Product description

Ludwig (2 Disc Set) [1972]

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Average customer rating: 4.5

Binding : DVD
EAN : 5060098702137
Label : Infinity
Manufacturer : Infinity
Publisher : Infinity
Release date : 2006-06-19
Title : Ludwig (2 Disc Set) [1972]
Actor : Array
Audience rating : Parental Guidance
Format : PAL
Languages : Array
Number of items : 2
Original release date : 1972-01-01
Region code : 2
Running time : 230
Studio : Infinity
Theatrical releaseDate : 1972

Customer reviews

review by: notmicro date: 2008-10-05 rating:

Special Features disc
The web-page info on the contents of the 2nd "Special Features" disc is full of errors. It contains 3 items:

1 - Luchino Visconti (documentary directed by Carlo Lizzani)
2 - Italian Portraits: Suso Cecchi d'Amico
3 - Silvana Mangano: The Scent of Primroses

All 3 are in Italian with English sub-titles. The Luchino Visconti documentary is very interesting, and I have seen it on other DVDs. However the real treasure is the documentary on Silvana Mangano, a wonderful and extremely welcome rare glimpse into the life of this amazing actress who was little-known outside of Italy.

review by: hw date: 2008-08-25 rating:

Fascinating movie, fascinating King
After a number of visits to Bavaria and Austria I became very interested in the Wittelsburgs and Hapsburgs, who are related since Ludwig was cousin to Emperor Franz Josef's wife Elizabeth and surely related by other unions as well. In school I never learned much of European history as the school chose to concentrate more on England etc and I'd never over the years had any reason to learn more re central Europe until I finally visited there. So, much of the detail of this central European history was new to me.

This movie along with various others and musicals too regarding these royal families create a fascinating evocation of the period and the protagonists. I would recommend this movie particularly highly, and especially the amazing performance by Helmut Berger. Other media I'd recommend to enlarge the picture are movies or series on DVD concerning Franz Josef's son Crown Prince Rudolf who is thought to have committed suicide, the long ITV series about the Strauss family packed with Strauss and Lanner music and so much of the flavour of the times, and The Illusionist, set in Austria - often Vienna, in the same period, which injects a fictitious (or at least I think he must be!) Hapsburg Crown Prince into history after Rudolf's death. There are also two musicals I know of - "Elizabeth" of which there is a CD, lovely music, a show from a popular mid-European duo who've more recently offered du Maurier's "Rebecca" which was a big hit in Vienna when we were there last year - in German, of course, and a double-CD is available. Also the musical "Ludwig II" produced at Fussen in Germany for some years, the latter which I was able to see on stage and a very fine musical it was. There was a "making of" video for the latter but I don't know if it's still available. It shows in particular the amazing final scene - of Ludwig's death by drowning which is enacted on a stage containing a real lake - very spectacular and an indicator that they could have made Javert's madness induced suicide in the Seine in Les Mis more effective if they'd had a real river flowing across the stage! (Or perhaps they have, now. It's years since I saw that wonderful show in London.)

A visit or more than one to Ludwig's various famous castles and to Vienna, which is my favourite city to visit next to Paris, rounds it off!

review by: kmcva date: 2008-05-30 rating:

Decadent majesty - no light entertainment - superb performance by Romy Schneider
Although Visconti tells the life story of Ludwig III as a story of slow decay, at the same time he celebrates Ludwig's aesthetic utopia. Since even if the eternal opposition between style and substance is apparent, he tries to show an elegance relieved every reality. Visconti wanted to expose Ludwig not as a false-led dreamer, but pays tribute to the psychotic unconditional nature of his idealism. At the same time the movie represents the incompatibility of his vision with a full life in the real world. However, the Wagner's stage settings which Ludwig loved so much are not to be seen in the film. Essentially for Viscontis project was only the stage setting, Ludwig has subjected himself. In the real life it was doomed, but in a movie film it triumphs in decadent majesty.

While being very interesting in its approach, the movie is far too long and too heavy for my taste. Helmut Berger can convince as Ludwig, but really amazing is the performance of Romy Schneider. How far she has come from the "Sissi" imagine to portrait the Empress in such a way. Such amazing.

So all in all, artistic and interesting, but a bit too heavy. No light entertainment.

review by: date: 2008-05-08 rating:

The lost King of Bavaria?!
For a few quid I immersed myself for a mesmerising few hours in a haunting exploration of aristocratic decadence, unrequited love and the machinations of a German prinicipality on the verge of extinction. Helmut Berger is exceptional as the King of Bavaria - he conveys a youthful optimism, drenched in a passion for Wagner, horses and poetry which is slowly eroded over time by his position which demands marriage and stately responsibilities he has no interest for. Ludwig responds by isolating himself from affairs of state, building fantasy castles and surrounding himself with beautiful trappings (carnel and material). Visconti's ability to create an insanley suffocating nirvana accompanied by the majesty of the landscape is profound. The nightime photography is some of the best I've seen: moonlit vistas, playful shadow and tonal colours. This copy from Infinity is a bargain and includes some excellent special features.

review by: tonyandlulu date: 2007-10-09 rating:

Wonderful movie
This is a wonderful movie, in fact it was so compelling that three hours flew by and I found myself not wanting it to end.

Overall it's a quiet film with thoughtful performances and seems to be sincere in its attempt to show the central role of King Ludwig of Bavaria as a very sensitive, sad, ultimately self destructive King who loved art and music more than his throne. Here he is gently underplayed by Berger whose dignified portrayal is one of his best performances.

Whether madness or medicine we will never know but our sympathy for this tormented man is enlisted from the start. How much is historically accurate I am not sure but it seems to follow the well known facts and presents them dressed in all the splendour of the day.

Visconti strikes the right note from the very start with sumptuous costumes, ultra romantic settings, and beautiful actors - he has a craftsman's grip on his subject and never once does he allow the film to descend into a clichéd costume drama, nor does the usually irritating dubbing have any detrimental effect on the overall enjoyment of this film - all this accompanied by the strains of Wagner's monumental music and what more could you ask for?

The DVD is value for money, picture quality and sound are excellent and there is a bonus disc containing a documentary on Visconti. A must have for any serious movie collection.

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