This is a very early feature by Rolf Raffé concerning the supposedly "mad" King of Bavaria, Ludwig II, probably the first feature film concerning the life of that King. In the piece, which is for the most part a straightforwards historical biopic from the DW Griffith school of narrative filmmaking, Ludwig is portrayed as an Idealist who cannot fit into the world of his contemporaries.
The skeleton of the facts of Ludwig's life are here, although many of them are jumbled or jiggled around with - I would defy anyone viewing the film who knew little of Bavarian history to tell from their portrayal in the film what the wars Bavaria was involved in at the time of Ludwig's reign were about. His major relationships are portrayed - he has a platonic love for both Wagner and Elizabeth of Austria, and according to the film felt his ideal partner was Sophie, who betrayed him with an artist and so destroyed his faith in human love; his sexual leanings towards men are not portrayed. Wagner is supposed by the title cards and Ludwig's reaction to him to be a great and misunderstood genius, yet the actor portraying him appears more like a seedy money-grubber, made more absurd by looking and acting not unlike Harry H Corbett of Steptoe and Son fame.
The filmmakers evidently did not have permission to film in Ludwig's castles and so have to make do with a few exterior shots and one special effect which superimposes the actor into a grand hallway. Otherwise, there are static shots of the castles which seem to be merely postcards inter-cut into the film.
Most of the narrative is quite stolid and straightforward, although with extremely melodramatic acting. The most intriguing segment involves Ludwig's reported "madness" - a servant tells the politicians about Ludwig's eccentricities (imagining himself in the court of the Sun King; seeing visions of a snake; hallucinating visits from Elizabeth) and we see Ludwig surrounded by the things he is supposedly imagining. As we only see these imaginings as illustrations of the servant's narrative, the implication is that they are inventions to discredit the king. When we see him in the regular narrative, he is perfectly sane and kind, with loneliness as his only affliction. The servant is later shown betraying Ludwig into the hands of the politicians who come to arrest him, and the implication that this is a Judas-like betrayal of a Christ-like king is clear.
Late in the film, Ludwig goes for his faithful walk with his psychiatrist, who he accuses of being the madder than the king he has declared insane. He speaks of the contemporary world as one which wants to destroy beauty. Here, his words and the intentions of the filmmakers to portray him as a martyr for the cause of Idealism become as one.
The end of the film is speculative, although it presents its death-scene as fact. Ludwig runs into the lake, followed by his psychiatrist. Ludwig drowns his pursuer then swims further out, where his strength gives out and he dies. His death was rather more mysterious and suspicious than this...
The film' available in a collection of Ludwig films released by the Munich Filmmuseum, is worth seeing for anyone interested in cinematic portrayals of the king. As a film in itself, it's of average merit, with only its special effects and the odd nod towards expressionism to distinguish it visually.
The skeleton of the facts of Ludwig's life are here, although many of them are jumbled or jiggled around with - I would defy anyone viewing the film who knew little of Bavarian history to tell from their portrayal in the film what the wars Bavaria was involved in at the time of Ludwig's reign were about. His major relationships are portrayed - he has a platonic love for both Wagner and Elizabeth of Austria, and according to the film felt his ideal partner was Sophie, who betrayed him with an artist and so destroyed his faith in human love; his sexual leanings towards men are not portrayed. Wagner is supposed by the title cards and Ludwig's reaction to him to be a great and misunderstood genius, yet the actor portraying him appears more like a seedy money-grubber, made more absurd by looking and acting not unlike Harry H Corbett of Steptoe and Son fame.
The filmmakers evidently did not have permission to film in Ludwig's castles and so have to make do with a few exterior shots and one special effect which superimposes the actor into a grand hallway. Otherwise, there are static shots of the castles which seem to be merely postcards inter-cut into the film.
Most of the narrative is quite stolid and straightforward, although with extremely melodramatic acting. The most intriguing segment involves Ludwig's reported "madness" - a servant tells the politicians about Ludwig's eccentricities (imagining himself in the court of the Sun King; seeing visions of a snake; hallucinating visits from Elizabeth) and we see Ludwig surrounded by the things he is supposedly imagining. As we only see these imaginings as illustrations of the servant's narrative, the implication is that they are inventions to discredit the king. When we see him in the regular narrative, he is perfectly sane and kind, with loneliness as his only affliction. The servant is later shown betraying Ludwig into the hands of the politicians who come to arrest him, and the implication that this is a Judas-like betrayal of a Christ-like king is clear.
Late in the film, Ludwig goes for his faithful walk with his psychiatrist, who he accuses of being the madder than the king he has declared insane. He speaks of the contemporary world as one which wants to destroy beauty. Here, his words and the intentions of the filmmakers to portray him as a martyr for the cause of Idealism become as one.
The end of the film is speculative, although it presents its death-scene as fact. Ludwig runs into the lake, followed by his psychiatrist. Ludwig drowns his pursuer then swims further out, where his strength gives out and he dies. His death was rather more mysterious and suspicious than this...
The film' available in a collection of Ludwig films released by the Munich Filmmuseum, is worth seeing for anyone interested in cinematic portrayals of the king. As a film in itself, it's of average merit, with only its special effects and the odd nod towards expressionism to distinguish it visually.
