Ludwig II

LUDWIG II is a sumptuous costume drama about the life of the eccentric Bavarian “fairy-tale king” who was both wedded to the past and prophetic of the future. Ludwig is 18 in 1864, a dreamy aesthete full of fanciful ideas about architecture and music. When his disapproving father, King Maximilian II, dies suddenly, Ludwig reluctantly ascends the throne. Passionate about the music of composer Richard Wagner, he summons him to court, and their embattled partnership lasts many years. Bavaria loses its status as an independent Kingdom when Ludwig is pressured by his ministers into cooperating with Bismarck of Prussia. Meanwhile, distressed by his physical attraction to his chief equerry, he cancels his wedding engagement to his cousin Sophie. Ludwig withdraws to plan fantastic castles in the fervent belief that a lovelier world will lead to less aggression. LUDWIG II is an eloquent testament to the soulful dreamer who forged a legacy of beauty in his beloved Bavaria. (In German with subtitles) —B.B.