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6.3/10
Senior Film Conservator
A definitive 6.3/10 rating for a film that redefined the boundaries of cult cinema. Elisabeth von Österreich remains a cornerstone of transgressive art.
If you are expecting the bright, sugary Sissi movies from the fifties, you will probably hate this 1931 version. But if you like dusty old dramas where everyone looks slightly miserable under giant hats, it is worth a Saturday afternoon watch. 🍿
It tries to cram her whole life into just over an hour. Naturally, this means we jump from family drama to royal tragedies so fast your head will spin.
Lil Dagover plays Elisabeth, and she has these insanely expressive eyes. Sometimes she just stares into the distance, and you can practically hear the dramatic organ music playing in her mind.
The movie is incredibly theatrical. Characters don't just enter a room; they glide in like they are on wheels, draped in velvet.
I kept thinking about Das Schweigen am Starnbergersee while watching this. Both films have that heavy, tragic Bavarian atmosphere where everyone seems to know they are doomed from the start.
One scene with her aunt goes on for way too long. They just glare at each other across a giant table while a clock ticks loudly in the background.
The Mayerling tragedy segment happens so quickly. One minute Rudolf is arguing, and the next, well, it is over and we are already moving on to Geneva.
It feels like the writers got a bit tired towards the end. Or maybe they just ran out of money for extras.
Speaking of extras, the crowd scenes in the later half are hilarious. There are about six people standing around trying to look like a worried public. 😂
The sound design is also very early-talkie rough. There are these long, dead silences where you can just hear the hiss of the microphone recording empty air.
It actually makes the movie feel creepier than it probably meant to be. Like a ghost story about royalty rather than a history lesson.
The death scene in Geneva is surprisingly quiet. It almost works, despite the weird editing that cuts away too fast.
I did love the costumes though. Even if some of the wigs look like they were borrowed from a local theater group's basement.
Don't expect a masterpiece here. Just enjoy the melodramatic sighs and the historical gloom.
