The Sissi Trilogy (Sissi, Sissi: The Young Empress, and Sissi: The Fateful Years of an Empress)

The Sissi Trilogy (Sissi, Sissi: The Young Empress, and Sissi: The Fateful Years of an Empress)




I put this movie off, because I thought it would be a little too romanticized, but I actually ended up finding that quality a little endearing after watching The Crown Prince, which is a real downer: http://kaleenasmith.blogspot.com/2013/04/the-crown-prince.html

Franz chooses Sisi over Nene.

It is about Elisabeth of Bavaria (Sissi), who meets Emperor Franz Joseph I of Austria when she is 15.  He is supposed to marry her older sister Helene (Nene), but falls in love with Sissi instead and marries her (Nene was actually an interesting character to me, and I wouldn't have minded them making another movie about her with the same actress).

The trilogy follows Sissi from her idyllic family life in Possenhoffen to her marriage and her early years as an empress.  It's not all rainbows and butterflies- she butts heads with her domineering mother-in-law, which leads to marital strife (that and her husband's long hours -he is Emperor after all).  When alone she and her husband are happy and in love, but Sissi has trouble adapting to court life, coming from an easy going household and upbringing, and doesn't get much time with her husband.  She also has health issues.

The real Elisabeth of Bavaria.

Each movie ends on a happy note, and the most distressing aspects of Sissi's life are left out, which I didn't end up minding, though I would be interested in a more comprehensive movie about her.
Tyler got me a book about her so I can read more.

The costumes alone make the movie worth watching -gorgeous.  It was a fun movie, and I liked the characters a lot -Sissi's parents were very likeable, Rory Schneider was charming as Sissi, Franz (the Emperor) had some real depth to him, and the mother-in-law was suitably daunting.

Also, my husband watched the last two movies with me and asked me to pause a couple times when he had to leave the room, so I think they may even be man-friendly movies.

Romy Schneider appears as Sissi again in the film Ludwig, and I hope to see that movie soon.  A miniseries about Sissi was released in Europe, but is not available here yet -soon, I hope.

Cristiana Capotondi in the new miniseries.