Ludwig

"Ludwig. He loved women. He loved men. He lived as controversially as he ruled. But he did not care what the world thought. He was the world."

1973 3h 59m EN

🙌

7.5

BANGER

🥫

33%

ROTTEN

⭐

7.5

IMDB

★7.5TMDB · 195🥫33%Rotten Tomatoes★7.5IMDB · 6,680

DramaHistory

Synopsis

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Historical evocation of Ludwig, king of Bavaria, from his crowning in 1864 until his death in 1886, as a romantic hero. Fan of Richard Wagner, betrayed by him, in love with his cousin Elisabeth of Austria, abandoned by her, tormented by his homosexuality, he will little by little slip towards madness.

“Ludwig. He loved women. He loved men. He lived as controversially as he ruled. But he did not care what the world thought. He was the world.”

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Cast

Helmut Berger
Ludwig
Romy Schneider
Elisabeth of Austria
Trevor Howard
Richard Wagner
Silvana Mangano
Cosima von Bülow
Gert Fröbe
Father Hoffmann
Helmut Griem
Dürckheim
Izabella Telezynska
Queen Mother
Umberto Orsini
Count von Holnstein

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Luchino Visconti
Writers: Enrico Medioli, Luchino Visconti, Luchino Visconti
Languages: Italian, German, French, Latin, English
Countries: Germany, France, Italy, Monaco

Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.

Did you know?

Fun facts 🍿

1 / 8

RUNTIME

Did you know

At 239 minutes, this is a three-hour-plus commitment — longer than 95% of films ever made.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 8

ERA

Did you know

53 years old — a genuine piece of film history.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 8

WORLD

Did you know

Dialogue crosses 5 languages: Italian, German, French, Latin, English.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 8

WORLD

Did you know

International production across 4 countries: Germany, France, Italy, Monaco.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by Luchino Visconti, shot by Armando Nannuzzi. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Editor Ruggero Mastroianni shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 8

CAST

Did you know

Helmut Berger and Romy Schneider and Trevor Howard carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

8 / 8

FACT

Did you know

Marketing tagline: "Ludwig. He loved women. He loved men. He lived as controversially as he ruled. But he did not care what the world thought. He was the world.".

MoodPlayr · trivia#08

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Luchino Visconti directs. Armando Nannuzzi behind the camera. Ruggero Mastroianni cuts. A long sit — settle in. Produced in Germany, France, Italy, Monaco. Dialogue in Italian, German, French, Latin, English.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

1At 239 minutes, this is a three-hour-plus commitment — longer than 95% of films ever made.
253 years old — a genuine piece of film history.
3Dialogue crosses 5 languages: Italian, German, French, Latin, English.
4International production across 4 countries: Germany, France, Italy, Monaco.
5Directed by Luchino Visconti, shot by Armando Nannuzzi. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
6Editor Ruggero Mastroianni shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
7Helmut Berger and Romy Schneider and Trevor Howard carry the top of the cast.
8Marketing tagline: "Ludwig. He loved women. He loved men. He lived as controversially as he ruled. But he did not care what the world thought. He was the world.".
9IMDB entry: tt0068883 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
10Released under 11 different titles around the world.