Ludwig II

The film covers the life and death of King Ludwig II of Bavaria. It opens with his engagement to Princess Sophie. Ludwig is a man who will not bow to convention. He is passionately attached to the music of Richard Wagner. He protects the composer and pays for his work. In politics he cannot hold his ground. Power slips away from him a piece at a time. His love for his sick brother Otto is part of the story. His isolation deepens as it goes on. The end comes to him inside that isolation. The film was shot in the real places. Hohenschwangau, Neuschwanstein and Herrenchiemsee are all on screen. Helmut Käutner was nominated for the Palme d’Or at Cannes for it. O.W. Fischer and Ruth Leuwerik appear in the hundred and fifteen minute film, a German production Käutner finished in 1955.