Kronprinz Rudolf (TV 2006)

A retelling of the tragic love affair between Austrian Archduke Rudolf and Baroness Mary Vetsera.

Director:

Robert Dornhelm

Writers:

Didier Decoin, Klaus Lintschinger

Stars:

Max von Thun, Vittoria Puccini, Caroline Athanasiadis

2 wins.

Cast

Credited cast:
Max von Thun	...	Rudolf
Vittoria Puccini	...	Mary Vetsera
Rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Caroline Athanasiadis	...	Female Opera Singer
Gabriel Barylli	...	Miguel de Braganza
Klaus Maria Brandauer	...	Emperor Franz-Joseph
Renate Brandtner	...	Gisela
Andrew Burey	...	Albrecht
Wolfgang Böck	...	Bratfisch
Sandra Ceccarelli	...	Empress Elisabeth 'Sisi'
Julia Cencig	...	Marie Larisch
Christian Clavier	...	Prime Minister Taaffe
Hilde Dalik	...	Anna (at Madame Wolf's)
Stefanie Dvorak	...	Ida Ferenczy
Saskia Fanta	...	Maid Erna
Manfred Feller	...	Petitioner

Storyline

A great Empire, once famous for its enlightened traditions, is taken over by a ruthless political establishment. Religious fundamentalists and national separatists are tearing at the fabric of its liberal society. Under the influence of his conservative advisors, the Emperor fails to initiate the reforms that could save the Empire from annihilation. One man alone can avert the cataclysm to come. The year is 1888 and the 600 year-old Empire of Austria-Hungary is at a cross-road of history. Crown-Prince Rudolf, son of fabled Empress Sisi, the most beautiful woman of her time, is the man with the vision and the ability to lead his Empire into the 20th century. Yet his enemies, the all powerful Prime Minister first and foremost, scheme to isolate Rudolf from his father and from access to power. Against the backdrop of one of the most dangerous, exciting and colorful periods in history, at the dawn of the modern age, unfolds one of the greatest love-stories ever told, the story of "The ...

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Plot Keywords:

crown prince | palace | tragedy | suicide | austro hungarian | 

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Taglines:

Rudolf - The true story of a royal rebel and his tragic love.

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Genres:

Drama | Biography | Romance | History

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Details

Country:

Austria France Germany Italy

Language:

English

Release Date:

30 April 2006 (Austria)

Also Known As:

The Crown Prince

Filming Locations:

Austria

Box Office

Budget:

€11,000,000 (estimated)

Company Credits

Production Co:

EOS Entertainment, MR Filmproduktion

Technical Specs

Runtime:

105 min 180 min (2 episodes) 180 min (original length) 105 min (TV premiere) (heavily cut)

Color:

Color

Did You Know?

Trivia

Max Von Thun is a descendant of Sophie Chotek, the spouse of Archduke Franz Ferdinand. He was a first cousin of his character in this mini series.

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Goofs

When Rudolf is having sex with Maria (Mary), a large tattoo on Max's upper left arm is visible through the poor makeup job.

User Reviews

Rudolf der KronTwit

In trying to spin a script around Rudolf's vague attempts to carve out a role for himself in some kind of grandiose "one world" escape from the Dual Monarchy, the script writers reveal the truth about Rudolf.

He was exactly as his father's ministers thought he was and his father Franz Josef feared he was, a weak, indecisive, self-indulgent nitwit, who hadn't the courage of his convictions or the ones he so easily adopted in lieu of his own thinking.

Von Thun as Rudolf does a lovely job of conveying all this. In a nutshell an heir to the throne who can't have children because he passed on his VD to his wife and made her sterile, while having affairs with a mother and her daughter... and rewarding the familial devotion by taking the star-struck daughter along in his suicide.

If you love costumes and Viennese architecture and interior design enough, you may wish to endure the show (or you can sneak back and watch the Sissi trilogy which is now up on Netflix Roku). And there is some very nice acting by some of the minor characters.

This is about as dramatic and predictable as watching sand run through an hour glass.