The Damned (1969)
La caduta degli dei (Götterdämmerung) (original title)

The dramatic collapse of a wealthy, industrialist/Junker family during the reign of the Third Reich.

Director:

Luchino Visconti

Writers:

Nicola Badalucco (story), Enrico Medioli (story),

Stars:

Dirk Bogarde, Ingrid Thulin, Helmut Griem

Nominated for 1 Oscar. Another 6 wins & 1 nomination.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Dirk Bogarde	...	Frederick Bruckmann
Ingrid Thulin	...	Sophie Von Essenbeck
Helmut Griem	...	Aschenbach
Helmut Berger	...	Martin Von Essenbeck
Renaud Verley	...	Gunther Von Essenbeck
Umberto Orsini	...	Herbert Thallman
Reinhard Kolldehoff	...	Konstantin Von Essenbeck (as René Koldehoff)
Albrecht Schoenhals	...	Joachim Von Essenbeck (as Albrecht Schönhals)
Florinda Bolkan	...	Olga
Nora Ricci	...	Governess
Charlotte Rampling	...	Elisabeth Thallman
Irina Wanka	...	Lisa
Karin Mittendorf	...	Thilde Thallman
Valentina Ricci	...	Erika Thalman
Wolfgang Hillinger	...	Janek

Storyline

The power and fortune of the Von Essenbeck family remained intact even when Germany lost the great war and during the depression that followed. Now it's 1934 and the baron has summoned his family to a dinner that also brings a cousin rising in the Nazi party to the great house accompanied by a rising manager at the baron's company. Two little girls recite poetry in the parlor and then play hide-and-seek with their cousin Martin. Suddenly there is a scream. The baron has been shot with their father's gun and the father flees the country.

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Plot Keywords:

Baron | German | Nazi | Germany | Third Reich | 

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Taglines:

He was to become the second most powerful man in Nazi Germany.

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Genres:

Drama

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for violence, nudity and aberrant sexuality

Details

Country:

Italy West Germany

Language:

Italian German

Release Date:

18 December 1969 (USA)

Also Known As:

Luchino Visconti's The Damned

Filming Locations:

Attersee, Upper Austria, Austria

Company Credits

Production Co:

Ital-Noleggio Cinematografico, Praesidens, Pegaso Cinematografica

Technical Specs

Runtime:

156 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (Westrex Recording System)

Color:

Color (Eastmancolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.66 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

First part of Luchino Visconti's German Trilogy also including Death in Venice and Ludwig.

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Goofs

The film opens on the night of the Reichstag Fire (27 February 1933). However, later that night (or early the next morning) the police inspector investigating the murder of Joachim, in dictating a report to a secretary, gives the date as 18 February 1933.

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Quotes

Martin Von Essenbeck: I will destroy you, Mother!

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Connections

Referenced in Monty Python's Flying Circus: The Money Programme (1972)
A Visconti impersonator is caught and the inspector mentions seven of Visconti's films, including this one.

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Soundtracks

"Nachts ging das Telefon"
(uncredited)
Music by Walter Kollo
Performed by Zarah Leander

User Reviews

"Abandon hope all ye who enter here".

The first chapter in Lucino Visconti's trilogy of "German Decadence", "The Damned" ("Götterdämmerung"), 1969 is a deep and heavy drama; or rather tragedy with many references to Shakespearean and ancient tragedies themes. The film follows a German rich industrialist family, the munitions manufacturers (possibly modeled after Germany's Krupp family) who attempts to keep their power during the rise of Nazism regime. It takes place from the night of the Reichstag fire when the Von Essenbecks have gathered in celebration of the patriarch Joachim's birthday to their eventual downfall ("The Fall of Gods" is the film's Italian title) shortly after the Night of Long Knives.

A Marxist and an aristocrat, Visconti was both repelled by and drawn to the decaying society that he depicts in impressive and loving details and often in a flamboyant style - the examples are the scene with Helmut Berger impersonating Marlene Dietrich's Lola-Lola "Blue Angel", the beer party, the orgy and following them massacre during the "Night of Long Knives".

Both film's titles, "The Damned" and "The Fall of the Gods" prepare us for entering the gates of Inferno - "Abandon hope all ye who enter here". The characters we met, the members of the respected and famous family are "Fallen Gods" and they are ready to take the eternal damnation of their souls in the exchange for Power which is above money, love or any human feelings. The weakest and tender will vanish; the most unscrupulous, merciless, backstabbing, hating and cruel will celebrate on this feast during the time of plague.

The acting is very impressive by all members of a fine international cast that includes Ingrid Thulin, Dirk Bogarde, Charlotte Rampling, Renaud Verley, Umberto Orsini and Helmut Berger. I just want to say couple of words about Ingrid Thulin (Baroness Sophie, the widowed daughter in law of a steel baron Joachim) and Helmut Berger as her son, Martin. I've never seen Ingrid Thulin as beautiful, desirable yet wicked and evil as the German Lady Macbeth/Queen Gertrude/Agrippina the Younger. I dare say that I like her in Visconti's film better than in Bergman's films that made her world famous. Helmut Berger was born to play Martin - immoral, corrupted, and bad to the bone playboy-pedophile Hamlet/Nero in Nazi uniform yet at some point strangely sympathetic. And was he pretty as Lola-Lola :).

8/10