Meine Schwester Maria (2002)

User Rating:

7.0/10   

Director:

Maximilian Schell

Writers:

Maximilian Schell (writer)
Natasha Schell (text "Brief an Maria")

Release Date:

1 March 2002 (Austria)

Genre:

Documentary | Drama

Plot Keywords:

Character Name In Title

Awards:

1 win

Cast

Falko Skrabal	...	Prof. Falko Skrabal
Maximilian Schell	...	Himself
Gerhard Hannak	...	Himself
Harry Stuhlhofer	...	Himself
Elke Münzer	...	Herself
Egon Münzer	...	Himself
Gusti Münzer	...	Herself
Maria Schell	...	Herself
Nasti Schell	...	Herself
Rochus Münzer	...	Himself
Max Münzer	...	Himself
Gitti Münzer	...	Herself
Chrystal Höller	...	Herself
Eligius Engelmayer
Heide Spitzer

Also Known As:

Ma soeur Maria (France) (TV title)
My Sister Maria (International: English title)

Runtime:

90 min

Country:

France | Germany | Switzerland | Austria

Language:

German | English | Russian

Color:

Color (Eastmancolor) | Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Certification:

Germany:6 | USA:Unrated

Filming Locations:

Graz, Styria, Austria

Company:

Arte

Movie Connections:

Edited from Gervaise (1956)

Soundtrack:

Siciliana

Max sells his Rothko

This semi-staged documentary about the one time international movie star Maria Schell is mostly interesting for brother's Max Schell's gentle manipulation of his dementia challenged sister and his staged scenes using doubles. The long retired Maria living in the old family homestead amid the breathtaking Alps is in danger of losing it because of her diminished capacity which results in binge spending (eleven television sets) and gift giving (she buys someone a horse drawn hearse). Max attempts to get his sister physically if not mentally better. When he finds out about her dire financial straights he sells a Mark Rothko painting for millions and holds onto the house. As this unfolds Max documents and stages a biography on her life.

Whether it's her memory or her brother's inability to ask the tough questions this bio reveals little about Schell whose watery blue eyes remain youthful even in dotage. There's plenty of archival film clips but the addled Maria can only add so much to the conversation at the gentle urgings of her brother. The scenes involving her attempts to physically strengthen herself are mostly the work of stand ins with one exception that has "old trouper" Maria lying face down in the snow. With sleight of hand and Maria's diminished capacity Schell never really balances his documentary enough to make it revealing or coherent as a whole. He further obfuscates matters with an inexplicable conflagration staged at film's end, making things even murkier in this bio that says more about the ravages of age than Maria.