Helmut Berger's finest performance. He is supported by Romy Schneider (who is a treat to watch as she was in Visconti's segment in Boccaccio '70), Silvana Mangano, Helmut Griem and Gert Froebe. A long film with gorgeous palaces and intricate production design and breathtaking indoor cinematography by Armando Nannuzzi (who worked in two other Visconti films). The screenplay trio comprising director Visconti, Suso Cecchi d'Amico and Enrico Medioli have worked wonders in this and other Visconti films. Visconti is a maestro indeed as a director. The only flaw in the film was the casting of Trevor Howard as Wagner, who never impressed as he did in other films. This version of Ludwig needs to be compared with the version by Hans Jurgen Syberberg, made a year before this one.
Review of Ludwig
