The Crown Prince

This three-hour 2006 Austrian TV miniseries explores the life, loves, and politics of Archduke Rudolf (played by Max von Thun), Crown Prince of a late 19th-century empire that included Austria, Hungary, and Bohemia. Although remembered primarily for killing his mistress, Baroness Mary Vetsera (Vittoria Puccini), before turning a pistol on himself at his Mayerling hunting lodge, Rudolf was actually an important figure in European history. Director Robert Dornhelm's The Crown Prince places less emphasis on the murder/suicide scandal, focusing more on the convoluted politics and alliances of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, suggesting that these complex machinations—together with a destructive relationship with his father, Emperor Franz-Joseph (Klaus Maria Brandauer)—played a role in Rudolf's decision to take his own life. Offering a heady combination of history, mystery, and illicit love, The Crown Prince is an entertaining production that benefits from beautiful on-location filming in Austria. Recommended. (E. Hulse)