Mayerling

Everyone agrees with this movie's virtues: its sets, costumes, and recreation of the era--all of which are impressively gorgeous. Kenneth Brannagh mentions that the look of the this film version influenced the setting/production design for his version of HAMLET (check out his audio commentary of the DVD, chap. 19). So MAYERLING has had its influence.

And, yes, quite a few of us recognize its shortcomings. Frankly, it doesn't possess the passion/romance one expects. Perhaps both Sharif and Deneuve are too intelligent to be believable for a romantic suicide, but whatever it is, somehow the oomph one hopes for is missing. Nevertheless, it's still fascinating, and while not as involving as the Boyer version, it's got more historical detail and background.

And yes it's worth comparing/contrasting with THE ILLUSIONIST.

When the heir to the Hapsburg throne was found shot to death in that hunting lodge named Mayerling in 1889 a lot of the hopes and dreams of a future generation were blasted for all time. But the bigger tragedy was that Crown Prince Rudolf was such a weak vessel to support those hopes and dreams. In point of fact he was quite unstable, some like young psychiatrist Sigmund Freud practicing in Vienna might have called him mad.

It's the mad quality that Omar Sharif does capture in his portrayal of Crown Prince Rudolf. His companion in death was young Catherine Deneuve playing the minor league baroness who accompanied him in death. She's good, but she's a bit old for the part. Maria Vetsera was 24 in real life, possibly Mia Farrow might have been a better choice.

The sets and costumes and certainly the locations are as authentic as you can get. But Mayerling moves ponderously slow and sluggish. A better pace could have improved it.

James Mason and Ava Gardner play emperor Franz Josef and the Empress Elizabeth who was known as Sissi all her life. Her childhood name never left her because in many ways she was also as big a child as her son. The Emperor and Empress live apart for most of the year with Elizabeth jaunting about all over the continental hot spots. If Sharif wants to have his fling, he only has to look at mother who never settled down. In many ways Ava Gardner is the best one in the film, she's cast perfectly because she too never really settled down in life.

Also memorable is James Robertson Justice whose girth and and booming mirth made him be perfectly cast as Edward the Prince Of Wales who is also waiting to ascend to the throne of Great Britain and about whom many hopes are kindled even in the constitutional monarchy that the United Kingdom is. He's not exactly in the confidence of Queen Victoria, but he's learned to very cheerfully accept his fate and be patient. He was about 40 year patient and that's what Rudolf would have had to be as Franz Josef reigned until 1917. I'm surprised James Robertson Justice never played Bertie in a film about him, he was so right for the part.

Speculation has abounded for years about what drove the Archduke to do what he did. This impressive, but slow version of the story will feed the speculation of the movie going public and historians.

Set in 1888 , the royal Rudolf , Crown Prince of Austria/Hungary (Omar Shariff) , is fettered on all sides . He's a doomer and dissolute romancer who was never up to ruling anyways , being extremely bored and tired . His father , the emperor Francisco -Franz- Joseph (James Mason) , is a domineering and tyrannical ruler . Rudolph's politics are more liberal than his father's, but he knows his views carry no weight . Rudolph agreed to marry a princess to sire an heir , then spends his nights as a playboy . Meantime , Rudolf has almost an unhealthy infatuation with his mother, the Empress Elizabeth , Sissi (Ava Gardner) , she has largely been an absent figure from Vienna and thus his unfortunate life is almost invisible at the royal court . In 1888, Rudolf , heir to the Austro-Hungarian empire, falls for by Marie Vetsera . He meets Marie Vetsera (Catherine Deneuve) and sees her at a theatre , she , 17 , a baroness's attractive teenaged daughter . She is resolute, smitten, and wants nothing in return for her love . He's already a problem to the Crown because of his political ideas ; and a love affair with someone not of royal blood breeches protocol . As the Crown doesn't allow and the emperor further neutralizes Rudolph by making him inspector general of the army , sending him afield for months at a time . As Rudolph falls deeply for the commom-born Mary Vetsera , despite his political marriage . The Prime Minister is alarmed; he contrives to have her sent away. Rudolf sinks into dissipation, then he takes part in a student revolt for the liberation of Hungary , but things go wrong . When she returns , the lovers will handle the opposition of society and their families . Rudolf and Marie Vetsera fight to find a way for them to be together . Both of whom are tragically smitten by a difficult and complicated romance that causes a moral opprobrium in high aristocracy and Hapsburg kingdom . No one woman could satisfy him...until he fell in love.

Based on the tragic and voluptuous romance between Rudolf and Baroness Maria Vetsera . No doubt meant to be a sweeping combo of a deep love story and politics about the separation of Austria and Hungary , forming the Austrian-Hungarian Empire , ala ¨Doctor Zhivago¨style . Main cast is pretty good , Omar Shariff plays the philander and seducer Prince with no crown and Catherine Deneuve is ideal as the tragic heroine , she is not only exquisitely gorgeous , she is alive as well . They are well accompanied by a very good support cast , such as : James Mason as Emperor Franz-Jose , Ava Gardner as Empress Elizabeth , Sissi , James Robertson Justice as Edward , Prince of Wales , Geneviève Page as Countess Larish , Andréa Parisy as Princess StephanieI , Ivan Desny as Count Hoyos , Maurice Teynac , Moustache , Fabienne Dali , Jacques Berthier , Charles Millot , Véronique Vendell , among others . The film provides lavish settings , brilliant cinematography and spectacular scenarios with bustling balls and lots of extras . Terence Young is equally acceptable at conveying the tidal wave which consumes the Hapsburg court , as well as love, passion and distresses that drowned the heir to the throne . Of course , it is extremely romantic and novelettish , sometimes in Barbara Cartland rubbish style , resulting to be really tedious and overlong , at times ; watching the 1936 retelling by Anatole Litvak , being much better shot and played . However , the picture turns out to be passable , though at the time it was a real flop at boxoffice.

It packs glimmer cinematography by cameraman Henry Alekan , Terence Young's regular , shot on location in Venice, Veneto, Italy , Mayerling, Lower Austria, Vienna, Austria , Paris Studios Cinema, Billancourt, France . As well as atmospheric musical score by Francis Lai , including classical music , such as : P. Morgenblaetter (Morning Paper) Composed by Johann Strauss , Radetzky-Marsch Composed by Johann Strauss Sr. , Giselle Composed by Adolphe Adam , The Waves of the Danube Composed by Iosif Ivanovici and Spartacus Suite Written by Aram Khachaturyan . The picture was professionally directed by Terence Young , being made with skill and commitment enough , displaying quite a few visual opulence and estimable production design .

There are several renditions about these deeds : ¨Tragedy in the House of Hapsburg¨ 1924 by Alexander Korda with Emil Fenyvessy , Kálmán Zátony , María Corda . The classic and best ¨Mayerling¨ 1935 by Anatole Litvak with Charles Boyer , Danielle Darrieux , Vladimir Skoloff , Jean Louis Barrault . ¨From Mayerling to Sarajevo¨ 1940 by Max Ophüls with Edwige Feuillère , John Lodge , Jean Worms , Jean Debucourt . ¨The secret of Mayerling 1949¨ with Jean Marais as L'archiduc Rodolphe d'Autriche-Hongrie , Dominique Blanchar as Marie Vetsera , Claude Farell as La comtesse Marie Larisch , Jean Debucourt as L'empereur François-Joseph . ¨Maria Vetsera¨1956 with Rudolf Prack as Rudolf , Christiane Hörbiger as Baroneß Mary Vetsera , Winnie Markus, Lil Dagover. Mayerling 2013 with Mara Galeazzi as Mary Vetsera and Edward Watson . And remade in 1967 for TV , among others .

Mayerling is supposed to be a story of love and passion set in the backdrop of political turmoil in the austro-hungarian empire. The problem is there is very little passion in this movie. Catherine Deneuve, which I usually love, and Omar Sharif give such wooden performances that it is hard to imagine they would die of love. Ava Gardner is about as bad and James Mason does hardly better. Only James Robertson Justice and Genevieve Page seem to believe in what they are doing.

As far as the political story, you will not know very much more of the state of the empire after seing the movie. Characters drop by Omar Sharif once a while without enlightening us very much about their problems and goals. The only redeeming values are production values which are quite good. Better watch the original French movie with Charles Boyer and Danielle Darrieux.

All modern historians agree that it was not the "impossible " love depicted in all Mayerling versions.No Rudolph did not throw away his empire for the love of Mary!He had at the time of his affair with baroness Vetsera other mistresses(the most famous was Mizzi Kaspar).Too bad for those who are still dreaming of romantic passion,but the harsh truth is that Rudolph was a jaded man,using morphine to relieve his sufferings .He was seriously ill,since he contracted a VD.Historian Jean-Paul Bled goes as far as to say he would not have outlived his father anyway(think that his father died in 1916!).Just before his death he was not physically the handsome man played by Omar Shariff anymore!As for Mary,she was seventeen (Deneuve was already too old in spite of her stunning beauty),and she did love Prince Rudolph,but she was too young to understand that she was used by her lover as a helping hand to die:Rudolph had already asked Mizzi(see above) to die with him because he was frightened to pass away ALONE.

Another scene is completely refuted by every earnest historian:during the ball in the German Embassy,Mary refuses to bow before Rudolph's wife Stephanie.Or ,absolutely nobody,among these who attended the reception,spoke

about it afterward.The only person who mentions it is Countess Marie Larish,who was not invited,and who was a very shady and perverse lady,who wrote a book called "my past" .And what a past!She was Empress Elisabeth's niece,child of a misalliance:Sissi's brother had married an actress.In the Mayerling saga ,she played a very bad part,that of a go-between(Genevieve Page in the movie)

The imperial couple reunited James Mason and Ava Gardner ,who were the leads in "Pandora and the flying Dutchman" (Lewin,1951),a treat for cinema buffs.The cinematography is dazzling,and at least the story was filmed where it took place.Francis Lai's score is nice too(Un Homme Et Une Femme,1966,love story,1970).The director ,Terence Young ,is the movies odd-job man:James Bond (Dr No,From Russia with love,thunderball),the amorous adventures of Moll Flanders,wait until dark,the Christmas tree,spy thriller,horror,melodrama,not a genius but a competent craftsman.

After Mayerling,the hunting lodge was razed to the ground and the emperor had a nunnery built on the site.Hence the necessity to film the last part in a studio.

Another scene completely made up from start to finish is the Deneuve /Gardner meeting.At the time ,Elisabeth had become the wandering empress she would remain until her death in 1898,nine years after the Mayerling tragedy.She used to shun Vienna,the Court ,the étiquette and even politics.But the movie is true for one thing:she was here when Rudolph died.Marie Larish(Genevieve Page),the go-between, was her protégée,but she would realize too late what a perverse creature she was.

Rudolph was a depressed man,who failed twice:politically,he was kept out of things by his father and his plots led to nowhere.He used to worry about the Monarchy's (actually a double one,Austrian and Hungarian since 1867)future and he dreamed of federalism and parliamentary democracy;besides,his marriage was on the rocks,his wife Stephanie(Andréa Parisy) being unable to give birth to another child. The opening scene is the only one which deals with politics:a student riot during which Rudolph is arrested by the police:once again,it's very implausible,since the Kronprinz's actions were watched day and night by Francis Joseph's henchmen.Even his numerous -and almost absent here ,to give the movie a romantic flavor-mistresses used to "help" police reports.

The best thing-one user noticed it- is Marie Larish's obnoxious behavior.Genevieve Page is remarkable,acting with Mary Vetsera like a spider with a fly,unbeknown-st to her mother (Mony Dalmes).

Outside Litvak's version ,already mentioned by some users,there's also Jean Delannoy's "le secret de Mayerling" (1949),with Jean Marais as Rudolph which has a rather good reputation,in spite of a weird ending:Bismarck was behind the lovers' assassination.Even stranger:when Zita,Austria's last empress ,came back from exile in the early eighties,she hinted at a political assassination as well.