Damned, The (widescreen)

At an exclusive lakeside resort, the wild party went on all night. Germany's most powerful leaders were consumed in an orgy of decadence and debauchery. It was June 30, 1934-the infamous "Night of the Long Knives", when armed S.S. troops annihilated the rival Nazi faction of Ernst Roehm's. Against this nightmarish historical background, Luchino Visconti weaves his overwhelming masterpiece of a great family's decline and degradation: The Damned. Bogarde's magnificent performance is brilliantly backed by an all-star international cast, including Ingrid Thulin as Bruckmann's lover and accomplice Sophie and Helmut Griem as the S.S. officer who wields the power behind Bruckmann's throne. Young Helmut Berger makes his starring debut as the depraved Martin von Essenbeck - in Berger's words,..."a flower of evil in full bloom". Director Visconti approached his intricate, perverse family chronicle as a parallel to Germany's bitter pre-war experience. Beautifully photographed and designed, with a fine score by two-time Academy Award winner Maurice Jarre, The Damned is an extraordinary viewing experience. � Warner Bros. Inc.