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Maximilian (miniseries)

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Maximilian
The film was partly filmed at Burg Kreuzenstein, which was rebuilt in the nineteenth century as a fictive residence for Maximilian by his great admirer, the Arctic explorer Count Johann Nepomuk Wilczek.[1]
Also known asMaximilian – Das Spiel von Macht und Liebe
GenreHistorical drama
Directed byAndreas Prochaska
Starring
Country of origin
  • Germany
  • Austria
Original languages
  • German
  • French
No. of seasons1
No. of episodes3
Production
EditorDaniel Prochaska
Production companiesMR Film
Beta Film
ORF
ZDF
Original release
Network
Release1 March (2017-03-01) –
3 March 2017 (2017-03-03)

Maximilian – Das Spiel von Macht und Liebe ("Maximilian: The Game of Power and Love"), released in the United States as Maximilian and Marie De Bourgogne or simply Maximilian, is a 2017 German-Austrian three-part historical miniseries. It is set in 1477, and stars Jannis Niewöhner as Maximilian I and Christa Théret as Mary of Burgundy.[2] It was directed by Andreas Prochaska.[3] It had its world premiere at the Urania movie theater in Vienna, then aired on the Austrian network ORF 1 in March 2017, and on the German network ZDF in October 2017. It was acquired and made available for streaming by American cable network Starz in April 2018.[4]

Plot

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When Charles the Bold, Duke of Burgundy, dies in battle, his heiress and only child Mary, intends to rule alone, despite being coveted by various suitors. Mary resists the rich Ghent burghers who, in cahoots with Louis XI of France, try to force her to marry the Dauphin Charles, a boy who is of a weak mentality and twelve years younger than her. Meanwhile, the Holy Roman Emperor Frederick III wants his son, Maximilian, to marry the duchess.

Witnessing her ministers being executed and her territories invaded by France, Mary decided to send her lady-in-waiting Johanna von Hallewyn to Maximilian with a message.

The young and warlike Maximilian despises his father's sluggishness and aversion to his enemies like the Hungarian King Matthias Corvinus. Although he was in love with his sister Kunigunde's lady-in-waiting Rosina von Kraig, ultimately he decided for the marriage as a chance to prove himself.

After overcoming many dangers, the prince and the duchess finally meet each other. The two find that they share many similarities and develop sympathy for each other. Johanna falls in love with Maximilian's close friend Wolfgang von Polheim, which temporarily give them some troubles because she's a married woman. Mary gives birth to a son, Philip. Maximilian defeats the invading French army at the Battle of Guinegate. Not long after this, they have a daughter. But at the height of their happiness, a fatal accident befalls Mary while the couple are hunting together, leaving Maximilian alone with the children.[5][6]

Principal cast

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Role Actor/Actress Voice
Maria von Burgund Christa Théret Sophie Rogall
Maximilian Jannis Niewöhner
Margareta von York Alix Poisson Carin C. Tietze
Johanna von Hallewyn Miriam Fussenegger
Wolfgang von Polheim Stefan Pohl
Philippe de Commynes Nicolas Wanczycki Torben Liebrecht
Olivier de la Marche Raphaël Lenglet Patrick Schröder
Olivier le Daim Thierry Pietra Matthias Kupfer
Ludwig XI. Jean-Hugues Anglade Martin Umbach
Dauphin Charles Max Baissette Angelo Ciletti
Charlotte de Savoie Sylvie Testud Alexandra Mink
Guy de Brimeu Yvon Back Thomas Wenke
Guillaume Hugonet André Penvern Erich Ludwig [de]
Anne de France Caroline Godard Vanessa Lill
Jeanne Melusine Mayance Laura Jenni
Adolf von Egmond Fritz Karl
Haug von Werdenberg Johannes Krisch
Ulrich Fugger the Elder Martin Wuttke
Matthias Corvinus Mark Zak
Kaiser Friedrich III Tobias Moretti
Physician Christian Strasser [de] Walter von Hauff

Production

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The series was filmed in a mix of French and German, with German-speaking actors (such as Niewöhner) speaking German and French-speaking actors (such as Théret) speaking French.[2]

The Austrian ORF broadcast the film immediately after filming, in December 2016, but ZDF waited ten months so that it could be broadcast on 3 October of the next year, the German Unity Day.[7][8]

The production of the film made use of "55 castles, palaces, cloisters and medieval streets, 3000 extras, 680 horses, 1050 costumes and 450 suits of armours".[9]


Reception

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The film has induced some discussions on historicity and the modern images of the main characters.

The German Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung criticizes the film for making Mary of Burgundy a proto-feminist character and opines that the viewers should be spared "the smut of a young man between two women", given that the marriage had been planned in details between the two families for a long time (according to historians such as Maximilian's prominent biographer Hermann Wiesflecker [de] though, at this time, the prince was actually in love with the lady-in-waiting Rosina von Kraig, and it was not easy for him to leave or forget her either, although later he did fall in love with Mary).[9][10][11] The critic Tilmann P. Gangloff [de] on the other hand praises the film for living up to its title "Game of love and power" and illustrating contemporary politics well, with good hints for modern problems.[6]

The art historian Koen Kleijn finds the movie impressive and wonders why this Austrian-German-Hungarian collaborative project gets broadcast in Finland, Russia, Italy, Denmark, and Spain, but not in the Netherlands where Mary of Burgundy was introduced into the Canon of the Netherlands in 2019, with part of the commission's explanation being cited as "Maria [Mary]'s Habsburg marriage determined the international position of the Netherlands for centuries." (a decision Kleijn is personally against, for "The only demonstrable significance of Mary of Burgundy [...] is that she willingly allowed herself to be married off by her father to an Austrian."; historians' evaluation of her person and reign has remained controversial until this day).[12]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ Buchinger, Günther; Oberhaidacher-Herzig, Elisabeth; Wais-Wolf, Christina (2017). Corpus vitrearum medii aevi: Österreich. Die mittelalterlichen Glasgemälde in Niederösterreich. Sammlungsbestände (ohne Stiftssammlungen), Burgenland (in German). Böhlau Verlag Wien. p. 4. ISBN 978-3-205-79644-2. Retrieved 4 February 2022.
  2. ^ a b Pickard, Michael (January 12, 2017). "Being Maximilian". Drama Quarterly.
  3. ^ "MAXIMILIAN AND MARIE DE BOURGOGNE". Kino Lorber.
  4. ^ Clarke, Stewart (April 9, 2018). "MipTV: Starz Moves for Major International Scripted Series Including Spanish Drama 'La Zona' (EXCLUSIVE)". Variety.
  5. ^ "Season 8: May 5 - 11, 2022.SeriesFest". SeriesFest Season 8: May 5–11, 2022. Retrieved 17 August 2022.
  6. ^ a b "Maximilian – Das Spiel von Macht und Liebe – Kritik zum Film bei Tittelbach.tv". tittelbach.tv - der fernsehfilm beobachter. Retrieved 17 August 2022.
  7. ^ "Max & Maria Woest & Vredig" (in Dutch). 4 October 2017. Retrieved 17 July 2022.
  8. ^ Seewald, Berthold (29 September 2017). ""Maximilian"-Fernsehfilm: So viel "Game of Thrones" steckt in deutscher Geschichte". DIE WELT (in German). Retrieved 17 July 2022.
  9. ^ a b Jungen, Oliver. "ZDF-Dreiteiler "Maximilian": Im Nebel der Geschichte". FAZ.NET (in German). Retrieved 17 August 2022.
  10. ^ Wiesflecker, Hermann (1971). Kaiser Maximilian I.: Jugend, burgundisches Erbe und Römisches Königtum bis zur Alleinherrschaft, 1459-1493 (in German). Verlag für Geschichte und Politik. p. 133. ISBN 978-3-486-47391-9. Retrieved 17 August 2022.
  11. ^ Hirschbiegel, Jan (2 March 2015). Nahbeziehungen bei Hof – Manifestationen des Vertrauens: Karrieren in reichsfürstlichen Diensten am Ende des Mittelalters (in German). Böhlau Verlag Köln Weimar. p. 161. ISBN 978-3-412-22441-7. Retrieved 17 August 2022.
  12. ^ Kleijn, Koen. "Waarom behoort Maria van Bourgondië nu tot de Canon van Nederland?". De Groene Amsterdammer (in Dutch). Retrieved 17 August 2022.
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