Caduta degli dei, La (1969)

Director:

Luchino Visconti

Writers:

Nicola Badalucco (writer)
Enrico Medioli (writer)
(more)

Release Date:

18 December 1969 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | War

Plot:

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

Plot Keywords:

Orgy | Cabaret Number | Female Nudity | Nude Swimming | Wedding

Awards:

Nominated for Oscar. Another 2 wins & 1 nomination

Cast

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
Bill Vanders	...	Chief of Police
Howard Nelson Rubien	...	Dean of the University (as H. Nelson Rubien)
Werner Hasselmann	...	Gestapo Officer
Peter Dane	...	Steelmill Clerk
Mark Salvage	...	Police Inspector
Karl-Otto Alberty	...	1st Officer Wehrmacht (as Karl Otto Alberty)
John Frederick	...	2nd Officer Wehrmacht
Richard Beach	...	3rd Officer Wehrmacht
Klaus Höhne	...	1st S.A. Officer (as Claus Höhne)
Ernst Kuhr	...	2nd S.A. Officer
Peter Brandt	...	3rd S.A. Officer
Wolfgang Ehrlich	...	S.A. Militiaman
Ester Carloni	...	1st Maid (as Esterina Carloni)
Antonietta Fiorito	...	2nd Maid (as Antonietta Fiorita)
Jessica Dublin	...	Nurse
Piero Morgia	...	Young man in shirt-sleeves
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Judith Burnett	...	Helga (uncredited)

Directed by
Luchino Visconti

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Nicola Badalucco		writer
Enrico Medioli		writer
Luchino Visconti		writer

Produced by
Attilio D'Onofrio	....	associate producer
Ever Haggiag	....	producer
Alfred Levy	....	producer
Pietro Notarianni	....	executive producer

Original Music by
Maurice Jarre
Willy Kollo		(uncredited)

Cinematography by
Pasqualino De Santis		(director of photography) (as Pasquale De Santis)
Armando Nannuzzi		(director of photography)

Film Editing by
Ruggero Mastroianni

Art Direction by
Vincenzo Del Prato		(as Enzo Del Prato)
Pasquale Romano

Costume Design by
Piero Tosi

Makeup Department
Mauro Gavazzi	....	makeup artist
Rocchetti	....	wig maker
Luciano Vito	....	hair stylist

Production Management
Giuseppe Bordogni	....	general manager
Anna Davini	....	production supervisor
Ernst Egerer	....	production supervisor
Hugo Leeb	....	production supervisor
Umberto Sambuco	....	production supervisor
Bruno Sassaroli	....	production supervisor
Gilberto Scarpellini	....	production supervisor

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Albino Cocco	....	assistant director
Fanny Wessling	....	assistant director

Art Department
Giuseppe Ranieri	....	assistant art director

Sound Department
Renato Cadueri	....	dubbing mixer
Vittorio Trentino	....	sound engineer

Camera and Electrical Department
Giuseppe Bernardini	....	camera operator (as Giuseppe Berardini)
Mario Cimini	....	camera operator
Nino Cristiani	....	camera operator
Mario Tursi	....	still photographer

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Peter Breurer	....	costume supplier
Vera Marzot	....	assistant costume designer

Editorial Department
Lea Mazzocchi	....	assistant editor

Music Department
Maurice Jarre	....	conductor

Other crew
Mario Maldesi	....	dialogue director
Rometta Pietrostefani	....	continuity

Production Companies

• Eichberg-Film
• Praesidens-Pegaso Italnoleggio

Distributors

• Warner Bros. Pictures (1969) (USA) (theatrical) (dubbed)
• CBS Television (1972) (USA) (TV) (original airing)
• Warner Bros. (1970) (West Germany) (theatrical)
• Warner Home Video (2004) (USA) (DVD)

Other Companies

• General Music  music publishing

Also Known As:

The Damned (USA)
The Damned (Götterdämmerung)
Verdammten, Die (West Germany)

MPAA:

Rated R for violence, nudity and aberrant sexuality. (edited version)

Runtime:

155 min | Italy:150 min (cut)

Country:

Italy | Switzerland | West Germany

Language:

Italian | German

Colour:

Colour (Eastmancolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.66 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Westrex Recording System)

Certification:

Spain:18 | Italy:VM18 | Ireland:18 | Australia:M | Finland:K-16 | France:-12 | Norway:16 (original rating) | Sweden:15 | UK:18 | USA:R (cut version) (1979) | USA:X (original rating) | West Germany:16 | UK:X (original rating)

Filming Locations:

Attersee, Upper Austria, Austria

Company:

Eichberg-Film

Trivia:

This was the first X-rated film to be shown on American network television, although heavily edited and in a late-night time slot.

Goofs:

Anachronisms: In the massacre scene of SA men, the SS are shown using MP-38 sub-machine guns. However the movie is set in 1934, 4 years before the MP-38 were in production for the German armed forces.

Quotes:

Sophie Von Essenbeck: It's not a joke. Enormous interests are at stake, and Martin thinks...
Konstantin Von Essenbeck: As far as I know, it's the first time Martin ever used his head to think!

Movie Connections:

Featured in Hidden Fuhrer: Debating the Enigma of Hitler's Sexuality (2004)

An Operatic Horror Fest

The great Luchino Visconti concocts a stunning banquet of horrors with some of his favorite gourmet dishes: the corruption and decadence of the upper classes, incest, mamma's boys and monstrous/fascinating mothers. The setting this time is National Socialist Germany where the perversions find their perfect home. There is, however, a slight but disturbing enjoyment of the whole putrid thing. Visconti's extraordinary attention to detail requires more than a couple of viewings. Ingrid Thulin's hairstyles are a masterpiece on their own. After Ingman Bergman, Visconti gives her her most showy role. She's a pervert's mother if I ever saw one. Magnificent in her over the top understatement. Creepy Helmut Berger is perfect here. Even his real voice adds to the luridness of his character. In "Ludwig" he was dubbed by Giancarlo Giannini transforming his third rate talent into something,seemingly, transcendental. Dirk Bogarde, Charlotte Rampling, Umberto Orsini plus the gorgeous Renaud Verley and Florinda Bolkan contribute considerably to the rigid and humorless vision of one of the greatest aesthetes the movies have ever known.