state's gold vein, which ultimately created enemies within the walls of his reluctant empire.

Visconti offers an opulent vision of the tale through the costumes and actual castle sets. His characters are often too cold to allow for sympathy, but his vision opens the realities of a world more too often intolerant of anything in quest of personified passion.

By: Amos Lassen

"Ludwig"
The Enigmatic Monarch
Amos Lassen
Ludwig of Bavaria loved women and he loved men. He lived controversially and he ruled controversially. But he did not care what the world thought because to Ludwig, he was the world. In 1972, famed Italian director, Luchino Visconti filmed the life and death of King Ludwig II and showed us an epic of 19th century decadence.

Helmut Berger is Ludwig and he dominates the screen. Beside him are Romy Schneider as Elisabeth of Austria, Silvana Mangano ,Gert Fröbe. John Moulder-Brown and Trevor Howard. Visconti loved to film epics and this is epic as they come.

Finally available on DVD, "Ludwig" is one of the most visually stunning movies ever made. It covers the life of the king of Bavaria from his coronation in 1896, follows him as a romantic hero, his admiration for Richard Wagner and Wagner's betrayal, his affair with his cousin Elizabeth of Austria and her abandonment of him, his torment about his homosexuality and his ultimate madness.

Helmut Berger is a revelation as Ludwig and he immerses himself totally into the character. We get to see why Ludwig has been classified as "mad" and we identify and are drawn into his life.
Visconti was a thematic director and he again returns to themes he has used often-decadence, homosexuality and music. He not only deals with an aspect of history but the art and music of the time. This is probably the director's greatest and most intimate and personal film and could very well be Visconti's own biography to a degree. Ludwig is presented as a well-meaning but hapless victim of courtiers, artists and lovers.

When the film was released in 1972, it flopped as it was ahead of its time. It was thought to be overly long and a bit too graphic. It was later re-released in the 1980's with added scenes and it ran even longer and was shown as a mini-series. As Visconti delves into the human psyche, he studies the contradictions within-the self -destructiveness of physical pleasure and the search for spirituality; body versus soul. It is these two that dragged Ludwig to the limits. Ludwig surrenders to sexual perversion as he loses focus on the rude reality of life and at the same time he seeks artistic purity. This is what leads him into madness and ultimately to death. He builds dreams as he seeks to attain the eternal kingdom and his behavior becomes more and more erratic until he is violently off of his throne and the bourgeoisie and their idea of democracy replaces aristocracy.
The climax of the movie comes beautifully when Ludwig professes his love for Joseph Kainz in a moving scene of Ludwig accepting his homosexuality when he admits that the soul is more important than the body.

Romy Schneider as Elizabeth of Austria has never appeared more beautiful on the screen and Trevor Howard as Wagner is masterful. The entire cast is brilliant. The costumes and sets as well as the cinematography are all lush, beautiful ad perfect.
It is the direction of Visconti that is the star of the film, however and the brilliant performance of Helmut Berger that reflects this best. The film inspires awe and respect, admiration and pity all at the same time.


SPECIAL EDITION CONTENTS:

? 4K restoration from the original film negative
? High Definition Blu-ray (1080p) and Standard Definition DVD presentations
? Two viewing options: the full-length theatrical cut or as five individual parts
? Original Italian soundtrack with optional English subtitles
? Original English soundtrack available on home video for the first time ever with optional English subtitles for the deaf and hard-of-hearing
? Brand-new interview with actor Helmut Berger
? Luchino Visconti, an hour-long documentary portrait of the director by Carlo Lizzani (Wake Up and Kill, Requiescant) containing interviews with Burt Lancaster, Vittorio Gassman, Francesco Rosi, Claudia Cardinale and others
? Speaking with Suso Cecchi d'Amico, an interview with the screenwriter
? Silvana Mangano: The Scent Of A Primrose, a half-hour portrait of the actress
? Theatrical trailer
FIRST PRESSING ONLY: Illustrated collector's booklet containing new writing by Peter Cowie.