Sisi & Ich
Directed by:
Frauke FinsterwalderCinematography:
Thomas W. KiennastCast:
Sandra Hüller, Susanne Wolff, Georg Friedrich, Anthony Calf, Tom Rhys Harries, Johanna Wokalek, Angela Winkler, Sibylle Canonica, Markus Schleinzer (more)Plots(1)
Irma Countess von Sztáray does not have it easy. Shortly before her application to become lady-in-waiting to Empress Elisabeth of Austria and Queen of Hungary known as “Sisi”, Irma gets a bloody nose from her strict mother in all the excitement. Then, at court, she is put on display like a prize cow and interrogated. At Sisi’s summer residence on Corfu, Irma first has to prove her athleticism in sadistic exercises and is then put on a diet of cocaine extracts before she finally meets the moody and erratic empress in person. In between laxative teas and watery soups, hikes and beauty treatments, the two very different women quickly become close – though only as close as Sisi will allow, naturally. But every summer has an end, and when they return to Vienna, the lives of Sisi and Irma change drastically. (Berlinale)
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Reviews (1)
Each generation interprets the myth of the empress a bit differently. This is a highly original interpretation and one of the few that focuses on the end of her life as the main theme. Her relationship with the last lady-in-waiting and the events in Corfu. The artistic license taken is quite wild, especially regarding the costumes and selected music, but there's also Herzogin in Bayern (1837-1898) depicted during her meeting with Queen Victoria (1819-1901). The public got to know the personality of the Hungarian Irma Sztáray (1863-1940) through her memoirs. Equally intriguing is the figure of the homosexual brother of Emperor Ludwig Viktor (1842-1919), nicknamed Luzivuzi or Bubi. It's not a significant loss, but certainly not the best film inspired by the empress's life.
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