Visually sumptuous, but the pacing is painfully slow, and the narrative is simply boring. Berger's performance, the Bavarian locales, and Visconti's apparent identification with his subject are worth the significant investment of time, though.

Another great film from Visconti and one that I finally found the 4 hours to watch after having it on my list for years. The film is based on the life of Bavarian King Ludwig II and his descent into madness. The film brings to mind Ivan the Terrible (1944) and has a bit of the character of Nero thrown in as we have a king who is more concerned with his pretensions towards artistry and building monuments to himself than his official duties. It's engrossing stuff. I had feared that it might be one of Visconti's lesser films, but no. Every hallmark of a Visconti 70's film is there. Haunting and beautiful. Long but never gets boring. And Romy Schneider is in there too, which is always good.