Description
The power and fortune of the Von Essenbeck family remained intact even when Germany lost World War I, 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 (Helmut Berger). Suddenly there is a scream. The baron has been shot with their father's gun and the father flees the country.
“I chose this moment – the birth of Nazi in Germany” – to tell a story, still retains its relevance: history of violence, bloodshed and the animal will to power. I am doing this film for generations who do not know what the Nazis … “Germany. 1933. Formation of Nazism in Germany in the example steel dynasty “Kings”: the death of one of its representatives, and other flight elevation third.
Review
Luchino Visconti’s film “The Damned” is in the list of the 15 best films I’ve ever seen.
No wonder no one – I repeat, no one has yet demonstrated the expansion of the human person, the spiritual and physical death is so fascinating grand. In this film, people’s lives are intertwined and fall – and this is happening against the background of the burning of the Reichstag, against the background of Night of the Long Knives.
In the eyes of the viewer is immersed in vice and the whole world is dying, dying – to give way to the new world – capped Nazi swastika. Attentive viewer will see very sources of German fascism. After viewing this picture, I was crushed, scared … and excited.
The film is an acknowledged masterpiece. Visconti, he spent some time in the dungeons of Gestapo, instead of showing a documentary chronicle of what happened during the war and show the consequences and horrors in his German trilogy decided to go the “other” way. He tried to cover the topic of the psychological causes of fascism. A year or two later, the screens will “The Conformist” Bertolucci, and the two films will inspire many followers.
At one time this was x rated
Warning: Spoilers
Because of the incest and child molestation and violence it was given an x rating.Then it became the first X rated movie to premiere on t.v in the c.b.s. late show movie on Thursday back in 1973.the next day it drew protest and offense against it being broad cast on public commercial t.v.The movie had no real sex in it.It really p.g.I under stand the story now.A family all owns a steel mill under the third Reich.They are all trying to kill each other so that the other can take control.This is like Dynasty and Falcon crest.Yes Zarah Leander voice make an appearance in the film.I'm wondering if they paid her for it.I don't know if she would have want to remember the bad old days.But it was a sixties modern song ,not in sync with the thirties.It's Gross Pa.Pa's birthday.The head of the steel industry, played by Albrecht Schoenhals, who was originally a doctor and later became a top male lead of German and Austrian films of the thirties and forties,who was older already.One of his grand sons Martin ,played by helmet Burger is doing a Marlene Dietrich drag act, give you the impression that he is gay ! Wrong!He an effeminate heterosexual male who is a pedophile and is emotionally molest by his mother ,played by Ingrid Thulin.One of the magnates sons Baron Konstatin , played by Reinhard Kolldehoff, who is rough macho and mean and wants his son Gunther,played by Renaud Verley , to quit school and work at the steel mill.It turn out that he's the closet queen, the baron .It seems that Luciano was suggesting that because of Roamer , most of the male members of the Nazi party was gay.Well some one kills grandpa so that the relative can take over his job.They accuse a cousin ,Herbert ,played by UmBerto Orsini, so he takes off.The baron goes of to his gay camp on the lake , oh really!,Where he and his throw buddies are surprised attack orchestrated by another cousin Aschnebach,who is member of the S.a., with the aid of dirk, to eliminate another family member taking over the steel company.Martin little girl friend has gotten syphilis from him and she ends up killing her self.Ashnebach black male Martin to give up the stock in the company,but, his Mother played by Ingrid Thulin stops that as she actually has control rove the steel company , she persuade Aschneback ,played by Helmret Griem,who was also chosen to show up in another same type of movie in 1972 Cabaret,almost in the same role Well it is finally revealed who killed Gross Papa.It was martin ,he put Gunther up to it.Now more macho Martin want the job. He ends up raping his mother for revenge He end up joining the guard and pushing his parents to a Nazi wedding,that they end up kill themselves.Imagine if they did a night time weakly t,v show based on this movie," Meet the Essenbecks.Of course they have to change it a bit.It would of been like Hogans Heroes dramatic style.Great Entertainment.
