Original subtitles

PART ll ONCE UPON A TlME l WAS

There's only one way to deal with a Prussian:

Tread on his toes till he understands us.

There's only one way to deal with a Prussian:

Tread on his toes till he understands us.

Where are the pussies?

He means the women in the famous gallery of beauties.

Who was that?

Crown Prince Frederick William of Prussia

in the summer of 1871.

Rhythm, everybody's got to dance to it...

Save me from these old women

with their cream cakes and moneybags.

l have belonged to youth and revolution since 1848.

l succeeded against the philistines, with my own theatre

and 6-hour performances,

in forming a 19th century musical underground.

Only when Niki de St. Phalle, Jim Dine,

Werner Schroeter, Magdalena Montezuma

and Ernst Fuchs produce the ''The Ring'' will l be free again.

And though it be my last wish,

may you see flying

over your empire

from rock to sea, your eagle.

May has come,

the trees are in leaf.

Whether there or here

you're feeling very queer from morning till night...

l,

Karl May,

have just heard from Winnetou

that in Buffalo Bill's western show

Sitting Bull

was accidentally shot dead

while the public roared with laughter.

Thanks to your specialised knowledge of Wagner's works

you know of the unfortunate capabilities

of your people.

You have lovely eyes.

You have lovely eyes.

lf only they could come together soon.

He does not love me.

What a lovely pair.

Fresh water from Bavaria.

lt's a rare thing.

She will hand me

the glass on my last journey

when all have abandoned me.

You write out the treaty of Bavaria's incorporation into the German Empire.

His Majesty is so busy.

Oh, unhappy strife

that turns Germany's will against Germany itself.

He is too honest.

What do treaties mean when there is no choice?

Who does he have? Who?

Marshal! Bismarck! Annex me.

Photo please,

with embrace.

Just like Hanover, Hesse etc.

What will you pay?.

lf you're going to do it, do it right.

And now for the proclamation:

No more politics from now on.

l can't hear it anymore!

l won't see anyone unless...

it is my bidding.

l'll bequeath all my castles and lakes,

after the violent death l shall choose for myself,

to the Bavarian national trust

so that the poorly endowed Office of Historical Monuments

can finish the other tasks

with the income

from my castles, 3 million a year,

which l

now

intend to build for 31 million

for the world and all of my friends.

They'll help to keep up the other extravagant buildings

of my Wittelsbach relatives,

with their success with the public.

That's his death sentence.

They'll never forgive him that.

MADAME BULYOWSKl REMEMBERS

MADAME BULYOWSKl REMEMBERS

What was he really like?

When l was in my dressing room

after a private performance for the King,

all alone...

a lackey came in and brought me a necklace

of diamonds and sapphires.

l thanked him,

but he said l had to thank the King in writing.

l was tired so l said that l would,

but he insisted l do it right away.

So l sat down

and, as usual, the lackey dictated my thanks.

Whether the King knew?.

Honestly,

he was the most grateful spectator l've ever had.

All sensuousness,

ideals,

sensibility,

not a movement throughout.

That's what makes art a divine service, makes the artist a priest,

and the stage a pulpit.

But l couldn't concentrate before the empty auditorium.

The contact between

audience and artist was missing;

the electric spark that

ignites in the presence of a very large audience

and springs

over to a very large audience

igniting the final strength.

And then l asked myself

if he actually existed.

Whether this

isn't our own invention,

created with a business sense

for our own glory.

That's all l can say about me, if you ask me about Ludwig.

HOW TWO HlSTORlCAL PHOTOS OF LUDWlG AND KAlNZ CAME ABOUT

HOW TWO HlSTORlCAL PHOTOS OF LUDWlG AND KAlNZ CAME ABOUT

You were snoring, Kainz.

Melchtal's speech again, please.

l'm tired. - Just once more,

as a favour to me.

l, the King, order you.

Go and get stuffed.

All right then.

PRAYER OF A FAlRY-TALE KlNG

PRAYER OF A FAlRY-TALE KlNG

Sacred oath

sworn on New Year's Eve, 1873.

ln the name of the King l swear.

l swear and pledge

by the sacred, pure seal of the royal lily,

that within the impenetrable, invulnerable balustrades

that enclose the King's bed,

in the course of the year which has just begun, as far as possible

to resist all temptation.

And as far as it is possible, to never give in,

neither in words or actions, not even in thought,

and in this way

cleanse myself of all imperfections inherent in human nature

and thus make myself worthier of the crown

God has endowed me with.

l should get out of the habit

as much as possible.

Never again lower my hands,

at least not before June 3rd.

Last embraces,

happily without kisses.

ln the name of the great King, for the last time, Richard,

definitely for the last time,

l will neither give in to sin or weaken,

God will help me.

Amen.

SLAUGHTERlNG THE KlNG

SLAUGHTERlNG THE KlNG

l,

Johannes Lutz,

son of a village schoolmaster,

owe everything to the King.

l am his official

and should have said years ago:

Majesty,

now stop,

we've got no more money.

There will be an accident if you keep this up.

But l didn't say it because it wasn't in my interest.

Now it gets dangerous.

lf l tender my resignation and he accepts,

l'll be thrown out and the opposition will get in.

Now l've got to act.

The King will have to go,

if Luitpold lets me act,

and he will let me act

if l help to make him regent.

So let's slaughter the King for his time has come.

But who shall do the deed?

Not even Bismarck knows the answer.

The monarchy is in danger.

We mustn't hesitate to use the Press.

The intellectuals must act too.

We'll have to arrest him.

l'm afraid there'll be some dirty washing.

l'm a scientist

and we need facts.

The monarchy is in danger

and the monarchy's all we have.

lt is our livelihood.

lf l'm questioned about the King, l'll report everything to him.

Then we'd better talk about the weather.

Lakai Hesselschwert,

King's orders; leave for London at once to borrow money from Rothschild

whatever the cost.

lmpossible. l've been trying to borrow from the King of Naples,

whatever the cost,

by order of the King.

WE ARE THE PEOPLE'S CONSClENCE

WE ARE THE PEOPLE'S CONSClENCE

What has really happened? The truth, of course, is out of the question.

Now nothing about homosexuality, masturbation, drugs,

teeth falling out or brutality?.

Our readers don't want that. Fine, we understand.

Just report about his money squandering,

we will do the rest.

So, exclusively for you,

4.5 million is the civil list,

debts 1884: 7.5 million.

One year later, 14 million.

Now in 1886 he's asking for 20 million

partly from houses of monarchy

or by burglary if necessary.

All for castles in which he and his lackeys reign.

We have no access.

He lives alone in a world full of servants

and extravagant expenses.

And what do we expect of him?

Not to build any more castles? No more private performances

at the opera?

No more paying for Wagner or Bayreuth?

ls he to move to the city?.

Shall he live alone in the royal court?

ls he to leave the mountains?

You're talking about our King!

Ludwig lives

for us, just as we have to live.

He lives a fairy-tale life for us.

He is our luxury.

He's just different.

He is our King!

Our King!

Do you want to kill what's best in us?

Do you want to force him to be like everyone else?

As we have to live...

Without him

our happiness is lost.

We are the people's conscience.

The principle of monarchy must not be violated.

Ludwig despises dogs, dislikes children,

or Hamlet, loves swans and peacocks.

Peacocks.

Think of the East, foreign workers, Turks.

He gave an opera singer costly jewellery

and didn't even sleep with her.

Are there any documents on how Bavaria joined the Empire?

After all, it affects the happiness of every citizen.

What percentage are you getting? - 30,000 a year from

the Guelph fortune.

Let's focus on how he handles his lackeys,

subjects, taxpayers.

He rules the country with a court of lackeys.

The nobility is powerless.

So is the Royal Family, the Church.

Crazy.

He sent a lackey riding on a donkey through the village with a sign round his neck:

''l am the King.''

Oh well,

if only he was an artist.

His successor, Prince Luitpold, is the best republic.

ls that enough?

WAGNER lS DEAD

WAGNER lS DEAD

TO DROWN, TO SlNK UNCONSClOUS, lNEFFABLE DELlGHT!

Those were his uncle's coronation robes.

King Otto of Bavaria.

What's the time?

lt's early, Your Majesty,

time for supper.

lt's nightfall already.

Did you see him?

He's wearing a mask

because he once saw me

in my socks,

holding my shoes in my hand.

He'll betray me

with notes from my waste basket.

l can't live without him.

He's made himself indispensable. That's a crime against the King!

Spit on Rutz three times

because he was base enough

to look at me,

to point at me!

So you really saw animals?

Yes?

Frogs?

lt's night

and everybody deceives me.

Kick that Haussler,

pull his ears,

bang his head on the wall,

tie his hands behind his back,

and three days without food.

Cabinet Secretary Ziegler requests an audience.

That social-democratic nonsense

in England and America should be stopped.

Didn't you hear something?

Noises?

l warn you, Hesselschwert!

Again,

disgrace!

Well at last Rutz's ears should be pulled!

Cabinet Secretary Ziegler

should be assassinated by bandits

in Bozen,

or at least given a good thrashing!

He's a part of it.

Once upon a time l was.

What time is it?

An editor got sentenced to 6 months

for writing that the King was mentally sick.

My assistant, Dr. Muller,

was in a strange mood.

He had to restrain himself

from shouting for joy when he heard he'd been chosen to attend the King.

Medically speaking, it's certainly

an impressive case. l had no choice.

l was under pressure from the

Viennese psycho-analytical school of Sigmund Freud and his colleagues.

Sociology, childhood theories etc.

l had to take steps to oppose them,

to act quickly, purely scientifically.

l had my own methods, of course.

Card-indexes, interrogations etc.

Besides, our holiday

was already planned

at Dr. Muller's in Franconia

to take care of an inheritance matter,

so Muller insisted on hurrying. Poor Ludwig.

Who could imagine

he'd end like that?

One example.

They say

that in Oberammergau,

shattered by the Crucifixion, he confessed:

''l, too, can see myself dying

nailed to the cross,

ogled, stabbed in my side,

with a crown of thorns on my head.''

lN THE NAME OF THE KlNG

lN THE NAME OF THE KlNG

7 courses, 40 litres of beer,

10 bottles of champagne, for 6 people.

The gentlemen have dined on the occasion of their honourable mission.

ln the name of the King...

lt is done.

You have come to arrest me.

lt's all just a question of money.

A few million and everything would be taken care of.

l mean,

l'd like to see anyone

declaring me insane then.

lncluding your payment Prof. Gudden, of course.

l want to dupe you.

What happens if l pay?.

Money's no problem for a king,

is it?

Your wars cost a lot more.

l'm a conservative who's failed

and you are progress.

But not for long; others will follow.

l'm a jurist, it is my nature.

ln the name of the King...

Let's stop this.

Blow up all my castles,

that's an order,

a legacy.

Alfons,

what do you think of the immortality of the soul?

You see?

l can't believe that nothing remains,

that nothing remains of what was.

Here's my watch,

my hatpin.

The cheque to pay off my misdeeds.

Bismarck advises me to flee.

They don't understand. l've nothing in common with them.

l am a king.

l've got to return. War Minister's orders.

Ask my uncle, the Prince Regent,

if he'll leave you with me.

He knows how much l love you.

You should order me

as a king,

my King.

Not your King,

l am the King.

Latest report from Munich:

They maintain there are red flags in the streets

and that our proclamation has been published

by the social democrats to confuse the people.

To keep calm, the first civic duty.

Poor Uncle Luitpold.

He has a terrible time trying to rule.

l had a dream.

During a performance of the ''Twilight of the Gods,''

the audience got up.

A lady stood up,

looked at me insolently,

and began to sing a song impromptu.

Disgusting.

THE KlNG lS DEAD. LONG LlVE THE REGENT

THE KlNG lS DEAD. LONG LlVE THE REGENT

The King is dead.

Committed suicide in Lake Starnberg.

Red flags in Munich.

A socialist proclamation on the walls of the residence.

You don't really believe that. - Majesty!

Fine,

so the King went bathing and lost his kingdom.

Majesty!

According to the constitution, you are now King.

Me?

Me?

Prince Luitpold, the Prince Regent, will reign until your death,

in your name.

Everybody out!

The King is dead!

Long live the King!

MAYR THE LACKEY ONCE MORE: WHAT WOULD WE BE WlTHOUT HlM

MAYR THE LACKEY ONCE MORE: WHAT WOULD WE BE WlTHOUT HlM

This is the original mask.

Actually l wanted to swear

but no offence meant. Beer, that's all l have to say.

But how could he hate beer? ln Bavaria!

He didn't know a thing about art.

Look at those fat women in Wagner's operas.

No grasp of the popular taste of the time.

But didn't we all live on him?

And not badly.

And we still do.

Listen,

l knew him,

that alone is enough.

Otherwise l'd have long since been forgotten.

Honestly,

lackey to a modern head of state...

just imagine that job!

But in those days with King Ludwig...

Hops and malt

our King preserve.

lncidentally,

after checking the bills

it was discovered

that the final total of debts

was only 13 million.

The very great number of visitors

to the King's castles even in the year of his death, 1886,

suggested the idea

of safeguarding this source of revenue,

despite the immediate disposal of the furniture and so on.

Alfons Weber, who on the night before King Ludwig's death

had received from him, together with some jewellery,

a cheque for 25,000 gold marks,

even had to give back two clasps,

one of which belonged to the Treasury.

And

he was paid off with 9,000 marks.

THE END OF A FAlRY-TALE KlNG

THE END OF A FAlRY-TALE KlNG

Here we go!

Quietly the day comes to an end

and the lights go out one by one

Hops and malt,

our King preserve!

Just as our Saviour rose again,

so he will return.

Just as our Saviour rose again,

so he will return.

Our Father in Heaven, give us this day our daily nostalgia

and comfort us in our homesickness

and deliver us from melancholy

for Thine is the madness

world without end. Amen.

REQUlEM FOR A VlRGlN KlNG

REQUlEM FOR A VlRGlN KlNG

SUBTlTLES: TlTELWERK SUPERVlSlON: ANNlE GROSSJOHANN