The Most Beautiful Empress of Europe I knew about Elizabeth of Bavaria, Empress of Austria for a long time - I watched an animated series from Saban International as a child, and then I began to read more about this amazing woman. Even surprised that in modern cinema, there are not so many feature films or TV series about her - only a trilogy with the charming Romy Schneider comes to mind. So I could not pass by the new series of Austrian-German production, dedicated to the most beautiful Empress of Europe.
1850s. Bayern. Duke Maximilian and his wife Louis live secluded with their family at Possenhofen Castle. The middle daughter Elizabeth, or simply Sissy, as her close, charming and freedom-loving girl, dreams of happiness and true love. Meanwhile, the young Emperor of Austria, Franz Joseph, having dealt with uprisings and riots, must find a bride. The choice of his authoritarian mother Sofia falls on the eldest daughter of his sister Ludovika - a stately, well-bred Helena. But when Helena arrives with her mother and younger sister, Franz decides that Sissy will be his wife. And now Elizabeth, although in love with the emperor, and despite her young age (16 years!), must assume a new role and assume the duties and title of Empress of Austria.
In any historical series, I am primarily interested in authenticity and following real facts. And in this regard, the series can be called a somewhat free adaptation of the first years of the life of the Austrian Empress. There are many sharp corners cut and some well-known facts are shown softer and calmer. For example, the relationship between Elizabeth and her mother-in-law Sophia is shown here as complicated, but not as controlling and tyrannical, which is written in any biography. Or new characters are introduced, whose presence from reality would be doubtful. But still, there were not so many innovations to spoil the overall impression of the picture, or to question every fact.
Why the viewer loves costume dramas – of course, for the atmosphere of the time, which is achieved due to colorful decorations of palaces, filming in nature and historical places and, of course, due to luxurious costumes! A very good contrast between the open plains, dense forests and mountains of Bavaria, where Sissi spent his childhood, and the magnificent, luxurious palace interiors, which have a fettering effect for the young Empress. And costumes are a separate topic of conversation: I saw those lush, gorgeous Sissy dresses at Hofburg Castle, and in the series the costumers recreated them just magnificently.
I really liked the actors who played the main roles. Dominique Davenport surprisingly similar to Elizabeth of Bavarian. And she managed to brilliantly convey all the youthful enthusiasm and ardor of a young girl who was free, happy and carefree, and who will quickly grow up. The fact that literally from the first day after marriage, Sissy was burdened with a burden that was unbearable for a young girl - when she was forced to accept congratulations from all courtiers, standing all day and wearing a dress that was clearly not her size. Elizabeth has to adapt to the sometimes ridiculous and sometimes suffocating rules of the Austrian court, as well as build a relationship with her mother-in-law (which, in my opinion, showed softer than I imagined). And the most interesting thing for me was to watch the relationship between Sissi and Franz Joseph (Yannick Schumann). Everything I knew about his attitude towards his beautiful wife, that he loved her very much, but in disputes and confrontations between her and her mother, he often took the side of the latter. In the series, their relationship is shown in more detail: it is clear that Franz loves Sissy, but is not ready to change his habits, is not ready to change for her. But here lies another reason: we see that it is not easy for him to be an emperor (the title he received after his father’s abdication), and understand that many oppose his authority, and that he does not deserve love and happiness. Franz is shown as a complex person, and it is clear that Sissy understands this, accepts it and wants to help him as much as possible.
Sissy: Empress of Austria is a very interesting and fresh look at the life of a beautiful and outstanding woman who, 150 years later, excites the minds and imagination of a new generation. All costume drama lovers will love it. And now I wanted to see the trilogy of Ernst Mariska with Romy Schneider.
8 out of 10
Nice viewing!