This movie was another highlight of this year for me.
I only heard good things about this movie!
This movie starrs Vicky Krieps (“Old”), Colin Morgan (“Belfast”), just to name a few
This movie was directed and written by Marie Kreutzer (Netflix’s “What We Wanted”).
This movie was released on July 7th 2022 in Austria but will be released on December 23rd 2022 in the US.
This movie debuted at the “Canada Film Festival”, “Munich International Film Festival”, “Toronto International Film Festival”, “New York Film Festival”, “Newport Beach international Film Festival”, “Chicago International Film Festival”, “Rome film festival”, and so so many more to list here!
This movie is a Biography/Drama/History.
Onto the premise: A fictional account of one year in the life of Empress Elisabeth of Austria. On Christmas Eve 1877, Elisabeth, once idolized for her beauty, turns 40 and is officially deemed an old woman; she starts trying to maintain her public image.
Did you know? This is one of five Austrian-German productions about Empress Elisabeth of Austria to be released between 2021-2022. The others were Sisi (2021), Elisabeth (2022), Die Kaiserin (2022), and Sisi & Ich (2023) (the latter was announced in 2019 and was also filmed in 2021, but its release date had to be postponed to 2023 due to Corsage being released in Austria and Germany in 2022). Films, series and documentaries about Elisabeth of Austria are produced and released nearly every year by Austria and Germany since 1921, the first was Kaiserin Elisabeth von Österreich (1921).
When asked how much of the film is real and how much is fiction, director and screenwriter Marie Kreutzer said she couldn’t tell in percent because she couldn’t even remember exactly, but that some parts were made up such as the ending.
Filmed in 37 days between February and July 2021.
This film was partly funded by the Luxembourg Film Fund. The father of lead actress Vicky Krieps, Bob Krieps, was the president of the Luxembourg Film Fund and worked for the country’s Ministry of Culture [when this film was being produced], which supervises the Luxembourg Film Fund and decides which films will be funded with taxpayers’ money. Several of Krieps’ films were funded by the Luxembourg Film Fund, even when they weren’t filmed in the country.
Once you see Vicky Krieps in this role, you realize that she is perfect for the role of Sissi. She even was in talks for the “best performance” at the Cannes film festival, where she won the award. Along within the award for “Best Performance “ at the Chicago International Film Festival”. and many many more.
Krieps learned Hungarian for the role and swims in the Danube River in winter. She said that for women “there is an obligation and pressure to please even though we are free to do as we please.” At the “Toronto International Film Festival” q&A.
Following up with “This pressure hasn’t lessoned”, she noted, despite the 150 years that passed since Sissi’s time.
Corsage is so captivating because Sissi is a fascinating and real character, Krieps is so good at playing her, and it is an atypical film.
Even the ending credits are a delight to watch and are distinctly Sissian and Kriepsian.
Director Marie Kreutzer said that Sissi’s playfulness and acts of rebellion made her a compelling character. Instead of portraying the entire life story of Sissi, Kreutzer opts to focus on her at 40 years old. It is a delight to see the story of this amazing and beguiling woman revealed on screen.
As an Austrian myself I have to say that this adaptation was so much better than the Netflix one, a few months ago. It was definitely “worth a watch”.
Stay tuned for more reviews and listen to this week’s podcast episode tomorrow!
Movie reviews with ceren 