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Ludwig will screen from an imported and restored 35mm print. This screening will not contain an intermission.

The final entry in Visconti’s loosely connected ‘German Trilogy’ (following The Damned 1969 and Death in Venice 1971), Ludwig is a remarkable portrait of the life of King Ludwig II of Bavaria. Often cut and censored without the director’s consent, the film is presented here in its full nearly four-hour original cut, screening from a newly restored 35mm print made by the Istituto Luce-Cinecittà in Rome.

The tormented figure of King Ludwig – who occupied the Bavarian throne for two decades in the late 19th century – is portrayed by Helmut Berger, the director’s then-muse. As his mental and physical health deteriorate, he is plagued by his unrequited affection for his cousin, the Empress of Austria (Romy Schneider), further complicated by his burgeoning homosexuality. His inability to govern effectively in a time of war and his costly patronage of composer Richard Wagner drive those in his orbit to conspire against him.

Ludwig is a strikingly garish depiction of decadence, filled with both high drama and poetic languor, while Berger’s captivating performance sizzles with madness against the resplendence of the Bavarian court. Visconti’s ambitious historical epic is a one of a kind cinematic spectacle.

Ages 15+