A king loses his mind in 4-hour slow-motion agony — Visconti's most beautiful catastrophe.
Season 1 • Episode 5
LatestHistorical evocation of Ludwig, king of Bavaria, from his crowning in 1864 until his death in 1886, as a romantic hero. Fan of Richard Wagner, betrayed by him, in love with his cousin Elisabeth of Austria, abandoned by her, tormented by his homosexuality, he will little by little slip towards madness.
Production
Actual Bavarian castles; Visconti bankrupt two producers.
Costume
Piero Tosi's 3,000+ costumes — every frame a painting.
Acting
Berger's Ludwig: vain, pathetic, heartbreaking.
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
Visconti's original 4-hour cut was butchered to 3 hours for US release; the full version wasn't restored until 2017.
Helmut Berger and Visconti were romantic partners during filming — the director's gaze at his lover's decay is uncomfortably intimate.
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