The Great Waltz

Horst Buchholz had been filming in English since the late 1950s, and The Great Waltz came after a break spent in European productions. He already had experience with fictional biographies, having recently played the lead role in Cervantes. So it might seem that the combination of Buchholz and "Johnny" Strauss Jr. was absolutely ideal, and nothing better could have occurred to anyone at MGM. The fact is that the memory of the big film from 1938 was still alive, and the Oscar competition on this topic was well-known. However, in the 1930s, the film mainly depicted youth and a love triangle, with the most prominent feature being the female performances. This time, Buchholz seemed to be in the film alone; no one prominent stood by his side, so he carried the fate of a genius on his own shoulders over a span of 40 years. The result is somewhat drawn out; Buchholz ages only with the help of a mustache, but again, I must appreciate that the creation of the operetta itself is addressed, and even Papa Offenbach (Dominique Weber) appears in the film. (27.04.2023)