LAustrian actor Helmut Berger he died on May 18 in Salzburg. He was 78 years old. Unforgettable movie stars such as The Fall of the Gods, Ludwig And The garden of the Finzi-Continis, is also known to have been the life partner of Luchino Visconti. It was the director, in fact, who discovered his artistic talent. And, in their encounter, feeling and cinema are mixed.
Helmut Berger, the most beautiful man in the world
Deep gaze, angelic features, Helmut Berger was for years considered by the public the most beautiful man in the world. It is no coincidence that, very young, after leaving Austria to move to Italy, he exploited his image by starting to work as a model. In the meantime he studies at the University of Perugia. But fashion is just a parenthesis in his life. In 1964, during the filming of Vague stars of Ursa, meets Luchino Visconti. And it was he who started him on his film career.
The bond with Luchino Visconti
Indeed, thanks to the director, Helmut Berger achieved fame and success. In 1969 he starred in The fall of the Gods becoming one of the most appreciated actors of the star system. But their relationship goes beyond the movie set. Between the director and the actor begins an intense love story which will continue until Visconti’s death in 1976. «I became a widower at 32Helmut Berger will say after saying goodbye to his life partner. And, just after the director’s death, it begins for him a period of recklessness, between depression, alcohol and drugs. It is no coincidence that by many he is remembered as the “Devil with the face of an angel”.
The carreer
Luchino Visconti was certainly the director to whom Helmut Berger’s career is linked. It was he who discovered him and made him a star. Under his direction, the actor worked in the famous Ludwig and in The Damned. But Helmut Berger’s fame is also linked to other films and directors. He was part of the cast of The garden of the Finzi-Continis by Vittorio De Sica, he worked with Tinto Brass in Salon Kitty, was part of The Godfather Part III by Francis Ford Coppola. He lived between excesses and unbridled freedom, carrying the label of beautiful and damned. After several health problems, she said goodbye to her film career in 2019.
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