Corsage

The danger with fictional accounts of the lives of real people, is that it is frequently all to easy to poke holes in the plot. This is one such film that takes just a little too much creative licence with the the life of the Empress Elisabeth (Vicky Krieps). Wife of the famed Austro-Hungarian Emperor Franz Josef (Florian Teichtmeister), this film follows a supposed year in the life of this curious historical figure who, having suffered a family tragedy and having a rather estranged emotional relationship with her husband, spends much of her life obsessing with her weight and seeking solitude. Krieps is on good form, she creates a persona for her character that is effective to watch, but the mixture of modern and period scenarios (old buildings with modern fire doors; a cross-channel ferry!) seems anachronistic - to what end? The buildings in which she and her family inhabit have none of the opulence and grandeur of the Hofburg or Prague Castle, indeed the British home of her horse-master "Bay" (Colin Morgan) looks little better that a ramshackle ruin - and this is incongruous with the way we know she lived her life. Reclusive, yes, but still in splendour. It is also a particularly unremarkable year in her life to have chosen to illustrate. Not the previous ones where turbulence within the Imperial family reigned, not the famed "Mayerling" period which was ultimately held responsible for the final decline of this lady. There is also an highly speculative portrayal of her relationship with Bavaria's equally famous King Ludwig II (Manuel Rubey). The denouement itself is presented here in a rather too bizarre fashion that rather topped off this interesting but frankly flat and pace-less drama that offers us a glimpse of this intriguing woman, but little more of substance. Pity.

Based on a true story of the life of Empress Elisabeth of Austria who was also Queen of Hungary: in the late 1800s, Elisabeth (Vicky Krieps) struggles with life and mental health mainly due to her troubled marriage with Emperor Franz Joseph (Florian Teichtmeister). She has recently turned forty and is further depressed by the changes in her appearance.

"Corsage" has a pleasant, steady flow all the way through and it is blessed with a fine lead performance by Krieps as well as European beauty and glamour (it takes place in various European locations).

There is occasional confusion regarding different time periods as the film is non-linear and some important parts of the film are deliberately revisionist. But it is a pleasant experience overall. It can also be praised for not taking sides in the various conflicts and showing compassion for all sides.

In drawing attention to unhappy royals, it's easy to think of a certain couple who recently cut ties with the British royal family. While it is true that even those at the top of the social hierarchy can be unhappy with their lot in life, they certainly have the means to make luxurious accommodations to alleviate their troubles. Elisabeth makes trips to England, Bavaria, and Italy while being waited upon. Maybe, there ought to be stories of those doing the waiting-upon as they may not have been happy with their lot in life either. But despite being privileged, it is still possible to sympathize with Elisabeth's life in a golden cage. - dbamateurcritic.

Vicky Krieps just might be the biggest name in European cinema right now: 2021 alone saw her star in six productions, under direction of everyone: from M. Night Shyamalan in Old (2021) to Mia Hansen-Løve in Bergman Island (2021) and Mathieu Amalric in Serre moi fort (2021). Her performances have been consistently critically acclaimed, as is bound to be the case with Corsage.

Focussing on one year - 1878, we are reminded throughout the film - Corsage sets out to tell the story of Empress Elisabeth of Austria (1837-1898), known as Sissi, although the movie has no use for that nickname. The picture, written and directed by Austrian film-maker Marie Kreutzer, liberally blends fact and fiction: when asked how much of her work was faithful to history, Kreutzer said in an interview that she could not remember exactly. There are elements to the narrative (such as the ending) that are obvious inventions, while the rest is an amalgamation. The result is credible until it isn't; the background images being most at fault - who knew that electric floor lamps were so popular in the Kingdom of Bavaria. (Comparatively, the intentionally anachronistic music choices, like 'As Tears Go By' played on the harp, succeed in appearing an intrinsic part of the narrative.)

Corsage is very much a story of a person who sees herself as trapped while, possibly, enjoying the most freedom out of everyone we encounter. The visits Elizabeth pays to a psychiatric asylum and to see wounded, bed-ridden soldiers strike as performative, but the choice of her compassionate causes seems rooted in identifying her circumstances with theirs. Why, the empress cannot leave her position either - or can she?

Corsage is very successful in its depiction of a complex, not entirely sympathetic person. It is quite careless about the tools used to achieve that goal - yet, if you watch the film to its very last bit, the end credits include a scene of Vicky Krieps dancing in an empty gymnasium (the flaking paint is supposed to symbolise the decay of the monarchy). She is mesmerising. She is also wearing a false moustache, as a final reminder from Corsage to not take the production too literally.

I've noticed a number of reviewers having difficulty with this film on grounds of its historical inaccuracy. I can't speak to any of that. Being myself blissfully ignorant of the relevant history, I was untroubled by such considerations as I settled into my seat at my local Picture House - perfectly happy to take it as Art: a work of speculative fiction, and a somewhat impressionistic one at that.

Treating it as such, I found it thoroughly engrossing: 1hr 54 well spent, IMO. The central performance by Vicky Krieps is wholly engaging and deliciously subtle, and its portrayal of an intelligent, creative spirit struggling to maintain sanity against a straitjacket (or should that be corset? That's the big metaphor, after all) of patriarchal social convention had me hook, line and sinker, from the opening scene to the (breathtakingly unexpected) final one.

In the interests of full disclosure might as well mention the two things I was less keen on. Neither of them deal-breakers, but...

1) In a couple of scenes, characters are heard singing late 20th century pop songs. This practice of inserting anachronistic modern detail into period drama has become a bit of a fad in the last few years, especially, it seems, in German productions (the recent TV series KaDeWe springs to mind as a prime example). My personal feeling is that it's a stylistic quirk that's been done to death and has outlived its welcome. Others may disagree!

2) One part of the story (we are told by the onscreen captions) takes place in "Northamptonshire". Yeah right. Northamptonshire my ***! Neither the architecture nor the scenery are remotely British. It's blatantly obvious that these scenes were shot, like the rest of the movie, in mainland Europe - most likely southern Germany or Austria. Perhaps the production budget wouldn't stretch to a trip across the channel? Ah well...

These minor niggles aside, though, I'm glad I went to see this movie. Its imagery will linger in my consciousness a long time. If you're debating whether or not to buy that ticket, I'd say go for it. :)

There are several different ways to watch this movie.

You could analyze its historical accuracy, and you would find grounds for criticism.

You could be bothered by the fact that we're expected to sympathize with an empress, and you would find her personal struggles tiny, even pathetic, compared to the realities of her people.

But you could also decide to enjoy the acting, the script and the beautiful settings. And I did. The brilliantly understated acting by Vicky Krieps forms the core of this movie, and she is supported by great performances by almost the entire cast. All in all, writer/director Marie Kreutzer and the actors make this story believable, even surprisingly relatable.