Queen Christina (1933)

User Rating:

7.9/10   

Director:

Rouben Mamoulian

Writers:

H.M. Harwood (screenplay) and
Salka Viertel (screenplay) ...

Release Date:

9 February 1934 (USA)

Genre:

Biography | Drama | History | Romance | War

Plot:

Queen Christina of Sweden is a dominant European ruler in the 17th century, and has never thought of romance...

Plot Keywords:

Queen | Cross Dressing | Marriage Proposal | Rumor | Snowing

Awards:

1 nomination

Cast

Greta Garbo	...	Queen Christina
John Gilbert	...	Antonio
Ian Keith	...	Magnus
Lewis Stone	...	Oxenstierna
Elizabeth Young	...	Ebba
C. Aubrey Smith	...	Aage
Reginald Owen	...	Charles
Georges Renavent	...	French Ambassador
David Torrence	...	Archbishop
Gustav von Seyffertitz	...	General (as Gustav Von Seyffertitz)
Ferdinand Munier	...	Innkeeper

Runtime:

99 min (Turner library print)

Country:

USA

Language:

English | Spanish

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Sound System)

Certification:

Australia:G (TV rating) | Sweden:11 (re-rating) (1964) | USA:Passed (National Board of Review) | USA:TV-G (TV rating) | Australia:PG | Sweden:15 | USA:Approved | UK:U (re-rating) (2005) (uncut) | UK:U (re-rating) (2005)

Filming Locations:

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios - 10202 W. Washington Blvd., Culver City, California, USA

Company:

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM)

Trivia:

Lawrence Grant is in studio records/casting call lists as a cast member, but he did not appear or was not identifiable in the movie. C. Henry Gordon was announced as a cast member, and Edward Cooper was listed as a cast member in a contemporary Hollywood Reporter news item, but neither appeared to be in the film. However, recognition of actors was difficult because of period makeup.

Goofs:

Continuity: The stagecoach wheel is shown bouncing out of a hole before it gets stuck.

Quotes:

Queen Christina: [on the street protests about her private life] Evidently my people, who are said to love me, do not wish me to be happy.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Anita no perd el tren (2001)

A beautiful and haunting movie

I recently purchased the Greta Garbo DVD collection and the first film I watched was "Queen Christina". It's the first time I've seen it from beginning to end and it's a beautiful and haunting film. I'm surprised by how old it is. It was made in 1933! And yet the film, aside from the usual dated aspects seen in every movie made then, is remarkably ahead of its time, certainly in the way it views of a female nobility, androgyny and homosexuality. It surprising this movie was made, in the light of the nefarious Hays Code which came into existence just a couple of years before this film was made.

The cinematography is beautiful. The script, though simplistic in its portrayal of Queen Christina's life (the reason I gave this film one star short of a perfect 10), is full of interesting dialogue, which is endlessly quotable. But the one thing that makes the movie so great is Greta herself. Remove Greta from the movie and not much is left. She makes the movie and what an amazing and haunting performance she gives. Some might find her way of acting a bit much but personally, I think it's something to behold. There's no other actor in the world of cinema like Greta Garbo and this film proves it in spades. Her performance is pitch perfect: she's towering, impossibly beautiful and yet vulnerable and warm as well, which is amazing feat. There are several unforgettable and iconic scenes in "Queen Christina" but the biggest icon is Greta herself. Her overwhelming presence in the movie makes it a thoroughly haunting experience. It's amazing that the folks behind the camera knew what amazing person they were working with and "Queen Christina" is the perfect showcase for this legendary star.

As for the quality of the DVD transfer, it's a shame there isn't a better looking version than this one. The film was filled with scratches and sound problems. Like Lawrence of Arabia or Vertigo, "Queen Christina" needs to be restored to its former glory and re-released on the big screen, so a new generation can discover and appreciate this underrated movie.