Although not up to the excellence of the classic 1936 film starring Charles Boyer and Danielle Darrieux, this remake of the tragic romance between Crown Prince Rudolph of Austria and commoner Maria Vetsera is still quite compelling. Omar Sharif is burdened with the worst haircut imaginable, yet when he looks longingly at lovely Catherine Deneuve, it should send your heart fluttering. And while Maria isn't as strongly written as the character should be, Deneuve projects innocent maturity beautifully. Ava Gardner and James Mason don't have much to do, but James Robertson Justice is a joy as Prince Edward of England. Extraordinary production values make it a visual delight. Finally, while the script fails to properly explain the political situation that would drive Rudolph to his drastic decision, director Terence Young builds the tension to heartbreaking pathos, with the final moments fully worthy of a great tearjerker.
26 Reviews
A visual stunner but the passion is missing
TheLittleSongbird19 November 2023
'Mayerling' (1968)
Opening thoughts: There were plenty of reasons for seeing the 1968 version of 'Mayerling'. Have always loved period dramas, and especially when it is a period of history that really piques a lot of interest. Having gained a major interest in Austrian royalty since my holiday to Vienna last year (especially Empress Elisabeth, aka Sissi), this was one such period. The cast is a truly talented one and have given great performances elsewhere and have liked a good deal of Terrence Young's other work as well.
Unfortunately, the 1968 version of 'Mayerling' is a disappointment. It certainly doesn't underwhelm visually, but the performances are wildly uneven and mostly unimpressive and it just feels sluggish and bland. The story was a lot more interesting and compelling than what is depicted here and done much more justice in the infinitely superior 1936 'Mayerling', which is very, very good by the way. This is not a terrible film, but it really should have been so much better than the mixed bag film it turned out to be.
Good things: 'Mayerling' does have good things. The best components are the photography, costumes and production design. The photography stuns throughout and the costumes and production design are just exquisite. Francis Lai's music is lush and stirring and doesn't come over as over-scored or over-bearing, also not jarring stylistically.
While not being impressed by the performances, two are good. James Robertson Justice gives by far the film's best performance and is a real joy, managing to give much needed enthusiasm without becoming hammy. Genevieve Page is close behind and brings a lot of class and dignity, as well as being every bit as animated as Justice without jarring.
Bad things: It is a shame that the rest of the performances don't work. Omar Sharif, with a hairstyle that does not flatter him, looks uncomfortable and is very stiff. Catherine Deneuve has no warmth or passion to her performance and is as wooden as him. The chemistry between them is passionless and felt underdeveloped. James Mason's part is underwritten and he is given little to work with, the under-developing also shows in his performance which looked as though he wanted to be elsewhere. Ava Gardner has the right ahead of the time beauty for Sissi that was not present enough in the 1936 version, but otherwise doesn't really register.
Young's direction is very undistinguished and indicative of somebody who wasn't that interested in the story or history much. The script tends to be stilted and melodramatic and the film is very sluggishly paced and needed a lot more charm, atmosphere and passion, which are pretty much missing so everything feels very bland and dull. When it tries to be emotional, it comes over as very overwrought and the drama just feels thin. It perhaps could have been shorter too, with some of the longer scenes in need of some trimming.
Concluding thoughts: Summing up, a very mixed bag.
5/10.
Opening thoughts: There were plenty of reasons for seeing the 1968 version of 'Mayerling'. Have always loved period dramas, and especially when it is a period of history that really piques a lot of interest. Having gained a major interest in Austrian royalty since my holiday to Vienna last year (especially Empress Elisabeth, aka Sissi), this was one such period. The cast is a truly talented one and have given great performances elsewhere and have liked a good deal of Terrence Young's other work as well.
Unfortunately, the 1968 version of 'Mayerling' is a disappointment. It certainly doesn't underwhelm visually, but the performances are wildly uneven and mostly unimpressive and it just feels sluggish and bland. The story was a lot more interesting and compelling than what is depicted here and done much more justice in the infinitely superior 1936 'Mayerling', which is very, very good by the way. This is not a terrible film, but it really should have been so much better than the mixed bag film it turned out to be.
Good things: 'Mayerling' does have good things. The best components are the photography, costumes and production design. The photography stuns throughout and the costumes and production design are just exquisite. Francis Lai's music is lush and stirring and doesn't come over as over-scored or over-bearing, also not jarring stylistically.
While not being impressed by the performances, two are good. James Robertson Justice gives by far the film's best performance and is a real joy, managing to give much needed enthusiasm without becoming hammy. Genevieve Page is close behind and brings a lot of class and dignity, as well as being every bit as animated as Justice without jarring.
Bad things: It is a shame that the rest of the performances don't work. Omar Sharif, with a hairstyle that does not flatter him, looks uncomfortable and is very stiff. Catherine Deneuve has no warmth or passion to her performance and is as wooden as him. The chemistry between them is passionless and felt underdeveloped. James Mason's part is underwritten and he is given little to work with, the under-developing also shows in his performance which looked as though he wanted to be elsewhere. Ava Gardner has the right ahead of the time beauty for Sissi that was not present enough in the 1936 version, but otherwise doesn't really register.
Young's direction is very undistinguished and indicative of somebody who wasn't that interested in the story or history much. The script tends to be stilted and melodramatic and the film is very sluggishly paced and needed a lot more charm, atmosphere and passion, which are pretty much missing so everything feels very bland and dull. When it tries to be emotional, it comes over as very overwrought and the drama just feels thin. It perhaps could have been shorter too, with some of the longer scenes in need of some trimming.
Concluding thoughts: Summing up, a very mixed bag.
5/10.
Beautiful but Dull
JamesHitchcock1 March 2006
Warning: Spoilers
The supposed suicide in 1889 of Crown Prince Rudolf, heir to the throne of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, has long fascinated both historians and conspiracy theorists. The official version was that Rudolf died in a suicide pact with his teenage mistress Maria Vetsera, although numerous alternative theories have been put forward. Conspiracy theories normally make for more intriguing cinema that the official versions of suspicious deaths- I doubt, for example, if we will ever see a feature film putting forward the theory that John F Kennedy really was assassinated by Lee Harvey Oswald acting alone- so it is rather surprising that the makers of "Mayerling" (the title is taken from the name of the hunting lodge where the tragedy occurred) have accepted that these deaths really were suicide rather than murder.
That does not, however, necessarily mean that the film is entirely historically accurate. As played by Omar Sharif, Rudolf is a contradictory character, a strange mixture of liberal and libertine. In his public life he is the symbol of opposition to his more conservative father, the Emperor Franz Josef, and the advocate of enlightened, progressive policies. In his private life, however, he is a dissolute, alcoholic morphine-addicted womaniser with numerous mistresses; his marriage to the Belgian princess Stephanie is miserably unhappy. There is, in fact, some historical evidence to support this view of Rudolf's character, but the political background to his suicide seems to be an invention of the film-makers. Rudolf allows himself to become drawn into a treasonable attempt to dethrone his father as King of Hungary; his motivation is partly the chance to put his liberal ideals into practice, but mostly the thought that as monarch of an independent country he will be able to divorce Stephanie and marry Maria, something that his father has always refused to countenance. (After the Ausgleich of 1867, which granted Hungary self-government within the Empire, most Hungarians were in fact satisfied with the Dual Monarchy and would not have wished to replace Franz Josef as their king, especially if the rival candidate for the throne were a divorcée, something which would not have been acceptable in a predominantly Catholic nation).
None of the leading actors seem altogether believable, the worst offender being, surprisingly, Catherine Deneuve; one would not believe from her withdrawn, passionless interpretation of the role that Maria is a woman so desperately in love that she is willing to die for, and together with, her beloved. Omar Sharif tries harder to make something of Rudolf but without much success. James Mason as Franz Josef often looks as though he wishes he were somewhere else altogether, playing the King (in the words of the old joke) as though someone else had just played the Ace. Ava Gardner's performances during the sixties and seventies were rarely impressive; there were occasional exceptions, but "Mayerling", in which she plays the Empress Elisabeth, was not one of them. Only James Robertson Justice, who plays the Prince of Wales with gusto, makes any impression or shows much enthusiasm.
The film is attractive to look at, with lovingly re-created late Victorian interiors and costumes, but it is overlong and lacking in movement; it would have been improved by editing to make it at least half an hour shorter. 5/10
Some goofs. The Prince of Wales states that his mother is eighty-five years old. At the time of Rudolf's death in January 1889, Queen Victoria was actually sixty-nine years old. She never lived to be eighty-five, dying in 1901 at the age of eighty-one. Franz Josef refers to Marie Antoinette as his great-aunt; she was actually his great-great-aunt, being the sister of his great-grandfather the Emperor Leopold. Elisabeth says that she never says "goodbye" because it "sounds too final". The characters in this film would have spoken German, and the German expression "auf Wiedersehen" sounds much less final than the English equivalent. Like the French "au revoir" it translates roughly as "until we meet again", so I doubt if Elisabeth would have made this remark in real life.
That does not, however, necessarily mean that the film is entirely historically accurate. As played by Omar Sharif, Rudolf is a contradictory character, a strange mixture of liberal and libertine. In his public life he is the symbol of opposition to his more conservative father, the Emperor Franz Josef, and the advocate of enlightened, progressive policies. In his private life, however, he is a dissolute, alcoholic morphine-addicted womaniser with numerous mistresses; his marriage to the Belgian princess Stephanie is miserably unhappy. There is, in fact, some historical evidence to support this view of Rudolf's character, but the political background to his suicide seems to be an invention of the film-makers. Rudolf allows himself to become drawn into a treasonable attempt to dethrone his father as King of Hungary; his motivation is partly the chance to put his liberal ideals into practice, but mostly the thought that as monarch of an independent country he will be able to divorce Stephanie and marry Maria, something that his father has always refused to countenance. (After the Ausgleich of 1867, which granted Hungary self-government within the Empire, most Hungarians were in fact satisfied with the Dual Monarchy and would not have wished to replace Franz Josef as their king, especially if the rival candidate for the throne were a divorcée, something which would not have been acceptable in a predominantly Catholic nation).
None of the leading actors seem altogether believable, the worst offender being, surprisingly, Catherine Deneuve; one would not believe from her withdrawn, passionless interpretation of the role that Maria is a woman so desperately in love that she is willing to die for, and together with, her beloved. Omar Sharif tries harder to make something of Rudolf but without much success. James Mason as Franz Josef often looks as though he wishes he were somewhere else altogether, playing the King (in the words of the old joke) as though someone else had just played the Ace. Ava Gardner's performances during the sixties and seventies were rarely impressive; there were occasional exceptions, but "Mayerling", in which she plays the Empress Elisabeth, was not one of them. Only James Robertson Justice, who plays the Prince of Wales with gusto, makes any impression or shows much enthusiasm.
The film is attractive to look at, with lovingly re-created late Victorian interiors and costumes, but it is overlong and lacking in movement; it would have been improved by editing to make it at least half an hour shorter. 5/10
Some goofs. The Prince of Wales states that his mother is eighty-five years old. At the time of Rudolf's death in January 1889, Queen Victoria was actually sixty-nine years old. She never lived to be eighty-five, dying in 1901 at the age of eighty-one. Franz Josef refers to Marie Antoinette as his great-aunt; she was actually his great-great-aunt, being the sister of his great-grandfather the Emperor Leopold. Elisabeth says that she never says "goodbye" because it "sounds too final". The characters in this film would have spoken German, and the German expression "auf Wiedersehen" sounds much less final than the English equivalent. Like the French "au revoir" it translates roughly as "until we meet again", so I doubt if Elisabeth would have made this remark in real life.
Nice cinematography but history is given a rough ride.
dbdumonteil24 February 2002
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.
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.
Those Forever Echoing Shots From that Hunting Lodge
theowinthrop30 November 2010
Warning: Spoilers
History is so full of questions - what if such and such occurred, or if so and so had lived and not died, or if the weather had not been so bad on the date in question. There are all over the place, and Franklin Roosevelt dismissed this as "iffy" history. But people have hopes, dreams, and imaginations. Sometimes these run away with them.
On January 30, 1889 Crown Prince Rudolf Von Hapsburg of the Austro-Hungarian Empire was in his hunting lodge at Mayerling with his mistress Baroness Marie Vetsera. Rudolf was married to Stephanie, sister of King Leopold II of Belgium. They had a daughter, but were unable to have other children - such as a male child (Austria had a male only rule about its Emperors since the death of Maria Theresa, a co-ruler with her husband and later her son in the 18th Century). Rudolf therefore did not care about how his open affair with the Baroness affected his despised wife. However, the Vetseras were nouveau rich minor aristocracy, and it displeased the Emperor Franz Josef and the Empress Elisabeth ("Sisi"). The Emperor and his Prime Minister, Count Taafe, also wanted Rudolf to be more active in pursuing his regular duties at court and in the empire.
Rudolf was considered more liberal than the Emperor by many people. He may have been approached about taking the leadership of a separation movement from Hungary as potential King, but if he did nothing came of it.
That January day a shot rang out in the middle of the night. Some equerries ran to Rudolf's room but he answered the door and said nothing was wrong. Then, about six hours later, a second shot rang out. This time Rudolf was found with the top of his head blown off. Marie was dead from a shot in the skull too, but she was on her bed.
Mayerling (it helps that the scene of the tragedy sounds poetic) has been the subject of several films and television shows and many books. This writer uses the name as his nom-de-plume on another website. There is a fascination with that tragedy - one can see it as that of two young people who died rather than give each other up due to a demanding father. One can see it as the end of the hopes of liberalism in the old Austro-Hungarian Emprire. One even has a sense of the richness of the royal families of Europe in 1889 by the setting in that lodge. It is open to so many interpretations or feelings.
The 1936 film with Danielle Darrieux and Charles Boyer is the better version, but this 1968 version with Catherine Deneuve and Omar Sharif is actually quite good. It takes the view that Rudolf was a potential reformer and liberal, and that the reactionaries spurred on the events that led to the deaths. Franz Josef (James Mason) is shown hand-in-glove with the reactionaries (even screaming about Rudolf's friendliness with Jews), and not sympathetic about the need his son might have for Maria's companionship (given the really unlikeable Stephanie). Rudolf tries to make a deal - as an inspector general for the army checking out army weaponry and maneuvers. But nobody pays attention to him. The result is a total collapse of spirit leading to his suicide pact.
He does try to escape with Maria. Bertie, Prince of Wales (James Robertson Justice) is visiting - can Rudolf and Maria flee to England for diplomatic immunity? But Bertie knows the drill - when you are finished enjoying yourself go back home to the wife and mother (Alexandra and Victoria). He also knows that the brouhaha of giving shelter to Rudolf and his mistress would not sit well with Lord Salisbury's government, or the government of Germany (Austria's ally) under Otto Von Bismarck.
So the film ends with that final suicide, although to enhance the romance the dying Rudolf grabs the hand of his dead lover as a last snub at his father.
Was it like that? My romantic side wishes it was. But the evidence shows Rudolf was a weakling, who played with liberalism but really did not believe in it. Franz Josef (a hard working monarch, with his own side-friendship with actress Katherine Schratt) always mourned his wayward son, but he was ashamed of Rudolf's cowardice - what always bothered the old emperor was that Rudolf took six hours to turn his pistol on himself after shooting Maria. He could not make up his mind of doing the honorable thing (completing the suicide pact) or fleeing. Rudolf was a coward to the end.
On January 30, 1889 Crown Prince Rudolf Von Hapsburg of the Austro-Hungarian Empire was in his hunting lodge at Mayerling with his mistress Baroness Marie Vetsera. Rudolf was married to Stephanie, sister of King Leopold II of Belgium. They had a daughter, but were unable to have other children - such as a male child (Austria had a male only rule about its Emperors since the death of Maria Theresa, a co-ruler with her husband and later her son in the 18th Century). Rudolf therefore did not care about how his open affair with the Baroness affected his despised wife. However, the Vetseras were nouveau rich minor aristocracy, and it displeased the Emperor Franz Josef and the Empress Elisabeth ("Sisi"). The Emperor and his Prime Minister, Count Taafe, also wanted Rudolf to be more active in pursuing his regular duties at court and in the empire.
Rudolf was considered more liberal than the Emperor by many people. He may have been approached about taking the leadership of a separation movement from Hungary as potential King, but if he did nothing came of it.
That January day a shot rang out in the middle of the night. Some equerries ran to Rudolf's room but he answered the door and said nothing was wrong. Then, about six hours later, a second shot rang out. This time Rudolf was found with the top of his head blown off. Marie was dead from a shot in the skull too, but she was on her bed.
Mayerling (it helps that the scene of the tragedy sounds poetic) has been the subject of several films and television shows and many books. This writer uses the name as his nom-de-plume on another website. There is a fascination with that tragedy - one can see it as that of two young people who died rather than give each other up due to a demanding father. One can see it as the end of the hopes of liberalism in the old Austro-Hungarian Emprire. One even has a sense of the richness of the royal families of Europe in 1889 by the setting in that lodge. It is open to so many interpretations or feelings.
The 1936 film with Danielle Darrieux and Charles Boyer is the better version, but this 1968 version with Catherine Deneuve and Omar Sharif is actually quite good. It takes the view that Rudolf was a potential reformer and liberal, and that the reactionaries spurred on the events that led to the deaths. Franz Josef (James Mason) is shown hand-in-glove with the reactionaries (even screaming about Rudolf's friendliness with Jews), and not sympathetic about the need his son might have for Maria's companionship (given the really unlikeable Stephanie). Rudolf tries to make a deal - as an inspector general for the army checking out army weaponry and maneuvers. But nobody pays attention to him. The result is a total collapse of spirit leading to his suicide pact.
He does try to escape with Maria. Bertie, Prince of Wales (James Robertson Justice) is visiting - can Rudolf and Maria flee to England for diplomatic immunity? But Bertie knows the drill - when you are finished enjoying yourself go back home to the wife and mother (Alexandra and Victoria). He also knows that the brouhaha of giving shelter to Rudolf and his mistress would not sit well with Lord Salisbury's government, or the government of Germany (Austria's ally) under Otto Von Bismarck.
So the film ends with that final suicide, although to enhance the romance the dying Rudolf grabs the hand of his dead lover as a last snub at his father.
Was it like that? My romantic side wishes it was. But the evidence shows Rudolf was a weakling, who played with liberalism but really did not believe in it. Franz Josef (a hard working monarch, with his own side-friendship with actress Katherine Schratt) always mourned his wayward son, but he was ashamed of Rudolf's cowardice - what always bothered the old emperor was that Rudolf took six hours to turn his pistol on himself after shooting Maria. He could not make up his mind of doing the honorable thing (completing the suicide pact) or fleeing. Rudolf was a coward to the end.
Speculative Tragedy
bkoganbing28 November 2010
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.
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.
Spectacular and colorful adaptacion based on the sad romance between Crown Prince Rudolf of Hapsburg and Baroness Maria Vetsera
ma-cortes2 March 2020
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 .
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 .
Better watch the 1936 version
jjp19 December 1999
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.
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.
Beautiful movie
robman-51 December 2001
This movie is perhaps one of the most beautiful movies I have ever seen-both literally and figuratively! I've never seen a more beautifully photographed movie. The use of location settings and outdoor photography is second to none. The costumes and settings show that the producers obviously didn't skimp on quality. They're breathtaking and almost rate their own review. Aesthetically I can't remember the last time I saw such a beautiful film. Dramatically it drags a bit at times but overall is a very compelling tale, made all the more poignant because it is based on events that actually took place. Omar Sharif and Catherine Deneuve are remarkable as the doomed lovers. Their final scene together, as they talk while she's falling asleep is magnificent. It's obvious why Deneuve has had such a love affair with the camera over the years. She's absolutely flawlessly photographed(no other woman with the exception of the late Sharon Tate even comes close). You can see why a man would be driven to give up an empire for her. As an added bonus the great Ava Gardner came out of semi-retirement to play Sharif's mother and gives this movie an added touch of class(not that it needed any more). If you're a fan of costume dramas or doomed love stories then this movie is for you. Quite simply it combines the best elements of both genres. A treat.
Costume epic that lacks heart
xredgarnetx10 January 2007
Reading about the Crown Prince character in THE ILLUSIONIST, I discovered he was based on a real-life individual who became the basis for not one but two movie versions, both called MAYERLING. This revelation immediately brought back memories of this lushly filmed love story from 1968, a richly detailed costume drama starring Omar "Dr. Zhivago" Sharif and the beautiful but incredibly icy Catherine Deneuve. The story ends in horrible tragedy, which is also based on real events. Clearly, the filmmakers of this 1968 version of the tale were trying to recreate the huge success of David Lean's 1965 masterpiece "Dr. Zhivago." In this, they failed utterly. You may shed tears by the end, but you also will discover a film that lacks the heart of the film it attempted to emulate. It is easy to state that Deneuve was the wrong choice to play the love interest, and it is a no-brainer to see that director Terence Young, best known for early James Bond films, will never be mistaken for David Lean. It's like comparing Steven Spielberg to Stanley Kubrick. It can't be done.
A little on the slow side
HotToastyRag15 January 2022
If you don't the classic story of Mayerling, you're in for quite the tumultuous drama. I'd already seen the Audrey Hepburn and Mel Ferrer version, which although was a lesser production, had more meaning behind it. The leads were really in love, so you could easily root for them and believe they'd do anything to be together.
In this 1968 remake, Omar Sharif and Catherine Deneuve don't have much chemistry together. He has more chemistry with Ava Gardner, who plays his stepmother; no doubt there was supposed to be some incestuous innuendos on her end. It is in Technicolor, and you'll get to see some beautiful ballgowns and sets, but it's a little on the slow side. Ava and Catherine look very pretty, and Omar has some wonderful expressions through his perpetually dewy eyes, but if you have a tendency to get bored, this isn't the love story for you. Plus, who wants to see James Mason looking so frumpy? Fans of Romeo and Juliet or Tristan and Isolde will be swept up by the romance, but I'll stick with Doctor Zhivago when I want to see Omar fall in love with a blonde.
In this 1968 remake, Omar Sharif and Catherine Deneuve don't have much chemistry together. He has more chemistry with Ava Gardner, who plays his stepmother; no doubt there was supposed to be some incestuous innuendos on her end. It is in Technicolor, and you'll get to see some beautiful ballgowns and sets, but it's a little on the slow side. Ava and Catherine look very pretty, and Omar has some wonderful expressions through his perpetually dewy eyes, but if you have a tendency to get bored, this isn't the love story for you. Plus, who wants to see James Mason looking so frumpy? Fans of Romeo and Juliet or Tristan and Isolde will be swept up by the romance, but I'll stick with Doctor Zhivago when I want to see Omar fall in love with a blonde.
..beautiful film..
fimimix23 January 2008
Warning: Spoilers
"Mayerling" is the technicolor-version of "Marie Antoinette", although the gorgeous gowns worn by the ladies are not nearly as sumptuous. Of course, Empress Therese produced many females to wed-off to all the royal courts of Europe. In fact, Empress Victoria (England) was sent to rule there as a teenager ! I only read one user's mention of Marie Antoinette; the early BW version (starring Norma Shearer) displays the opulence royal families led in their icy palaces.
Dirctor Terence Young did a splendid job of getting all the right ingredients together for this love-story (script by Michel Arnold). As several users have pointed-out, history was a minor one: many fictional scenes in here, although they certainly contributed to the drama between Crown-Prince Rudolph (Omar Shariff) and "Maria" (Catherine Deneuve). This story is at the near-end of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, after 600 years of ruling.
Also as some users pointed-out, royal families (then) had little contact with their children - they were too busy being royal....primping and changing clothes so many times a day. Empress Elizabeth (Ava Gardner) portrayed that role with conviction. She did not like "court" life, and most likely wasn't that familiar with all of "Rudolph's" conspiring to take the throne from his father - Emperor Franz-Jospeh (James Mason). Politics then - even WITHOUT the TV-debates ! - was as notoriously corrupt as it is now. Some users mention the lovers' deaths could just as well have been assassinations. Myself, I thought the lovers had poisoned themselves, so I was shocked at the ending.
Many users mentioned how well James Robert Justice played "Edward, Prince of Wales". I thought the role was good, but Justice was much too physically large: "Wales" was well-known to skip off to Russia to visit with Czar Nicholos (they were often thought-of as being brothers), so he could openly cross-dress for the many court celebrations....seldom mentioned....
All-in-all, this is a very lush movie. Enjoy it for what you see on the screen. Pomp and circumstance certainly give our imaginations a lot of excitement, and this movie can be enjoyed by all. Bravo !
Dirctor Terence Young did a splendid job of getting all the right ingredients together for this love-story (script by Michel Arnold). As several users have pointed-out, history was a minor one: many fictional scenes in here, although they certainly contributed to the drama between Crown-Prince Rudolph (Omar Shariff) and "Maria" (Catherine Deneuve). This story is at the near-end of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, after 600 years of ruling.
Also as some users pointed-out, royal families (then) had little contact with their children - they were too busy being royal....primping and changing clothes so many times a day. Empress Elizabeth (Ava Gardner) portrayed that role with conviction. She did not like "court" life, and most likely wasn't that familiar with all of "Rudolph's" conspiring to take the throne from his father - Emperor Franz-Jospeh (James Mason). Politics then - even WITHOUT the TV-debates ! - was as notoriously corrupt as it is now. Some users mention the lovers' deaths could just as well have been assassinations. Myself, I thought the lovers had poisoned themselves, so I was shocked at the ending.
Many users mentioned how well James Robert Justice played "Edward, Prince of Wales". I thought the role was good, but Justice was much too physically large: "Wales" was well-known to skip off to Russia to visit with Czar Nicholos (they were often thought-of as being brothers), so he could openly cross-dress for the many court celebrations....seldom mentioned....
All-in-all, this is a very lush movie. Enjoy it for what you see on the screen. Pomp and circumstance certainly give our imaginations a lot of excitement, and this movie can be enjoyed by all. Bravo !
Austrian tragedy
Lejink22 January 2009
I didn't recognise this film when I saw it on the schedules but with an interest in the true-life story, I decided to watch it. From an era (late 60's, early 70's) when factual historical costume drama was all the rage ("A Man For All Seasons", "Waterloo", "Cromwell", "Nicolas & Alexandra"), "Mayerling" doesn't stray too far from the established template - lavish sets, beautiful costumes, on the plus side, overlong playing time and occasional portentousness and pretentiousness on the debit side.
Terence "name above the title" Young, marshals his forces well to create a sumptuous looking film which is unstinting in its recreation of the opulence of the Hapsburg Court (in one scene a palace interior is made into a paddock for horse-riding!) and also makes excellent use of the exteriors, both around the palace and a snow-bedecked countryside around the Mayerling cottage.
He does likewise with some heavyweight acting talent and gets excellent performances in support from James Mason as the grizzled Emperor, Ava Gardner as his wife, torn between deference to her husband the emperor and maternal devotion to her son, Genevieve Paige as a lively go-between cousin and ex-lover of Prince Rudolf and James Robertson-Justice who is the very spit of Edward Prince of Wales.
In the leads Omar Sharif fails to really convey the passion of his fling with his young Baroness, nor perhaps the final madness which drives him to their destruction but is solid and certainly manly enough in his various official uniforms. Catherine Deneuve after initially offering some pith is reduced to a doe-eyed sacrificial lamb by the tragic conclusion.
There are sub-plots involving interior and exterior (to Austria) politics, perhaps played up to further contribute to Rudolf's hopeless frame of mind, as well as passing themes of royal duty, family dynasty and the universal one of stern father and misunderstood son, but in truth these tend to distract from the central theme of the film which should have been the doomed love-affair. The dialogue is over-serious and predictable at times and many scenes are too long (particularly the encounter at the ballet) but this is a tragedy after all which might excuse the funereal pace at times and the grim final scene is unquestionably well executed (no pun intended).
The cinematography is excellent throughout, redolent of Lean at his best (there's even a Zhivago-type moment at the train station with Deneuve alighting from her train, her head beautifully framed by a fur hood), but perhaps the whole lacks the cohesiveness, impulse and insight into character that Lean might have delivered had he been at the helm. And beautiful as it is, Khatchaturian's featured music, suffers a little from over-familiarity and to that extent again is inferior to Zhivago which of course had Maurice Jarre's original soundtrack to its credit.
In the end, like the tragic Rudolf himself, if you can forgive the glibness, a noble failure of a movie, although one can't help one-self jumping forward in time some 50 years to when a British heir-apparent (Edward VIII,) torn between love and duty was able to safely abdicate a throne and live abroad in luxury with his lover, Wallis Simpson, Duchess of Windsor, without the need of a suicide pact...
Terence "name above the title" Young, marshals his forces well to create a sumptuous looking film which is unstinting in its recreation of the opulence of the Hapsburg Court (in one scene a palace interior is made into a paddock for horse-riding!) and also makes excellent use of the exteriors, both around the palace and a snow-bedecked countryside around the Mayerling cottage.
He does likewise with some heavyweight acting talent and gets excellent performances in support from James Mason as the grizzled Emperor, Ava Gardner as his wife, torn between deference to her husband the emperor and maternal devotion to her son, Genevieve Paige as a lively go-between cousin and ex-lover of Prince Rudolf and James Robertson-Justice who is the very spit of Edward Prince of Wales.
In the leads Omar Sharif fails to really convey the passion of his fling with his young Baroness, nor perhaps the final madness which drives him to their destruction but is solid and certainly manly enough in his various official uniforms. Catherine Deneuve after initially offering some pith is reduced to a doe-eyed sacrificial lamb by the tragic conclusion.
There are sub-plots involving interior and exterior (to Austria) politics, perhaps played up to further contribute to Rudolf's hopeless frame of mind, as well as passing themes of royal duty, family dynasty and the universal one of stern father and misunderstood son, but in truth these tend to distract from the central theme of the film which should have been the doomed love-affair. The dialogue is over-serious and predictable at times and many scenes are too long (particularly the encounter at the ballet) but this is a tragedy after all which might excuse the funereal pace at times and the grim final scene is unquestionably well executed (no pun intended).
The cinematography is excellent throughout, redolent of Lean at his best (there's even a Zhivago-type moment at the train station with Deneuve alighting from her train, her head beautifully framed by a fur hood), but perhaps the whole lacks the cohesiveness, impulse and insight into character that Lean might have delivered had he been at the helm. And beautiful as it is, Khatchaturian's featured music, suffers a little from over-familiarity and to that extent again is inferior to Zhivago which of course had Maurice Jarre's original soundtrack to its credit.
In the end, like the tragic Rudolf himself, if you can forgive the glibness, a noble failure of a movie, although one can't help one-self jumping forward in time some 50 years to when a British heir-apparent (Edward VIII,) torn between love and duty was able to safely abdicate a throne and live abroad in luxury with his lover, Wallis Simpson, Duchess of Windsor, without the need of a suicide pact...
Big bore
blanche-212 December 2010
"Mayerling" purports to be the story of Crown Prince Rudolf and his lover, the Baroness Vetsera, who died in a suicide pact at the Mayerling hunting lodge in 1889. It has an amazing international cast: Omar Sharif, Catherine Denueve, James Mason, Ava Gardner, Genevieve Page, and James Robertson Justice. Which just goes to show you that an all-star cast doesn't make a great movie. You need a script and some direction for that.
In the '60s, these grand period pieces were all the rage. "Mayerling" is highly fictionalized, full of events that never took place. What actually happened at Mayerling is a mystery, so we'll never know about that. The unhappy Rudolf, left out of anything political by his father, drinks and womanizes. When he meets Maria Vetsera, she falls madly in love with him and (supposedly) he with her, but he is ordered by his father to end the affair. The two enter into a suicide pact at the family hunting lodge.
Rudolf, in fact, is a weak man, and it allegedly took him six hours to shoot himself after killing Maria. But no one has any idea what went on - there have been stories of murder as well, and when Maria's body was stolen, when the body was identified, it was shown that she had died from a blow to her head and no gunshot wound was found.
Director Terence Young has done some marvelous work, including Wait Until Dark, but something went amiss here. The film moves very slowly and is totally lacking in anything that would help the viewer invest in any of the characters. There are glorious production values and sex but a coldness about it. Sharif and Deneuve give stilted performances, and Mason and Gardner don't have much to do. James Robertson Justice and Genevieve Page are very good.
On a side note, Gardner plays Rudolph's mother, "Sisi," who to this day is the Princess Diana of Austria. She's everywhere, and a popular subject of musicals and films targeted to European audiences.
In the '60s, these grand period pieces were all the rage. "Mayerling" is highly fictionalized, full of events that never took place. What actually happened at Mayerling is a mystery, so we'll never know about that. The unhappy Rudolf, left out of anything political by his father, drinks and womanizes. When he meets Maria Vetsera, she falls madly in love with him and (supposedly) he with her, but he is ordered by his father to end the affair. The two enter into a suicide pact at the family hunting lodge.
Rudolf, in fact, is a weak man, and it allegedly took him six hours to shoot himself after killing Maria. But no one has any idea what went on - there have been stories of murder as well, and when Maria's body was stolen, when the body was identified, it was shown that she had died from a blow to her head and no gunshot wound was found.
Director Terence Young has done some marvelous work, including Wait Until Dark, but something went amiss here. The film moves very slowly and is totally lacking in anything that would help the viewer invest in any of the characters. There are glorious production values and sex but a coldness about it. Sharif and Deneuve give stilted performances, and Mason and Gardner don't have much to do. James Robertson Justice and Genevieve Page are very good.
On a side note, Gardner plays Rudolph's mother, "Sisi," who to this day is the Princess Diana of Austria. She's everywhere, and a popular subject of musicals and films targeted to European audiences.
NON-FICTION OR OTHERWISE, A LOVELY FILM!
info-27526 August 2004
The dashing Omar Sharif was born to be a crown-prince, or at least look the part to perfection (is he of royal Egyptian blood?), while Catherine Deneuve takes your breath away in every scene she's in, most notably as they watch "Giselle" at the theater. An Oedipus complex is hinted at here, and I suppose not all sons (not even only sons!) kiss their mothers on the lips (or it could be an Austrian thing, who knows?). But given his lifestyle of high living, promiscuity and dalliances with radical politics, coupled by an addiction to morphine and the off-chance of insanity in the blood, I don't think the end was as bittersweet and romantic as the movie portrayed it to be. No doubt the prince was a depressed, politically-impotent man who saw no promise in a future which included a loveless marriage, a domineering father and a mother who was never there--no big deal to most, but this was an only child used to getting his way most of the time. I'm sure Maria Vetsera, practically a child in love for the first time, was only too flattered to have been chosen by the prince to die with him. All in the name of love, of course.
Historically flawed but very romantic
mystery_angel27 July 2011
I have lately been on an Omar Sharif binge. Mayerling is his third movie that I have seen these past few weeks. My mother was a fan of this movie. I never understood why. Now that I am old enough myself I understand the appeal of Mayerling. The sets are opulent. The cinematography is wonderful. And oh my were Omar Sharif and Catherine Deneuve beautiful! They looked incredible together! Although Deneuve's acting lacks a certain passion I felt Omar Sharif's performance, especially in the last scene, was quite touching. James Mason didn't have enough to do despite playing the character of the emperor. Ava Gardner looked older than her age. The sexual content and nudity, though tame by today's standards, is a bit crude. I have watched this movie three times and each time by the end of the movie I am shamelessly crying. Of course such love does not exist in real life but this kind of movies make one wish that it did.
Can't recommend this.
stumpmee7710 January 2005
Watch the 1936 version. As personally annoying I find Charles Boyer's voice, he's more of a match to pay cosmopolitan, depressed Rudolf--I mean Omar Sharif tries but, no--too cute and vibrant. Catherine Denueve (sp) besides being too old looks nothing like Marie--nothing! She looks too sophisticated to even think of dying for love of this man in such a fashion.
The only actor in the entire movie who conveys the role they're playing is Ava Gardner whose appearance as Empress Elisabeth on the screen is fittingly brief (and look up pictures of the empress there's more than a passing resemblance) as historically, Empress Elisabeth wasn't involved that much in Rudolf's life.
The only actor in the entire movie who conveys the role they're playing is Ava Gardner whose appearance as Empress Elisabeth on the screen is fittingly brief (and look up pictures of the empress there's more than a passing resemblance) as historically, Empress Elisabeth wasn't involved that much in Rudolf's life.
Do You Know Your Genealogy?
berberian00-276-690855 November 2013
As non-German speaking member of the European Commonwealth I want to make statement on the common, I presume, genealogical heritage of all Europeans. The cultural issues from the movie "Mayerling" (1968) lay as background only to much more important problems of today. I am worried to think that the still actualized division of Europe into Western and Eastern compartments could reflect unbeneficial to whatever meaningful strategy in the future. The only common denominator for this division is the existence of Nuclear Power Plants of Soviet Union design (formerly) in this geographical region from Central Europe to the Black Sea aquatorial zone. But do we know our common history, and think about it, do Americans divide their United States to Western and Eastern parts? Or do Turkey contemplate to remain a buffer zone between Europe and Middle East solely because global politicians couldn't devise a mechanism to measure the extent of cryto-Christianity in these countries?
I talk now for the film "Mayerling" (1968) and then for its forbearing, the Holy Roman Empire. The plot is trivial enough to deserve attention which is a suicide attempt of Crown Prince Rudolf of Austria and his lover Mary Vetsera, played by Omar Sharif and Catherine Deneuve. Sharif performs brilliantly in another historical personages of his acting career (he played in "Genghis Khan" (1965), "Che!" (1969) and as Sultan Hassan in "Harem" (1986)). I look forward to find the two-part movie under Henri Verneuil's directorship about the Armenian Genocide - "Mayrig" (1991) and "588 Rue Paradis" (1992), dubbed in English since I don't understand the original French soundtrack. So also the titular movie present Emperor Franz-Josef (played by James Mason, the longest ruling Monarch in European History with 68 years reign 1848-1916) and Empress Elizabeth of Bavaria (played by Ava Gardner, recognized as the most beautiful women of 19th century). Mayerling locations were shot in Boulogne Studio in France which depicted the Habsburg Palaces and its environment as exact replica of the reality. Not many people now-a-days know that Paris and Vienna were the two utmost achievements of Baroque Architecture in Middle Ages!
I also made effort to trace the origin of Bulgarian kingship in Modern Times. It stems from Franz Frederick, Duke of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld, and Sophie of Saxe-Hildburghausen which had 10 children from the lineage House of Wettin, Saxony. Their descendants established ruling houses in Belgium, United Kingdom, Portugal and Bulgaria. Son Leopold ruled as Leopold I of the Belgians. Male-line great-grandson reigned as Edward VII of the United Kingdom. Another grandson reigned as king Ferdinand II of Portugal. Leopold I of Belgium's daughter was Empress Carlota of Mexico. Furthermore, the great-grandson and nephew of Ferdinand II of Portugal ruled as Ferdinand I of Bulgaria.
I talk now for the film "Mayerling" (1968) and then for its forbearing, the Holy Roman Empire. The plot is trivial enough to deserve attention which is a suicide attempt of Crown Prince Rudolf of Austria and his lover Mary Vetsera, played by Omar Sharif and Catherine Deneuve. Sharif performs brilliantly in another historical personages of his acting career (he played in "Genghis Khan" (1965), "Che!" (1969) and as Sultan Hassan in "Harem" (1986)). I look forward to find the two-part movie under Henri Verneuil's directorship about the Armenian Genocide - "Mayrig" (1991) and "588 Rue Paradis" (1992), dubbed in English since I don't understand the original French soundtrack. So also the titular movie present Emperor Franz-Josef (played by James Mason, the longest ruling Monarch in European History with 68 years reign 1848-1916) and Empress Elizabeth of Bavaria (played by Ava Gardner, recognized as the most beautiful women of 19th century). Mayerling locations were shot in Boulogne Studio in France which depicted the Habsburg Palaces and its environment as exact replica of the reality. Not many people now-a-days know that Paris and Vienna were the two utmost achievements of Baroque Architecture in Middle Ages!
I also made effort to trace the origin of Bulgarian kingship in Modern Times. It stems from Franz Frederick, Duke of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld, and Sophie of Saxe-Hildburghausen which had 10 children from the lineage House of Wettin, Saxony. Their descendants established ruling houses in Belgium, United Kingdom, Portugal and Bulgaria. Son Leopold ruled as Leopold I of the Belgians. Male-line great-grandson reigned as Edward VII of the United Kingdom. Another grandson reigned as king Ferdinand II of Portugal. Leopold I of Belgium's daughter was Empress Carlota of Mexico. Furthermore, the great-grandson and nephew of Ferdinand II of Portugal ruled as Ferdinand I of Bulgaria.
Lumbering
JasparLamarCrabb26 November 2010
Warning: Spoilers
Omar Sharif is Archduke Rudolf, the scoundrel heir to the Austo-Hungary empire whose love for Maria Vetsera spelled his doom. The fact that Catherine Deneuve plays Vetsera will help you to understand how that could happen. Beyond some great chemistry between the two stars, there's very little to recommend in this dull film. Though set against the backdrop of Austria at a time of intense unrest (the early stages in the dissolution of the Habsburg monarchy), director Terence Young does not exploit that intrigue in the least. Instead the film is lumbering when it should be exciting. The acting is very uneven. Sharif is fine but Deneuve seems very distant. As the walrus mustached Franz Joseph I, James Mason is wasted and Ava Gardner, as his wife, shows up in a few scenes encouraging Sharif's obsession with Deneuve. On the plus side, there's James Robertson-Justice, excellent as a wily Prince of Wales and Genvieve Page as Sharif's matchmaking cousin. The cinematography by Henri Alekan is stunning. Written by three people, including Young.
Mayerling is a stunningly beautiful romance.
LHaywood12 January 2005
If you want history go and do a degree. This movie is pure romantic escapism. The locations are authentic and magnificent and so are the actors. Catherine Denuve and Omar Shariff are stunning as lovers. The movie sound track is wonderful, particularly 'the Spartagus.'I found it to be definitely a romantic overdose. I first saw it as a teenager on TV and it has stayed with me all those years. It belongs firmly in the Hisotrical drama category. Other similar movies are Anna Karenina, which was a BBC mini-series which screened in 1977; Waterloo Bridge with Vivien Leigh and Robert Taylor; Beau Brimmel with Elizabeth Taylor and Stewart Granger; Young Bess with Stewart Granger: Just to name a few.
As good an advert for Republicanism as you will ever see.......
ianlouisiana25 February 2006
Warning: Spoilers
As good an advert for republicanism as you're ever likely to see,"Mayerling"is an everyday story of royal folk in late nineteenth century Austria.Set during one of Europe's seemingly incessant internal turmoils it concerns itself with the Emperor Franz Joseph (Mr James Mason),his rebellious son,the Crown Prince Rudolf (Mr Omar Sharif)the Empress(Miss Ava Gardner) and various mistresses,secret policemen,spies,extravagantly-uniformed popinjays,gypsies,dancers,wives, soldiers,swans,horses and the bizarre inbred web of European royalty at the time of Franz Joseph's Austro-Hungarian Empire. Filmed in what the old movie posters used to call "A Riot of Color" it resembles nothing more than an expensively-dressed but intellectually-challenged production of "The Student Prince" .Mr James Mason,wearing a very natty little white number,utilises his all-purpose mittel-European accent whenever he remembers.I am a great admirer of his and I sincerely hope the remuneration was comensurate with the distaste he clearly felt for the character he was playing. Mr Omar Sharif,who built a career largely founded on looking directly at the camera with his big brown eyes and looking soulful,gives a stupefyingly monotonous performance as his son the Crown Prince.He is utterly unconvincing as a man who -in the movie at least-cut a swathe through the distaff side of the Austrian aristocracy.With his well-buttered locks firmly in place he preens and poses in ever more unlikely uniforms.As a rebel he talks the talk but conspicuously fails to walk the walk,leaving a bottom button undone on one of his tunics is about as far as his defiance goes.Unhappily married,he falls in love with a commoner."Forbidden Love" is one of the movie's come-ons.As she is played by the most uncommon Miss Catherine Deneuve he is scarcely pushing the envelope there.Miss Deneuve has a profile to die for and we see rather a lot of it,particularly in the sequence set at the ballet. Now I love ballet as much as the next man,but this sequence does seem to go on for an excessive amount of time,a more cynical critic might consider it to be "padding". Rudolf's mother,the Empress is played by Miss Ava Gardner.She gives the part some good old American oooomph,making her a bit like "Auntie Mame",but it's done with undeniable style.Rudolf is certainly very fond of his mother - I'll put it no more strongly than that. The only performance worth watching is that of Mr James Robertson Justice as Sir Lancelot Spratt - sorry,Edward,Prince of Wales.He is so wonderfully unconcerned about everything going on around him it's a joy to behold.I waited vainly for him to ask Rudolf the immortal question "What's the bleeding time?". I am not qualified to dispute "Mayerling" 's historical accuracy,but,in my opinion,everything else about it is risible. It is a Ruritanian Opera Buffa without the tunes to send you home from the theatre whistling.
what i would say
timmslizzie2 June 2002
The Crown Prince Rudolph and Baroness Maria Vetsera are brilliantly played in this motion picture.i highly recommend it to anyone interested in late 19th century Austro-Hungarian history. But bear in mind that the movie, although marvellously done, was based on Anet's book, which is a novel based on the story of what actually happened, so there will be some anomalies, and scenes which did not actually take place. But it is a fantastic movie, Mason's portrayal of the Emperor Franz is particularly superb. I have been trying to locate this movie but I cannot find it available anywhere for purchase, anyone who knows how, please contact me.
The tragedy of Mayerling is discovered by each new generation, and with each of those generations, the mystery of it becomes unsolved again. It continues to fascinate everyone who has delved into it, and I am no exception to this. The movie is a marvellous introduction to those discovering Mayerling, but it could be misleading for those looking into it for the first time, from a research point of view. I recommend it particularly to those who know more about the Tragedy, so they can appreciate its brilliance as a movie, and learn the exact historical facts for themselves. With compliments, elisabeth, uk.
The tragedy of Mayerling is discovered by each new generation, and with each of those generations, the mystery of it becomes unsolved again. It continues to fascinate everyone who has delved into it, and I am no exception to this. The movie is a marvellous introduction to those discovering Mayerling, but it could be misleading for those looking into it for the first time, from a research point of view. I recommend it particularly to those who know more about the Tragedy, so they can appreciate its brilliance as a movie, and learn the exact historical facts for themselves. With compliments, elisabeth, uk.
Splendid acting, sets, script. Wonderful movie.
xena-not13 December 1998
Omar Sharif and Catherine Deneuve were both so splendid and believable in their roles. The sets were superb. The script and acting were top drawer. Part of the pathos of the movie is that it was based on a true story. Seldom is it hard for me to find a drawback to a movie. This movie is one well worth seeing more than once. It was hard to find the video, but I did, and purchased it immediately. History buffs will be enthralled. Romantics will be satiated. Just can't say enough in praise of the movie.
More gorgeous than the Boyer version
patrick.hunter21 September 2000
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.
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.
conventional romance
Vincentiu3 January 2015
the only sin about Mayerling is the expectation of viewer. because it is only a conventional romance. not profound, not convincing, only beautiful but that is just a detail. a film for fans of actors and for a lot of romanticism from public and solid information about empire situation for be ready to admire a sort of sketch about poor Rudolph and his bitter love story. Mayerling could not represent a real surprise; it is part from a wave who use history as vehicle for noble intentions, impressive budget, nice costumes and precise target who has always the nostalgia of fairy tales flavor. so, nothing special. because it is only a film about a subject from pink novels far by its roots or real signification.
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