Set in 1930s Germany, the film revolves around a steel industrial family who have decided to do business with Nazi Germany in its ascent only for the association to cause the family to unravel from the death of their patriarch as well as the activities of a few including an heir whose amoral behavior would help maintain more chaos. It is a film that explores a family who makes a deal with the Nazis which would benefit them financially and socially but it would also begin their downfall. The film’s screenplay opens with a dinner celebrating the birthday of Baron Joachim von Essenbeck (Albrecht Schoenhals) who is beloved by many in his family yet is reluctant to associate himself with the Nazis despite his conservative views. Yet, the night is shattered by the news of the Reichstag fire while son-in-law Herbert Thalmann (Umberto Osini) is another person who isn’t fond of the Nazis where the night ends badly when the baron is found dead with gunshot wounds on his body as the gun belonged to Thalmann though he is innocent yet is forced to flee knowing that he’s an outspoken critic of the Nazis.
The baron’s death sets everything in place as his daughter-in-law Sophie (Ingrid Thulin) is having an affair with the family’s executive Friedrich Bruckmann (Dirk Bogarde) who is also friends with a cousin of Sophie’s late husband in the SS officer Aschenbach (Helmut Griem) as they seek to take control of the family business with the approval of the baron’s grandson and Sophie’s son Martin (Helmut Berger) who inherits much of the share as he allows Bruckman to take control instead of the baron’s boorish nephew in Konstantin (Reinhard Kolldehoff). It would eventually cause a power struggle within the family as Herbert’s wife Elizabeth (Charlotte Rampling) asks Sophie to clear Herbert’s name unaware of her role in implicating Herbert. Meanwhile, Konstantin discovers something about Martin’s amoral lifestyle as he would use it as blackmail to get control of the family business to sell arms to the SA that Konstantin is a part of. Yet, it is Aschenbach that would stir things up as well as find ways to get Martin back on board but also find ways to do whatever he wants in order to ensure that the Nazis have a future. It all plays into a family dealing with the demands of a new world and how it would create chaos within this family as many of them scheme and do whatever they can to crave power as well as revel in decadence.
Luchino Visconti’s direction is definitely wondrous as it plays into a moment in time that is based on a real-life family known as the Krupp who would help create steel and weaponry for the Nazis only for their then-patriarch to be charged with war crimes. Shot on various locations in Austria, parts of then-West Germany, and interiors shot at Cinecitta Studios, in Rome, Italy with some of it near Dusseldorf and the Austrian village of Unterach am Attersee as Bad Wiessee. Visconti’s usage of the wide and medium shots don’t just play into the home of the von Essenbeck but also the world they live in as Visconti would create some unique compositions and framing that includes the opening party where Martin would be in drag as Marlene Dietrich as he performs in front of his family as it’s interrupted by the news of the Reichstag fire. Visconti also plays up a world that is lavish but also terrifying considering the world that this family lives in with some not wanting to be part of the Nazis. At the center of the turmoil is Martin as he is someone that has a lot of power but also does activities that are immoral as he’s also bisexual and molests children including a couple of his own cousins that Konstantin is aware of.
Visconti would also use close-ups to create some dramatic suspense as well as the sense of fear that would loom in Sophie and Friedrich as they would conspire to gain whatever power with Aschenbach being the man they turn to. Even as it means playing a role in an act of violence as there’s a key sequence late in the film’s second act that was originally cut from the film’s American release back in 1969 as it was spoken largely in German where a major event in Nazi Germany’s history takes place as much of the film is spoken in English for its American release with an alternate Italian dubbing for its European release. It is a key sequence that wouldn’t just play into this corruption that this family would be involved in but also a shift in power from within with Aschenbach stirring the pot. Yet, Visconti would create something that does feel operatic while also playing into some things that were considered taboo as it relates to the growing immorality that Martin would gain. Even as he would gain a few allies but also do things that would eventually destroy the reputation of his family. Overall, Visconti crafts a chilling yet disturbing film about a family’s fall from grace in their association with the Nazis.
Cinematographers Armando Nannuzzi and Pasqualino De Santis do amazing work with the film’s cinematography with its usage of colorful lighting for some of the interior scenes at night as well as maintaining some vibrant and low-key colors for some of the daytime exterior scenes. Editor Ruggero Mastroianni does excellent work with the editing as it has some unique jump-cuts to play into the suspense and drama as well as some rhythmic cuts that add to some terrifying moments in the film. Art directors Pasquale Romano and Enzo Del Prato do brilliant work with the look of the von Essenbeck family estate with all of its rooms that are lavish and full of wide spaces as well as the main office of the factory that the family runs.
Costume designer Piero Tosi does fantastic work with the costumes from the designs of the Nazi uniforms as well as the dresses that Sophie and Elizabeth wears as well as the clothes that the men wear including the Marlene Dietrich costume that Martin wears for his performance. The sound work of Renato Cudueri and Vittorio Trentino is superb for its approach to natural sound as well as the mixing to play into some of the drama and terror with a key sequence in the film. The film’s music by Maurice Jarre is incredible for its rich orchestral score filled with sumptuous string and woodwind arrangements that play into the sense of decadence and chaos that looms throughout the film with a couple of songs from those times including songs that were sung by Marlene Dietrich.
The film’s marvelous cast feature some notable small roles from Karin Mittendorf and Valentina Ricci in their respective roles as Herbert and Elizabeth’s daughters in Thilde and Erika, Irina Wanka as a young Jewish girl that Martin meets as she lives next door to Martin’s girlfriend, Nora Ricci as the von Essenbeck estate governess who runs the house, and Florinda Bolkan as Martin’s girlfriend Olga whom he doesn’t see often as well as the fact that there is no real commitment between the two towards the end as it relates to Martin’s own descent into immorality. Albrecht Schoenhals is terrific as Baron Joachim von Essenbeck as the family patriarch who is reluctant in aligning himself with Nazi Germany as well as having issues with their ideal that would unfortunately lead to his assassination. Reinhard Kolldehoff is superb as the baron’s nephew Konstantin who is also an officer for the SA paramilitary group as he wants to run the family business in the hopes of winning favor of Adolf Hitler towards the SA as he eventually becomes disillusioned with Hitler during a key moment in the film.
Charlotte Rampling is fantastic as Herbert’s wife Elizabeth who is troubled by her husband’s disappearance knowing that he didn’t kill the baron while is also someone who isn’t fond of the Nazi ideals as she asks Sophie for help only to be unaware that Sophie is the one who framed her husband. Renaud Verley is excellent as Konstantin’s nephew Gunther as a young man who is hoping to not be involved in the war as he is also close to Herbert and Elizabeth where he later succumbs to Aschenbach’s circle. Umberto Osini is brilliant as Herbert Thalmann as a man married to the family who is beloved by many though he isn’t fond of the Nazis as he is later accused of killing the baron forcing him to go into exile. Helmut Griem is amazing as Aschenbach as a SS officer who stirs the pot within the von Essenbeck family as he manipulates his way into the family’s affairs as he was a cousin of Sophie’s dead husband as he also does whatever he can to cling on to power by association.
Ingrid Thulin is incredible as Sophie as the baron’s daughter-in-law who is having an affair with Friedrich much to the baron’s disapproval as she is a woman that is hoping to have more power within the family as well as being the mastermind of killing the baron where she hopes to maintain shared control with Friedrich where she also would do anything including going against her family. Dirk Bogarde is phenomenal as Friedrich Bruckmann as a social-climbing executive of the family business who is having an affair with Sophie as he hopes to gain power only to involve himself with things that would push the family away as well as become Aschenbach’s puppet for a time. Finally, there’s Helmut Berger in a tremendous breakout performance as Martin von Essenbeck as the baron’s amoral grandson who likes to involve himself in things that are considered obscene as well as using his status to do what he wants only to find himself in trouble where he turns to Aschenbach as Berger exudes charisma but also something very dark from within as he leans towards the ideas of Nazism.
Gotterdammerung is a spectacular film from Luchino Visconti. Featuring a great ensemble cast, stylish visuals, Maurice Jarre’s exhilarating music score, and a look into a family’s descent into immorality and chaos. It is a film that explores the life of family during the early years of Nazi Germany and how everything they used to believe in crumble into a world that is full of hate. In the end, Gotterdammerung is a tremendous film from Luchino Visconti.
Luchino Visconti Films: (Obsessione) – (Giorni di gloria) – (La Terra Firma) – (Bellissima) – (Appunti su un fatto di cronaca) – (We, the Women) – Senso – White Nights - Rocco and His Brothers - (Boccaccio ’70-Il lavoro) – The Leopard - Sandra – (The Stranger (1967 film)) – The Witches (1967 film)- The Witch Burned Alive – Death in Venice - (Alla ricerca di Tadzio) – (Ludwig) – (Conversation Piece) – The Innocent (1976 film)
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