SISSI: Schicksalsjahre einer Kaiserin/ THE FATEFUL YEARS OF AN EMPRESS

Germany, 1957, 109 minutes, Colour.

Romy Schneider, Karlheinz Boehm, Magda Schneider, Gustav Knuthh, Uta Franz, Walter Reyer, Vilma Degisscher.

Directed by Ernst Marischka.

This is the third film in the trilogy, from the mid-1950s, about the Empress Elizabeth of Austria, with her popular nickname, Sissi.

This was a star vehicle for Romy Schneider at the beginning of her career. It was also a star vehicle for Karlheinz Boehm, starring in German films but, in the 1960s, also in Michael Powell’s Peeping Tom and as one of the Wonderful World of the Brothers Grimm.

While the first film introduced the young Sissi and her marriage to the Emperor, Franz, the second film showed the early period of their marriage, Sissi’s pregnancy and the birth of their daughter, the love between husband and wife, the suspicions and supervision of the Emperor’s mother, life of the court, pomp and circumstance, it also showed Sissi’s love for Hungary, and the hostility towards Austria – and her ability to break down the hostility.

It is something of the same in this film, more of a pageant, colourful costumes and decor, magnificent palaces and interiors, the beauty of the countryside, and, because of Sissi’s health, travels to Portugal and to Greece. It is the kind of material that is now supplied by so many of the documentaries about life and styles as well as travel documentaries. They were not so prevalent at this time and were incorporated into these feature films.

In this film, Sissi is spending time in Hungary which she loves, attended by Hungarian aristocracy but also absolutely charming those who are hostile to her. And she continues this throughout the film, especially towards the end when she and husband travel to Milan and to Venice, attempting to make peace in the Austro-Hungarian Empire.

There is always the melodrama of an illness, Sissi and her lungs, collapse, having to go to countries in the sun – where, in fact, she does fully recover, able to resume her duties as Empress. In the background is her mother-in-law, again intervening but finally accepting Sissi. There are also subplots concerning her parents, her brother and his marrying an actress and negotiations for her to become aristocracy.

Very much of its time, but a reminder for audiences who enjoy this kind of romantic pageantry, that royalty is always very popular on screen.