ludwig

One of the progenitors of Italian Neorealism, director Luchino Visconti often found his pendulum swinging in a more melodramatic direction. And that's certainly the case with Ludwig (1973) an overstuffed buffet of royal politics, sexual repression and a hint of madness. Helmut Berger inhabits the role of "Mad" King Ludwig II of Bavaria, whose artistic obsessions and homosexual tendencies pushed him into a life of paranoid isolation.

At nearly four hours in length (the TV version adds another 17-minutes), Visconti certainly had the freedom to leave no stone unturned. But his emphasis lies with the underlying cause of Ludwig's fragile mental state, caused by thwarted passions and a government that coddled his eccentricities in exchange for a free hand. Ludwig's legacy, after being deposed and driven to suicide, are the extravagant castles that remain a huge tourist attraction in what is now Germany.

Inheriting the throne at the age of 18, Ludwig (Berger) has dreams of surrounding himself with the greatest artistic minds in Europe. His first recruit is composer Richard Wagner, who Ludwig supports at great expense. But the realities of government and economic costs of the Franco-Prussian war soon make the new King's creative priorities seem excessively foolhardy. His sole confidant is his cousin, the Empress Elisabeth of Austria (Romy Schneider), who admires his passion but mocks his naïveté.

Backing out of an arranged marriage, Ludwig's sexual preferences soon become common knowledge and he retreats even further in a self-imposed exile in which music, art and architecture become his sole pursuits. But as the map of the world begins to change, Bavaria soon finds itself forced to make new political allies. And the fate of the "Mad" King becomes almost a foregone conclusion.

Visconti and Berger were lovers at the time of filming, and the story revolves around Ludwig's fear of admitting his sexuality. It's a valid point of view, but one that quite often overwhelms the film to the point of excluding other interesting political and social events. Ludwig - the man and the film - are insular creations full of unhealthy self-loathing. Time spent outside of the main character’s head is a welcome relief, but all too rare.

On a technical level, the film is a lush tapestry of Old World visuals, using the decadently opulent architecture as a background. From hidden grottos to massive halls, Visconti beautifully captures Ludwig's inspiration on film. Still at the top of his game (Death in Venice won several BAFTAs the year earlier), the director mixes elegant compositions with often jarring operatic performances. The result is, depending on your tastes, a discordant mess or an innovative composition.

Either way, Arrow Films presents the film with an equally decadent amount of extras. Besides the 4K restoration of both the theatrical and TV cuts, additional material are spread across both discs, including a must-see hour-long biography on the director's career, interviews with producer Dieter Geissler, screenwriter Suso Cecchi d'Amico, and actress Silvana Mangano. A few Soundtrack Extracts, trailers and liner notes are included as well. There are several soundtrack options, but the English language track works best with subtitles popping up as needed.