Ludwig (1973)

20% of critics liked it
(5 reviews)
86% of users liked it
(1,090 ratings)

Luchino Visconti (Count don Luchino Visconti di Modrone) was a film director, true, but he was also a nobleman and a grand patron of traditional European culture: opera, art, music, crafts and literature. These interests enliven many of his films, but few have been so inspired as the four-hour epic,… More Luchino Visconti (Count don Luchino Visconti di Modrone) was a film director, true, but he was also a nobleman and a grand patron of traditional European culture: opera, art, music, crafts and literature. These interests enliven many of his films, but few have been so inspired as the four-hour epic, Ludwig, about the castle-building "mad king" of Bavaria. This long film, made very near the end of Visconti's life, suffers greatly when shortened, as every moment is essential to the story. There are at least four different versions of the film (from just under three hours to over four hours in length); the uncut four-hour version is the most coherent, even though many might find it rather long. The disintegration of aristocratic individuals is a continuing theme of Visconti's, though Ludwig's is the most thorough decay he filmed. The last ruling king of Bavaria (1845-1886) is noted for many things besides his eccentricities: he sold Bavaria to Germany, ending the rule of the Bavarian monarchy; he built amazing castles all over his country (with the proceeds from the sale); and he was Richard Wagner's main sponsor. He was also a notorious recluse, conducting a lifelong platonic love affair with Empress Elizabeth of Austria, and finally succumbing to his adoration of handsome men in a series of outrageous affairs and orgies. His excesses eventually led to his being declared mentally incompetent and being held prisoner in his own castle. The film depicts this incredible life from his coronation at age 19 to his (unproved) assassination well over 20 years later. ~ Clarke Fountain, Rovi

Rating, Runtime: PG, 3 hr. 4 min.
Directed By: Luchino Visconti
Written By: Luchino Visconti, Enrico Medioli, Suso Cecchi d'Amico
Genres: Art House & International, Drama

In Theaters: Mar 8, 1973 Limited
On DVD: Oct 14, 2008
Studio: MGM Pictures

Critic Reviews

Vincent Canby, New York Times
Visconti has been such an intelligent film maker in the past that it's difficult to believe that Ludwig could be quite as bereft of ideas as it is.
Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times
Perhaps only Visconti, who seems obsessed with the gloomy side of decadence, could have made Ludwig II of Bavaria seem boring.
Dennis Schwartz, Ozus' World Movie Reviews
Though stylish, it remains hollow.
, TV Guide's Movie Guide
Ultimately hollow and historically inaccurate.

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Fresh (60% or more critics rated the movie positively)

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Featured Audience Ratings

Stefanie C

We Could be Heroesâ€¦Grand, Operatic, and Elegiac! Visconti is at his best enlivening the historical, with his attention to every detail. Shot on location, the narrative structure wonderfully paces the rule of King Ludwig II of Bavaria. Helmut Berger infuses his portrayal with… More
We Could be Heroesâ€¦Grand, Operatic, and Elegiac! Visconti is at his best enlivening the historical, with his attention to every detail. Shot on location, the narrative structure wonderfully paces the rule of King Ludwig II of Bavaria. Helmut Berger infuses his portrayal with ambiguity, further heightened by nascent homosexuality: Is he mad or a genius? This idealistic Moon King is not a ruler for a united German republic. Associations with the feminine and embryonic state abound. With twitching hands and shifting eyes, Ludwigâ€™s mannerisms alone chart his retreat to a world of fantasy. This film must be seen in its complete, unexpurgated version to appreciate the artistry. Truly Royal!
Walter M

Even before he is crowned King of Bavaria in 1864, Ludwig(Helmut Berger) makes plans for his kingdom to be a center of arts in Europe. Along these lines, he invites famed composer Richard Wagner(Trevor Howard) to Munich but he is nowhere to be found. And he is shocked when he finds… More
Even before he is crowned King of Bavaria in 1864, Ludwig(Helmut Berger) makes plans for his kingdom to be a center of arts in Europe. Along these lines, he invites famed composer Richard Wagner(Trevor Howard) to Munich but he is nowhere to be found. And he is shocked when he finds out that his police are employed in tracking him. In the meantime, Ludwig is encouraged to vacation at Bad Ischl where all the fashionable crown heads are staying this year including his cousin Elisabeth(Romy Schneider), Empress of Austria, who has the ulterior motice of trying to set up Ludwig with his cousin Sophie(Sonia Petrovna). Directed by Luchino Visconti, "Ludwig" is a scrupulously made if talky and overlong spectacle that tries its best to avoid any specific history like the unification of Germany in exchange for an examination of the role of the ruler in a monarchy. In other words, who runs the country: the king or the nobles? And what if the king has little interest in statesmanship? The movie is told in flashback from a hearing set to determine Ludwig's mental capacity to rule, determining whether he is insane or merely eccentric.(This does remind me of a very recent case where the royal title was only honorary.) I could tell you he is certainly gay. In any case, there is a simple answer located in an old saying: If you are poor, then you are crazy. If you are rich, then you are eccentric.
Dimitris S

What more can you ask when you have an all-star cast of Berger,Mangano,Howard,Schneider,a cohesive prestige of "wealthy pendants" and a brilliant piece of biographical composition.A legendary figure to dedicate this probably,aha...who cares if that individual is a… More
What more can you ask when you have an all-star cast of Berger,Mangano,Howard,Schneider,a cohesive prestige of "wealthy pendants" and a brilliant piece of biographical composition.A legendary figure to dedicate this probably,aha...who cares if that individual is a combination of Napoleon,T.E. Lawrence and Caligula?

Cast

            Helmut Berger as Ludwig II King of Bavaria

            Trevor Howard as Richard Wagner

            Silvana Mangano as Cosima von Buelow

            Romy Schneider as Elisabeth of Austria

            Gert Fröbe as Father Hoffman

            Helmut Griem as Capt. Durcheim

            Alexander Allerson
            
            Adriana Asti as Lila Von Buliowski

            Maurizio Bonuglia as Mayor

            John Moulder-Brown as Prince Otto

            Ingrid Caven as Lola Montez (uncredited)

            Kurt Grosskurth
            
            Gerard Herter
            
            Carla Mancini
            
            Heinz Moog as Prof. Gudden

            Umberto Orsini as Count Von Holstein

            Sonia Petrova as Sophie

            Marc Porel as Richard Hornig

            Nora Ricci as Countess Ida Ferenczy

            Henning Schlüter
            
            Isabella Telezynska as Queen Mother

            Louise Vincent
            
            Mark Burns as Hans von Buelow

            Folker Bohnet as Joseph Kainz

            Manfred Furst
            
            Gernot Moehner
            
            Izabella Telezynska
            
            Sonia Petrovna
            
See full cast

Ludwig (1973)

Critic Reviews

Featured Audience Ratings

Stefanie C

Walter M

Dimitris S

Cast