Ludwig

Helmut Berger stars as 19th-century King Ludwig II, the notorious "mad king" of Bavaria, in Luchino Visconti's melancholy 1973 study of madness and decadence. Ludwig is an epic production, following the life of the king who was crowned in 1864 at the age of 19 and then isolated himself from the world as he focused interest on the arts—including a sponsorship of composer Richard Wagner (Trevor Howard) that ends in scandal—and built castles while withdrawing into his fantasy fairy-tale kingdom during his decline. At the same time, he essentially ignored matters of state, which finally drove the government to call a tribunal and have him deposed as mentally unfit. Romy Schneider costars as his cousin, who psychologically leverages Ludwig's attraction to her. Ludwig is not a traditional historical epic; Visconti favors intimate scenes that reveal the troubled nature of his main character over big set pieces marking historical turning points, and he structures the film in long, often dreamlike flashbacks. A lavish production, this is the third film in Visconti's unofficial "German trilogy" (following The Damned and Death in Venice), and running at nearly four hours it is sometimes lugubrious and self-indulgent, but always beautiful. Winner of the David di Donatello Awards (Italy's equivalent to the Oscar) for Best Film and Best Director, Ludwig makes its high-def debut in this Blu-ray/DVD Combo set that features both the 235-minute director's cut and a longer five-part TV version, along with extras including archival documentaries, new and archival cast and crew interviews, and a booklet. A strong optional purchase. (S. Axmaker)