On Mon, 24 Nov 2014 22:13:31 GMT, Classic Movie Lover wrote
> Another tall order, but a classic movie lost to English audiences
>
nfo from post @ 1344 days in a.b.dvd.classics
Ludwig (1972)
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0068883
User Rating: 7.6/10 1,506 votes
http://www.allmovie.com/dvd/ludwig-199446
http://www.dvdtalk.com/reviews/35136/ludwig/
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B001C0I626/dvdbeaver-20/ref=nosim
DVD Studio: Koch Lorber Films
DVD Release Date: Oct 14, 2008
Director: Luchino Visconti
Description
------------------
Luchino Visconti (Count don Luchino Visconti di Modrone) was a film
director, true, but he was also a nobleman and a grand patron of
traditional European culture: opera, art, music, crafts and literature.
These interests enliven many of his films, but few have been so inspired
as the four-hour epic, Ludwig, about the castle-building "mad king" of
Bavaria. This long film, made very near the end of Visconti's life,
suffers greatly when shortened, as every moment is essential to the
story. There are at least four different versions of the film (from just
under three hours to over four hours in length); the uncut four-hour
version is the most coherent, even though many might find it rather
long. The disintegration of aristocratic individuals is a continuing
theme of Visconti's, though Ludwig's is the most thorough decay he
filmed. The last ruling king of Bavaria (1845-1886) is noted for many
things besides his eccentricities: he sold Bavaria to Germany, ending
the rule of the Bavarian monarchy; he built amazing castles all over his
country (with the proceeds from the sale); and he was Richard Wagner's
main sponsor. He was also a notorious recluse, conducting a lifelong
platonic love affair with Empress Elizabeth of Austria, and finally
succumbing to his adoration of handsome men in a series of outrageous
affairs and orgies. His excesses eventually led to his being declared
mentally incompetent and being held prisoner in his own castle. The film
depicts this incredible life from his coronation at age 19 to his
(unproved) assassination well over 20 years later.
Format: NTSC
Disc 1 - 7.81 GB - Part One (1:50:58)
Disc 2 - 7.14 GB - Part Two (2:07:19)
Total DVD Size: 14.95 GB -- Exact Untouched Copy
Runtime (main feature): 3:58:17
(The half an hour first removed to please US audience, here restored)
Type: Colour
Aspect Ratio: 2.35:1
Sound (main feature): Italian DD2.0/192 Kbps
Subtitles: English (optional)
DISC FEATURES:
Disc One:
---------
* Silvana Mangano "The Scent of Primroses" documentary (0:31:14)
* Piero Tosi interview by Carlo Lizzani (0:54:40)
Disc Two:
---------
* Luchino Visconti "Life as in a Romance" documentary (0:54:58)
Posted in: a.b.dvd.classics as:
Luchino.Visconti.Ludwig.1972.DVDR.NTSC.Koch.Lorber.2XDVD9.D1
Luchino.Visconti.Ludwig.1972.DVDR.NTSC.Koch.Lorber.2XDVD9.D2
Note from poster:
Luchino Visconti is a director who thrives on the melodramatic and here
expertly brings out the madness of an enigmatic king. Ludwig is
considered one of his masterpieces, epic in length and scale. Some say
it reflects the director's personality.
The film is not for the faint-hearted, as the running time is just over
four hours, but if you stick with it, you will not be disappointed.
Regular viewers of Italian cinema also won't be surprised by the fact
that the international cast spoke in many different languages on set and
then were dubbed into Italian in post-production. So, if the words don't
match the lips, that's the nature of the production and not a fault in
the DVD.
HTH
--
fred
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