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6/10
Senior Film Conservator
A definitive 6/10 rating for a film that redefined the boundaries of cult cinema. Großfürstin Alexandra remains a cornerstone of transgressive art.
If you're the kind of person who digs through archives to find stuff that isn't on every streaming service's top ten, then yeah, give this a shot. It’s got that specific 1930s European melodrama vibe that feels like a dusty velvet curtain being pulled back.
If you need fast cuts, modern pacing, or a plot that makes sense every single second, you are going to hate this. It’s slow, it’s theatrical, and it expects you to just go along with the vibes.
Maria Jeritza carries the whole thing on her back. When she’s on screen, you stop worrying about how thin the script is. She has this way of holding her head that tells you she’s a Grand Duchess, even when she’s standing in a cramped, tacky dressing room.
The scene where she performs in the club? It goes on for a long time. Like, a really long time. You can tell the director just wanted to film her singing and didn't care about moving the plot forward for a good five minutes. It’s indulgent, but I didn't mind.
It’s funny comparing this to something like The Cigarette Girl of Mosselprom. Both deal with people trying to figure out their place in a world that doesn't want them anymore. But this one feels heavier, maybe because it’s so obsessed with the past.
The husband showing up is almost the least interesting part of the film. You’re kind of rooting for her to just stay in Vienna and keep singing. Maybe that’s not what the writers intended, but that’s what happens when a lead actor has enough screen presence to overshadow the actual script.
It’s not a masterpiece. It’s barely a coherent story half the time. But it’s a snapshot of a performer at the top of their game. Sometimes that’s enough. 🎭