Sissi - Die junge Kaiserin (1956)

The second in a trilogy of movies about Elisabeth "Sissi" of Austria, the film chronicles the married life of the young empress as she tries to adjust to formal and strict life in the palace and an overbearing mother-in-law.

Director:

Ernst Marischka

Writer:

Ernst Marischka

Stars:

Romy Schneider, Karlheinz Böhm, Magda Schneider

3 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Romy Schneider	...	Sissi
Karlheinz Böhm	...	Kaiser Franz Josef
Magda Schneider	...	Duchess Ludovika of Bavaria
Gustav Knuth	...	Duke Max of Bavaria
Vilma Degischer	...	Archduchess Sophie, Franz Josef's mother
Walther Reyer	...	Count Andrassy
Senta Wengraf	...	Gräfin Bellegarde
Josef Meinrad	...	Major Böckl
Iván Petrovich	...	Dr. Max Falk
Helene Lauterböck	...	Gräfin Esterhazy
Erich Nikowitz	...	Erzherzog Franz-Karl
Richard Eybner	...	Postmeister
Hans Ziegler	...	Dr. Seeburger
Franz Böheim
Karl Fochler	...	Graf Grünne

Storyline

Through her Hungarian teacher the young Empress Sissi is enchanted by Hungary, a country she has never visited, but feels an affinity with. The Council of Ministers wants to punish some Hungarian rebels, but Emperor Franz Joseph gives all the rebels amnesty, including their leader, Count Andrassy. The Emperor is influenced by his wife, who says that you cannot win a country with force, only with love. The Hungarians are deeply affected by Sissi's love for their country, and want to crown Franz Joseph and Sissi to King and Queen of Hungary. At a big ball for the Hungarians the Emperor's mother, Archduchess Sophie, insults Count Andrassy, by refusing to greet him. Sissi rescues the situation by asking Count Andrassy to dance with her. Sissi gives birth to a daughter, but her happiness is broken, when Archduchess Sophie decides to nourish the baby herself, and takes it away from its mother. Sissi runs away to her family in Bavaria. Franz Joseph follows her, and takes her on a honeymoon ...

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Plot Keywords:

dissatisfaction | austro hungarian | unhappy marriage | golden cage | discontent | 

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Genres:

Drama | History

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Details

Country:

Austria

Language:

German Hungarian

Release Date:

December 1956 (Austria)

Also Known As:

Sissi emperatriz

Filming Locations:

Atelier Rosenhügel, Vienna, Austria

Company Credits

Production Co:

Erma-Film

Technical Specs

Runtime:

107 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (Perfectone Klangfilm)

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

In real life, the coronation of Joseph and Elisabeth (Sissi) took place in the Castle of Buda in 1867. However, they could't shoot the scene in Buda when this movie was made because the castle was seriously damaged during WWII. In addition , in 1956 there was a revolution in Hungary against the Soviet regime. This made it impossible to shoot the scene at its original location.

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Goofs

When Sissi and Franz Joseph waltz in the beginning of the ball Sissi has organized for the Hungarian exiles, the song played is the Kaiser-Walzer. However, Strauss didn't write this Waltz until 1889, while this ball is at least before 1867, the year in which Franz Joseph became the King of Hungaria.

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Quotes

Count Andrassy: Since the time of Maria Theresa the Hungarian nation has waited from generation to generation for a human being in this Imperial House. Someone to trust, someone worth living for, and someone worth dying for. We didn't come to see the Emperor of Austria today, but to see our future Queen!

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Connections

Referenced in S1ngle: Ongewenst bezoek (2010)

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Soundtracks

Emperor Waltz
Music by Johann Strauss

User Reviews

19th Century Hapsburg history served "light"

Contemporary critics, including ones on this site may describe as "kitsch" the Sissy series (Princess of Bavaria, Queen of Hungary, and Empress Consort of the Hapsburgs). But this is unfair. Everything must be seen in its time frame, and not retrospectively. The fact is this three part series was highly successful. So much so, it has been available in subtitled video in at least three languages I speak, Spanish, French, and English, for years. Speak to any older movie goer, who was a kid in the late 50's from Buenos Aires to Montreal to Paris, and he or she will remember Sissy fondly. I have seen many tourists in Vienna using the Sissy series as their total source of references while touring this city. This movie and the others, not only provided popular entertainment, historical education, and restored pride in German speakers in the post-war period. It made an international star of Romy Schneider, while she was still in her teens! The trio of Sissy features, prominently including the installment this IMDb page describes, made between 1955 and 1957 were edited together in 1962 into a 140 minute feature. I had previously seen all three individual installments about the Elizabeth (Sissy) and Franz Josef of Austria, dubbed in Spanish. They are beautiful films, recreating the entire period of history of the romance between young Sissy, Princess of Bavaria and the young Franz Josef, from the very beginning to the period after the "Ausgleich" (establishment of the dual monarchy of Austria-Hungary). It ends on a high note, while all involved was at its peak, leaving out the all the subsequent tragic events that marred Sissy's life, and that of Franz Josef, indeed the entire Empire. While some historic details are simplified, the bulk of the story is pretty well told, despite the teenage puppy love and later melodramatic elements thrown in to please the audience, and make the most of Schneider's incomparable charm, youth and beauty. See the condensed video if you are an English speaker. In fact I believe that is your only option. The three separate films, as described on this site are available in Spanish, French, Italian, and German only to my knowledge. But the 140 minute English-dubbed version is even available in NTSC now. It is sold in the USA. I hope American Amazon.com soon offers it, hopefully once this comment appears. Enjoy it! It's a classic.