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6.2/10
Senior Film Conservator
A definitive 6.2/10 rating for a film that redefined the boundaries of cult cinema. Der Favorit der Kaiserin remains a cornerstone of transgressive art.
If you like old-school period dramas where people stand in grand rooms and talk about treaties for an eternity, you might find something here. It’s definitely not for anyone needing a quick pace or, you know, excitement. If you enjoy watching 1930s German actors try to look like 18th-century Russians, well, you're in for a specific kind of treat.
The whole thing feels like it’s being held together by hairspray and sheer willpower. You can tell the budget wasn't exactly overflowing, especially when the background extras just stand there looking confused, waiting for someone to tell them to start walking.
The plot is basically: talk, talk, talk, then a bit of romance, then some more talking. Theodor Carlos does his best to play the loyal captain, but there are moments where he looks like he’s trying to remember if he left the oven on back in Berlin. It’s hard to blame him.
There’s this one scene where they’re discussing the French alliance, and the camera lingers on a candle for so long I started wondering if the flame was going to run out of wax before they finished their sentence. It felt like watching Peer Gynt but with way more velvet and fewer trolls.
It lacks the spark that makes other historical films from this era actually fun to sit through. It’s not necessarily bad, just very, very tired. Like a Sunday morning where you’ve slept through your alarm and have no reason to get up anyway. 🕰️
It’s not as energetic as Lightning Speed, obviously, but that’s like comparing a nap to a car crash. At least it has a certain polite charm to it, even if that charm is as thin as the plot. Watch it if you want to feel like you've done something cultural, then go watch something else to actually feel awake.