Sissi, the cult saga carried by the unforgettable Romy Schneider, arrives today on Salto. Why is it absolutely necessary to see these films which marked several generations?
WHAT IS IT ABOUT ?
The young Sissi accompanies to the imperial court of Austria her mother and her older sister Hélène promised to the future emperor. As usual Sissi takes advantage of a moment alone to go for a walk during which she will meet without knowing the imperial heir …
Available from December 10 on Salto
WHO IS IT WITH?
Romy Schneider was only 17 when she was chosen to play the role of the fascinating Empress Elisabeth of Austria, known as Sissi. A masterful role which has undoubtedly erected the actress to the rank of star.
At his side, the actor Karlheinz Böhm lends his features to François-Joseph, known as Franz, the Emperor of Austria. Magda Schneider and Gustav Knuth play as the parents of Sissi, Ludovika and Max, the Duchess and the Duke of Bavaria.
Finally, in the role of the incisor Archduchess Sophie, we find Vilma Degischer.
WHY MUST CATCH THIS WORSHIP SAGA
In 1955, Austrian director Ernst Marischka retraced the eventful life of Empress Elisabeth of Austria through three films: Sissi, Sissi Empress and Sissi facing her destiny.
In these feature films, the director tells the story of love at first sight between Sissi, the rebel Duchess of Bavaria, and François Joseph, the Emperor of Austria. Carried away by their feelings, lovers will choose to get married against the advice of their families. As a new life begins, the heroine will have to adapt to the rigid laws of her stepmother, Archduchess Sophie. Sissi, who is torn between her love for Franz and her difficulties in accepting the lack of freedom imposed by her status, will nevertheless have to find her way to meet her destiny.
More than sixty years after its release, the Sissi saga has stood the test of time and has become a timeless that continues to fascinate the public. It must be said that the questions she addresses on love in adolescence or the passage to adulthood evoke an initiatory journey that speaks to all generations. And then, who has never dreamed of an extraordinary destiny …
Beyond the fictionalized story of the life of the Empress of Austria and the story of the obstacles she will have to overcome, it is indeed the mythical love between Franz and Sissi that has remained engraved in the public briefs. In 1955, they were arguably the most popular lovers in Europe.
With its unforgettable dresses, its Hungarian landscapes and its incarnation of love with a capital A, the saga is therefore ultimately more of a fairy tale than a historical fresco. Broadcast each year at the same time on TF1, the three films are indeed essentials that are fully integrated into Christmas folklore.
From cinema to literature, Sissi’s life has not finished fascinating. Several decades after the end of the saga which made Romy Schneider a charismatic icon, TF1 will broadcast from December 23 a brand new series on the most famous of the empresses. In six episodes, Sissi will in turn reinterpret the love story, tumultuous and passionate between Elisabeth and François-Joseph. All the more reason to watch before that Sissi, Sissi the Empress and Sissi Facing her destiny
