It was said of him that he possessed "a special breed with a flying hint of mental dislocation." He was called the blond beast, the best Ludwig in the history of world cinema, the flower of evil. The beauty of this actor seemed delightful, but at the same time repulsive. It seems to have been specially created for the role of Ludwig II in the film of the same name and Martin von Essenbeck in the art-house tape "Death of the Gods". And even if Helmut Berger did not actually exist, it would be worth inventing!
Biography
Actor Helmut Berger was born on May 29, 1944 in Austria. True, then his surname was somewhat longer - Steinberger. From a small resort town called Bad Ischl, the family moved to Salzburg. Here Helmut studied at a college founded by the Franciscan monks. The family of the future actor was engaged in too mundane business - the hotel business. Young Berger was attracted by beauty, fashion and a carefree life, so the young man was not going to continue his father's work. In the quest to become an actor, Helmut was supported by his mother. Father, on the contrary, considered acting as stupidity.
Career
At the time of graduation from Salzburg College, Helmut was 18 years old. The young man was full of hopes and dreams. Therefore, it is not surprising that he decided to conquer the world. Berger started from Vienna. In the Austrian capital, he took acting lessons and studied English at the same time, trying to get rid of the annoying Austrian accent.
The path to world fame began with travel. Helmut lived for some time in Switzerland, from there he moved to France. England was next. The young man lingered only in Italy - here he entered the university, where he began to study Italian. On the way to his dream, Helmut did not refuse a single offer: he starred in TV commercials, was a fashion model in glossy fashion magazines, tried himself as an extra in a number of Italian films. And in 1964 the movie "Carousel" with Helmut Berger was released. The role was episodic, the novice actor was not even mentioned in the credits. By the way, 1964 became a special year for Helmut: at one of the fashion shows, the famous Italian director Luchino Visconti drew attention to the young model. He was simply amazed at the incredible beauty of the twenty-year-old Berger. Visconti was not even embarrassed by the age difference - the great filmmaker was 38 years older! Lukino invited Helmut to parties and literally filled up with gifts.
International renown
The dream has come true! Less than two years later, Berger had already begun to actively appear in Visconti. The first film was the film novel "The Witch, Burnt Alive", filmed in 1965. Of course, Helmut's appearance played a role, but the director was able to discern artistry and charisma in the young man. And he not only saw, but helped to develop these qualities and allowed the actor to conquer the world. The name "Helmut Berger" appeared on the pages of popular magazines immediately after the release of the film "Death of the Gods". Critics unanimously repeated: this actor was born for the film! The "blond beast" perfectly coped with the role of the villain Martin von Essenbeck, a geek from a glorious family of industrialists, "a flower of evil." The crazy success that Berger brought to the role of the heir to the German manufacturers was reinforced by another film novelty - Visconti's film Ludwig. Here Helmut reincarnated as King of Bavaria. And this reincarnation was simply amazing - looking at a man with a naive, albeit sick soul, no one doubted the intentions of the "ruler" to build a unique state in which harmony and beauty reigned.
Stunning acting, instant dissolution in the image - this is what Helmut Berger demonstrated on the set. Films with his participation brought the directors profit and fame. In Italy he worked with Vittorio De Sica, Florestano Vancini. It was filmed by Austrian director Otto Schenck, American Larry Pearce, Spaniard Jesus Franco and many others. The roles were not just successful - it was truly dizzying. They tried not to talk about this, but many believed that the reason for such success lies in the moral support of the Visconti.
Personal life
There was no antidote for the spell of the magnetic "flower of evil". And the first did not resist Luchino Visconti. The director was not the first man in Helmut's life, but he was the first person to whom feelings for whom could not be called a simple attraction. They walked along the Champs Elysees, traveled and were happy in their own way. After many years, Berger admits in his book: at first it was just a game of love, which eventually grew into a feeling of unreal power. The success of Helmuth was the main concern of the Visconti. It was he who literally forced the novice actor to continue his studies, read him a lot (for the most part, these were textbooks on art history), taught him Italian. Visconti introduced Berger to world stars - opera divas, conductors, composers and dancers. Luchino Visconti literally "created" Helmut - as Pygmalion Galatea. From the director, the actor learned to understand art, fell in love with music, painting and architecture.
Only one thing can be said about the relationship between Helmut and Lukino - they lived in perfect harmony. Their first and last quarrel occurred on the eve of the filming of Ludwig. Helmut secretly fled from Visconti to Kitzbühel, a popular ski resort. The reason why the director did not want to let Berger go was extremely serious - he feared that the actor would hurt himself something while skiing. To prevent possible problems, the director used power: the future Ludwig was literally taken off the mountain and returned back.
The last joint work of the lovers was the painting "Family portrait in the interior". She also turned out to be the last bright role of the actor. The death of Luchino Visconti was a real blow for Berger. She took him by surprise: the actor, on the advice of a loved one, flew to Rio de Janeiro. Having crossed the Atlantic, Hell (as the actor Visconti was called) met Florinda Bolkan and her brother. Their behavior seemed suspicious to Berger, but he was not immediately able to understand that these two were hiding something from him. Only a few hours later, Helmut Berger learned that Lukino had died. It is difficult to imagine how Helmut felt when he immediately lost his older friend, teacher and the love of his life. Later he will say: "The main tragedy of my life is that at 32 I was widowed." The first anniversary of Visconti's death was unbearable for Berger. On March 17, 1977, the actor took a lethal dose of sleeping pills. The housewife Maria saved him: sensing something was wrong, she arrived and found Helmut already unconscious. The doctors called by Maria managed to pull Berger out of the afterlife.
Career decline
The actor's fame rapidly declined. A handsome man with an Aryan appearance seemed to have lost his talent, and with it his exactingness in choosing new roles. He began appearing in low-quality films. It seemed that his bright star had sunk forever. Life also went downhill - Helmut began to drink, go on long spree. Of course, there were also attempts to live "normally": Hell even married an actress. True, this marriage turned out to be unsuccessful, although a child appeared from him. Life smiled at the actor once again - in the eighties, Helmut Berger reappeared on the screens. Roles in the television series "Dynasty" and "Fantomas", as well as an episode in "The Godfather", although they raised the rating, were still significantly inferior to previous works. Berger never again appeared in films in his former role.
Awards
1969 was marked by the fact that Hellmuth was nominated for a Golden Globe for his role in The Death of the Gods. Then this prestigious festival included the nomination "Best New Actor". The role of Ludwig II earned Berger the Italian national David di Donatello award. And in 2007 Helmut Berger was awarded the Teddy Award. Her Berlin Film Festival awards for those films that touch on the issues of sexual minorities.
