Wednesday, March 08, 2023

Everything You Ever Need To Know About Life...

... you can learn from:

Ludwig (1973)

Elisabeth of Austria: What do you want anyway? To go down in history with the help of Richard Wagner? Like my mother-in-law with her ridiculous painters? If your Richard Wagner is really so great then he doesn't need you. Your pathetic friendship only gives you the illusion to have done something creative. Just like I give you the illusion of love. You don't want to be left alone. You want me to become your unrivalled love. To confirm yourself. You need help I can't give you.
Happy 50 to Luchino Visconti's film Ludwig, which immediately became a favorite of mine when I got to see it projected on my favorite screen in New York a few years back. One of Visconti's lushest (and gayest!) films -- which is saying a lot, given this is the man who directed The Leopard and Death in Venice -- it's much easier to see it than it was just a couple of years ago, as it now streams on the Criterion Channel and the previously out-of-print Arrow blu-ray got re-released. So you have no excuse! I mean yes it is four hours long, but you've got nothing better to do. I know you don't. Don't pretend. Don't make me send Helmut Berger after you.


2 comments:

Adam said...

One of the most deserving Oscar nominees for best costume design ever!

joel65913 said...

It was a huge commitment of time but I was glad I took the plunge once I saw it. I can't see myself returning to it anytime soon though unless like you I had the chance to see it on a big screen.