On October 20, the film 'Corsage' about the difficult fate of Austrian Empress Sisi hits theaters. We tell you about the legendary historical figure and how she is revealed in the new project.

The film was presented at the Cannes Film Festival in the 'Un Certain Regard' section, where it won the Best Actress award, and is now Austria's submission for the Academy Awards. Therefore, it deserves close attention from fans of elite costume dramas.

A Bit of History and a Trace in the World of Cinema

Elisabeth of Bavaria, or Sisi as she was called by family and friends, was the Empress of Austria-Hungary in the late 19th century. Her life is one of the few true love stories among monarchs, which has become shrouded in many legends and one of the favorite subjects for books and films.

In the 1950s, she was brilliantly portrayed on screen by Austrian actress Romy Schneider, and Sisi gained truly worldwide fame. The film trilogy 'Sissi' (1955), 'Sissi: The Young Empress' (1956), and 'Sissi: Fateful Years of an Empress' (1957) became a cinematic phenomenon, originally created to soften post-war sentiments and offer the world a warmer, more human image of Germans and Austrians.

Some filming took place in real historical locations, such as the Schönbrunn Palace in the center of Vienna. Another pilgrimage site for film fans is Michaelerkirche, the church where Sisi's coronation in Budapest was filmed. For greater authenticity, antique furniture was used during filming, which is now part of the permanent exhibition at the 'Vienna Furniture Museum'. For Romy Schneider, the role of Sisi was both the brightest start to her career and a difficult ordeal. She was only 16 in the first film.

The portrait of Sisi, which can be found in every souvenir shop in Vienna, served as inspiration for the costume of Christine Daae's first performance in The Phantom of the Opera (2004).

In April 2021, it became known that the streaming platform Netflix is preparing a six-episode series about Elisabeth of Bavaria titled 'Sisi: Empress of Austria'. Filming began in the Baltics and continued in Austria, Hungary, and Germany. American actress of Swiss origin Dominique Devenport played the new incarnation of Sisi, while Emperor Franz was played by German actor Jannik Schümann. The series is more focused on the story of Sisi's formation as a queen and her younger years.

Corsage as Armor, or When Even Empresses Age

When it became clear that she could not win the battle against palace protocol, her mother-in-law, and her stubborn husband, Empress Elisabeth began to 'retreat' into her own world, trying to find salvation and happiness there. The most important person in her life became herself. Her Majesty played with her parrots and dogs, loved horses, and wrote plaintive poems about her difficult lot as empress. She struggled to make contact with those around her, often being unable (or unwilling) to carry on a simple conversation. During rare palace receptions, Elisabeth looked like a doll with an indifferent face and was very taciturn.

It is precisely this empress that Marie Kreutzer presents to us on screen in the new film. We meet our heroine on her 40th birthday. Now she is officially considered an aging woman. And here it is necessary to tighten the belts. Both in the physical sense and in the moral one. Society seems to tighten the corset, and breathing becomes more difficult with each step. She wishes to continue moving forward, learning, developing, and remaining as young.

But reality becomes more cruel than our heroine might assume. It is worth noting that the events take place in the years when the empire itself was nearing its collapse, and through Sisi's aging, the viewer witnesses the destruction of a once great and beautiful power.

Do not expect lavish balls or social evenings on screen. Together with our heroine, we feel loneliness, sadness, and the anticipation of the approaching end. Nothing brings joy anymore. All this happens against the backdrop of old, shabby little houses somewhere in the Austrian wilderness. And you wouldn't say this is the life of an empress. When beautiful dishes appear on screen, hints of an old, beautiful life, the picture immediately acquires bright colors. We realize again that before us is not just an aging woman losing interest in life, but still a member of the nobility.

Before us is another project about the difficult life of a woman in power. The projects 'Jackie' and 'Spencer' have already established themselves on the shelf. The main feature of 'Corsage', however, is that it is all done with a touch of 19th-century charm and magic. This alone might prompt you to want to go to the cinema.

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