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

Director:

Luchino Visconti

Writers:

Nicola Badalucco (story) &
Enrico Medioli (story) ...
(more)

Release Date:

18 December 1969 (USA)

Genre:

Drama

Tagline:

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

Plot:

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

Plot Keywords:

Baron | German | Nazi | Germany | Third Reich

Awards:

Nominated for Oscar. Another 10 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:
Karl Hass
Judith Burnett	...	Helga (uncredited)
Al Cliver	...	SS Soldier (uncredited)

Directed by
Luchino Visconti

Writing credits
Nicola Badalucco		(story and screenplay) &
Enrico Medioli		(story and screenplay) &
Luchino Visconti		(story and screenplay)

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

Original Music by
Maurice Jarre

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

Film Editing by
Ruggero Mastroianni

Production Design by
Vincenzo Del Prato		(as Enzo Del Prato)

Art Direction by
Pasquale Romano

Costume Design by
Piero Tosi

Makeup Department
Mauro Gavazzi	....	makeup artist
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
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
Giancarlo Giannini	....	voice dubbing: Helmut Berger (uncredited)
Sergio Graziani	....	voice dubbing: Helmut Griem (uncredited)
Melina Martello	....	voice dubbing: Charlotte Rampling (uncredited)
Anna Miserocchi	....	voice dubbing: Ingrid Thulin (uncredited)
Luigi Vannucchi	....	voice dubbing: Dirk Bogarde (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Ital-Noleggio Cinematografico (co-production) (Rome) (as Italnoleggio)
• Praesidens (co-production) (Rome)
• Pegaso Cinematografica (co-production) (Rome) (as Pegaso)
• Eichberg-Film (co-production: München) (as Eichberg Film GmbH)

Distributors

• Warner Brothers/Seven Arts (1969) (USA) (theatrical)
• Warner Home Video (2004) (USA) (DVD)
• Ital-Noleggio Cinematografico (1969) (Italy) (theatrical)
• Warner Bros / Seven Arts (1970) (France) (theatrical)
• Warner Bros. (1970) (West Germany) (theatrical)
• Warner Bros. (1970) (Japan) (theatrical)
• Columbia Broadcasting System (CBS) (1972) (USA) (TV)
• General Video (2008) (Italy) (DVD)
• Istituto Luce (2000) (Italy) (DVD)
• Warner Home Video (198?) (Germany) (VHS)
• Warner Home Video (2004) (Germany) (DVD)
• Warner Home Video (2004) (Japan) (DVD)
• Warner Home Video (19??) (Netherlands) (VHS)

Other Companies

• ThyssenKrupp Acciai Speciali Terni  steelmills (as TERNI-Spe. per l'industria e l'Electricità S.p.A)
• Istituto Nazionale Luce  processed by (as Ist. Naz. LUCE)
• Tirelli Costumi  costumes (as Tirelli)
• S.A.F.A.S.  costumes (as Safas)
• Peter Breurer  costumes
• Rocchetti  wigs
• International Recordings  sound recording studio
• Général Music  music published by (as General Music)
• Antonacci  furnishing

Also Known As:

"La caduta degli dei (Götterdämmerung)" - Italy (original title)
"Luchino Visconti's The Damned" - USA (poster title)

MPAA:

Rated R for violence, nudity and aberrant sexuality (cut version) (1979)

Runtime:

156 min

Country:

Italy | West Germany

Language:

Italian | German

Color:

Color (Eastmancolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.66 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Westrex Recording System)

Certification:

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) | Ireland:18 | Spain:18 | Italy:VM18 | Singapore:M18 | Argentina:13

Filming Locations:

Attersee, Upper Austria, Austria

Company:

Ital-Noleggio Cinematografico

Trivia:

First part of Luchino Visconti's German Trilogy also including Death in Venice (1971) and Ludwig (1972).

Goofs:

Anachronisms: Throughout the film, SS-Captain Aschenbach is referred to as a "Hauptsturmfuhrer". However, prior to 1934 (when the film is set) the SS referred to the rank of Captain as "Sturmhauptfuhrer".

Quotes:

Aschenbach:You must realize that today in Germany anything can happen, even the improbable, and it's just the beginning, Frederick. Personal morals are dead. We are an elite society where everything is permissible. These are Hitler's words. My dear Frederick, even you should give them some thought.

Movie Connections:

Featured in "Cinemania: I anodos kai i ptosi tou Nazismou" (2008)

Soundtrack:

Nachts ging das Telefon

"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