Ludwig
(Blu-ray / DVD Combo)

Originally released as a motion picture in 1973.

Ludwig is presented here in its complete form in accordance with the director's wishes includes Theatrical (238 min) and Television versions (259 min).

Special features: Blu-ray & DVD Disc 1. Helmut Berger : the mad king [brand-new interview] ; Luchino Visconti [an hour-long documentary portrait of the director by Carlo Lizzani containing interviews with Burt Lancaster, Vittorio Gassman, Francesco Rosi, Claudia Cardinale and others] ; English soundtrack extracts ; Theatrical trailer -- Blu-ray & DVD Disc 2. Producing Ludwig [brand-new interview with producer Dieter Geissler] ; Speaking with Suso Cecchi d'Amico [an interview with the screenwriter] ; Silvana Mangano : the scent of a primrose [a half-hour portrait of the actress] -- Booklet [Cast ; Crew ; The last eccentric in a family of eccentrics (2016) / by Peter Cowie ; Contemporary reviews ; Writing for Visconti : an interview with Suso Cecchi d'Amico (1986) / by Peter Brunette ; A note on the English soundtrack ; About the restoration].

Cinematography by Armando Nannuzzi; film editing by Ruggero Mastroianni; production design by Mario Chiari and Mario Scisci; costume design by Piero Tosi; makeup artist, Alberto De Rossi; hair stylist, Grazia De Rossi; music by Robert Schumann, Richard Wagner, Jacques Offenbach.

Helmut Berger (Ludwig); Trevor Howard (Richard Wagner); Silvana Mangano (Cosima Von Buelow); Romy Schneider (Elisabeth of Austria); Gert Fröbe (Father Hoffmann); Helmut Griem (Count Duerckheim); Izabella Telezynska (queen mother); Umberto Orsini (Count von Holstein); John Moulder-Brown (Prince Otto); Sonia Petrovna (Sophie); Folker Bohnet (Joseph Kainz); Heinz Moog (Professor Gudden); Adriana Asti (Lila Von Buliowski); Marc Porel (Richard Hornig); Nora Ricci (Countess Ida Ferenczy); Mark Burns (Hans Von Buelow); Maurizio Bonuglia (mayor).

Visconti's lavish portrait of Ludwig II, the 'Mad King' of Bavaria. From his glittering coronation to his mysterious suicide, Ludwig II (Helmut Berger) epitomised the doomed nineteenth-century Romantic hero. A loner by nature, he was tormented by his unrequited love for his cousin, Empress Elisabeth of Austria (Romy Schneider), who sensed his true sexual nature and fragile grip on reality. But as war raged around him, Ludwig's sole obsession remained the visionary music of Richard Wagner (Trevor Howard), and he retreated more and more into a fantasy world, alarming his ministers through his irrational behaviour, neglect of state affairs and lavish expenditure on several fairytale castles. Judged unfit to rule, Ludwig was eventually declared insane.

Blu-ray; region A; 1080p high definition widescreen (2.39:1) presentation, mono.

DVD; NTSC, region 1; widescreen (2.39:1) presentation; mono.

Italian or English dialogue; English subtitles; subtitled for the deaf and hard of hearing (SDH).

BLU-RAY