The Damned

The title, which refers to the fourth part of Richard Wagner’s Der Ring des Nibelungen, foreshadows the expressive, operatic nature of the film. Set in the 1930s, The Damned depicts the rise of the Nazi regime in Germany from the perspective of a family of wealthy German industrialists dallying with the totalitarian authorities. The story of their downfall is the starting point for depicting the decline of culture, which – unlike in The Leopard – is portrayed in a brutal, almost grotesque way. In this film, loved by Rainer Werner Fassbinder, Visconti explores sexual perversions and introduces elements of queer aesthetics. As an attempt to describe the origins of Nazism, The Damned remains an extremely inspiring work, as can be seen from the numerous contemporary theatrical adaptations of the script.

Robert Birkholc