Ludwig

Luchino Visconti’s baroque biopic of the eccentric Bavarian royal features a standout performance by Helmut Berger.

  • Director

    Luchino Visconti

  • With

    Helmut Berger, Romy Schneider, Trevor Howard, Silvana Mangano

  • Italy-West Germany-France 1973. 237min + interval

  • 35mm

  • Certificate

    12A

  • English subtitles

Shown at the sweeping, epic length Visconti initially intended, and not without some vague parallels to his own life, this stately biopic focuses on the life of wildly eccentric, closeted gay royal Ludwig II. Known for constructing mad fairytale castles dotted across the Bavarian landscape, the king eschewed political power in exchange for his love of art, Wagner and architecture, only to find his idealism wrecked and his mental state edging towards insanity.

35mm courtesy of Cinecittà.

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