Three popular films from the 1950s with Romy Schneider, replicated on TV many times, a 2009 film with Cristiana Capotondi, a very successful series on Netflix in the autumn and an auteur film awarded at the Cannes festival and beyond: the The charm of Elisabeth of Austria, Princess Sissi of Bavaria who became empress by marrying Franz Joseph is incredibly far from setting.
While Netflix launches the second season of the Empress by popular demand from December 7, THE CORSET OF THE EMPRESS (Corsage) directed by Marie Kreutzer arrives in theaters, distributed by Bim, among the nice surprises of Cannes 2022. It is a rival of Nostalgia by Mario Martone in the international Oscar nominations being the Austrian candidate.
The protagonist Vicky Krieps, who is also an executive producer,
With a remarkable direction and interpretation, Il Corset dell'Imperatrice sheds new light on the restless figure of Elizabeth by focusing on a little-explored period, albeit obviously with cinematographic licences.
The action takes place over a year of life, between 1877 and 1878 when the Empress Elisabeth, increasingly intolerant at the court in Vienna, not at all convinced of being relegated to a role of pure representation, in a marital crisis, tries to also materially freeing herself from the conformity of her lifestyle centered on her image, today we would say as a pop star or influencer, adored by the people, always perfect and in shape.
Instead Elisabetta is 40 years old, a critical age for a 19th century woman, she feels she is not as attractive as she used to be and is fighting for independence and autonomy,
one would say now for a self-determination.
It was Christmas 1877, when Elisabeth, known for her great beauty, was officially considered an old woman at the age of 40 and she began to hide by wearing a veil on her face.
In crisis with her emperor husband, Elisabeth begins seeing old lovers and travels in Europe, desperately trying to feel like she used to be and find a new place.
"I thought it could be a good story about women of that era, but still today, grown up, 'trained' to please in order to be loved," said director Marie Kreutzer convinced Sissi's message about female oppression still resonates today .
Vicky Krieps' interpretation is seductive: a woman out of time trapped by her public role, by her own image of herself, which she longs to free.
This superb actress born in Luxembourg, already seen in Filo Nascosto and Hold me tight, in 2023 in theaters with the two new international films about the Three Musketeers (she plays Queen Anne), has been chosen to lead the ghost story Went Up The Hill with Stranger Things actor Dacre Montgomery, currently in pre-production.
