Alex Corti's final film before his death is a two-part epic spanning three generations during the Austro-Hungarian Empire. Adapted from Joseph Roth's novel, Radetzky's March (La marche de Radetzky) the film stars Prague jury chairman Max von Sydow as Franz von Trotta, the son of a peasant who saved the life of the Emperor at the battle of Solferino and became a noble. Years later, Franz's disillusioned son, Carl Joseph von Trotta (Tilman Günther), hits the bottle, takes a mistress (Charlotte Rampling), and sets off for the Russian front.

After a career in which he made 16 features, Corti died of cancer in 1993, two weeks before finishing shooting on Radetzky's March. Cinematographer Gernot Roll, a long-time collaborator, wrapped up filming quickly, but as he believed Corti would have done it. "Corti worked on adapting the novel for a long time and was totally dedicated to it," remembers Rampling. "The story is beautiful, but his death makes it harrowing."

Corti's previous work includes Der junge Freud, La putain du roi and 1985's Welcome in Vienna (Wohin und Zurück), which won the Caméra d'Or at Cannes and Best Director at San Sebastián.

Adam Minns

Prod co: Satel

Prod: Christine Gouze-Renal

Dir: Axel Corti

Scr: Georges Conchon, Erik Orsenna, Louis Gardel, Axel Corti

Ph: Gernot Roll

Ed: Ulrike Pahl

Prod des: Karel Vacek, Jiri Matolin

Music: Zbigniew Preisner

Cast: Max von Sydow, Charlotte Rampling, Claude Rich, Tilman Günther

Running time: 4 hours 56

International sales: Betafilms (Kirch Group)

Screening: 23.06 20.00 Kongresové centum Praha

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