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. 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. 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