The King Who Never Was

I include myself in the group of people who had never heard about this story and found it fascinating.

The documentary itself explains the most important points and respects the viewer, leaving out irrelevant information.

As for constructive criticism, in the beginning it could be a bit more clear so we understand better the different characters. Also, it would have been good to know what is going on with the main characters today.

The more I learned about the case, the more outraged I felt about the system. A very clear example of how justice is different depending on the subject. It must have been very hard to endure for the family.

Anyone with a shred of common sense knows this low life loser murdered that boy and lied about it. His son and wife join him in lying about the killing. The French and Italian justice system are as corrupt or more so than that of the USA's in this regard. They ignored witnesses, lied, clearly were biased in favor of the killer, who even after admitting on camera and on tape that he killed the boy, was never convicted. This is a very convincing judgment of a bad man with a bad family connected to evil people. At times is was difficult to watch the human scum that never would be king, who deserves to be in prison.

A large group of young twenty somethings came into an island by three boats where the exiled Prince had his home with his wife and family. During their loud (by their own admission) partying they "borrowed" the Prince's dinghy and and he got MAD. Madder than he should have and fired a gunshot into the air, the second gun shot went off accidentally when one of the partygoers jumped him. It hit one of the young men who died two months later.

The murdered man's sister who was a wannabe model (but couldn't make it because of her teeth) has made it her mission to bring the Prince to "justice" and stay in the news that way. I do not doubt her sincerity and pain, that is achingly obvious.

Horrible and negligent. Sad and unfair. But NOT deliberate, planned murder. I would be more sympathetic if both sides admitted wrongdoing not just the Prince. He owned to it immediately but since the victims sister is out for blood he has understandably defending himself.

Very very well made film.

Even if you put aside his confessions, circumstantial evidence, improbable alternative theory... there's a chilling nonchalance about his demeanour - smirking or making inappropriately trivial comments at the wrong time - which is either a consequence of his unbridled privileges or psychopathy, or both.

This whole series of events can serve as a good case study for history (monarchy, Europe), psychology, judiciary system, criminology (including corruptions), geography, anthropology and linguistic.

Hope the Hammer family will continue to find peace after such a tragedy.

This documentary succeeds in being compact and concise. With all the events unfolding, other docus might have dragged on for many more episodes.

I (American, 63) knew nothing of this story. In found it fascinating. It struck me, both as history and as documentary, as startling, moving, repellant, and well-made by turns. The contemporary footage-these people are rich and privileged, and they filmed their lives, it seems, regularly-is striking, as is the use the documentarians made of it. The interviews are also compelling. I like the digressions too; others may find them distracting. The music seemed pushy to me, but every minute of film and interview struck me as telling. It doesn't hurt that everyone is good-looking, tan, wealthy-and often around lovely beaches in Italy-France. And that everyone speaks three or four languages-and one hears Italian in three or four or five marked accents.