Masquerade in Vienna Ending Explained: What Happened and Why?

What Happens at the End of Masquerade in Vienna?

After a masked carnival ball, Gerda Harrandt, wife of the surgeon Carl Ludwig Harrandt, allows the fashionable artist Ferdinand von Heidenick to paint a portrait of her wearing only a mask and a muff. This muff however belongs to Anita Keller, in secret the painter's lover but also the fiancée of the court orchestra director Paul Harrandt. The picture is then published in the newspaper. When Paul sees it and asks von Heidenick some questions about the identity of the model, the artist is forced to improvise a story and on the spur of the moment invents a woman called Leopoldine Dur as the alleged model. Leopoldine Dur however turns out to be a real woman whose acquaintance Heidenick makes shortly afterwards.

Willi Forst's narrative builds toward a resolution centered on Paula Wessely (Leopoldine Dur)'s journey. This muff however belongs to Anita Keller, in secret the painter's lover but also the fiancée of the court orchestra director Paul Harrandt.

How Does Paula Wessely (Leopoldine Dur)'s Story End?

• Paula Wessely: Paula Wessely's storyline wraps up in the final act, though some viewers have found the resolution more ambiguous than expected.
• Anton Walbrook (Heideneck): Anton Walbrook's role in the climax proves pivotal to how the central conflict resolves.
• Peter Petersen (Carl Ludwig Harrandt): Peter Petersen's character undergoes a significant shift in the final act.

What Does the Ending of Masquerade in Vienna Mean?

The ending of Masquerade in Vienna brings the narrative to a close, though viewer reception has been mixed. The resolution of Paula Wessely's story may not satisfy all audiences.