kekseksa Forget all the mush for a moment (and what a mushy film this is!) and bear in mind that we are in Germany just ten years after the war. Well, we are in Austria, but the references (and the actors) are all very clearly pan-German. Indeed, with settings in Bavaria and Austria, we are very precisely in the homeland of one Herr Adolf Hitler. By a happy coincidence the same Haydn melody was used for the Austrian national anthem (played at Sissi's arrival in Austria) before the First World War as was adopted for the German national anthem after the First World War and which was still in use (in Germany) in 1955 and is of course still in use today.While Germany itself was in a state of unresolved guilt combined with intense denial, Austria, as is often pointed out, had neatly evaded all "denazification" after the war. As such it became a sort of alibi-country for the German world. The Marischka brothers, Hubert and Ernest (who directs these films) were very Vienna and had always been more operetta and waltz music than sturm und drang and blut und boden - the acceptable if frivolous side of Germanic culture.When Werner Krauss, great actor but notorious anti-semite, was unable to work in Germany, he moved to Austria, took Austrian citizenship and continued his career until rehabilitated and restored to his German citizenship in 1951. He was awarded the Bundesverdienstkreuz (German "order of merit")just the year before this film came out and, on his death in 1959 the Iffland-Ring (traditionally held by the finest living German actor)passed not as expected to Oskar Werner (a noted anti-Nazi ) but to another Austrian, Josef Meinrad whose comic major in the Sissi films is amongst his most notable film appearances.Magda Schneider, for her part, lived on in Bechtesgarten where she had been Hitler's neighbour, friend and favourite actress. Romy, herself too young to have been involved in "you know what", trod gingerly in her mother's footsteps she would for instance play the same part as her mother had played in Christine in 1957, a remake of Max Ophül's 1933 Lorelei). Unlike her mother, she was Austrian born (Vienna) so was the perfect representative both of a continuity with pre-war Germany and of an innocent new generation, uninvolved in the awkward bit that came in between.The same might be said of Karlheinz Böhm whose father, the conductor Karl Böhm, has publicly welcomed Hitler's annexation of Austria in 1938 and conducted the concert given on the occasion. He has himself, it should be said, been a notable philanthropist as well as appearing (to is cost) in one of the most remarkable and disturbing films ever made about the father-son relationship - Michael Powell's Pepping Tom.While fifties Germany avoided the spectacular in cinema and specialised in the "heimatfilm", celebrations of all those good, old-fashioned German virtues that could not be mistaken for Nazism, Austria was the perfect place to produce a kind of postwar pan-Germanic epic that is rather like a glorified version of the heimatfilm (hunting and fishing, Bavarian beer and skittles).Historical verity has necessarily to take a back seat so that the portrayal of this part at any rate of the Germanic world can be seen as entirely sympathetic and all the reverse of "you know what". Franz Josef was a deeply conservative ruler who ferociously oppressed all opposition and the Austro-Hungarian state in reality had a secret police that were worthy predecessors of the Gestapo, but not in this film. Here Franz Josef is a charming, well-meaning fellow and Herr Meinrad's policemen are just a version of the Keystone Kops.Do not get me wrong. I am not blaming Germans for wanting to make films like this. They had a ghastly reality to live with and live down and, As D. H. Lawrence once famously remarked, we have to go on however many skies have fallen. One can even enjoy the mush but it is as well to understand, at the same time, that it represented a kind of exercise in camouflage.

homespun13 I am well familiar with the story of the Empress Elizabeth. While the basic facts are all here, the story may have been both simplified and sweetened to present it in a movie. However, the end result is a thoroughly delightful and strongly idealized version of historical events. Both Sissi and the emperor are presented as extremely likable, visually appealing characters, interacting in a fairly-like story. The entire movie plays like a fairy tale and is visually very appealing. The majestic beauty of the Bavarian scenery contrasts with the opulent setting of the Viennese court. The costumes, manners, music, dances - all true to the period. I did not expect to like it as much as I did and would recommend it to all lovers of historical drama and 19th century Austrian history in particular.

MartinHafer It's important that you understand that this highly romanticized version of the life of Empress Elisabeth ('Sissi') of Austria is mostly fiction. As a recently retired history teacher, I pay careful attention to such things. Plus, when my wife and I visited Vienna a few years ago, the locals often laughed at these movies and regaled us with tales of the REAL Sissi--who was, in some ways, a thoroughly self-absorbed and seemingly emotionally disturbed lady. The real Sissi was OBSESSED with her looks and clearly had a serious eating disorder as well. So, I guess to live up to her almost impossible standard of beauty, she eventually had her life revolve around all this--the constant exercise, fasting, refusal to sleep with her husband (lest she get pregnant and destroy her figure), SEVERE corseting (even by Victorian-era standards) and her EXTREME beauty regimen (including olive oil baths and compresses of vinegar daily) took most of her time. This rather nutty real version of Sissi's life would be very fascinating...but romantic, it is not! And it just didn't fit the public image of the Empress in the 1950s. So, the filmmakers simply changed the facts to make a sweet little tale--occasionally sprinkled with some facts--but only occasionally! As far as this film goes, I think how much you enjoy it will have a lot to do with whether or not you like fairytale-like stories. For the romantics out there who love Cinderella--this is probably an easy sell. I also think that perhaps it will play a lot better in Austria and throughout Europe--where they are more familiar with the mythical image of Sissi and where they might have a greater appreciation of royalty. Many Americans are fascinated with the British royals--so they may also love this sort of tale--and many are not fans of royalty. As for me, I don't understand why many in my country feel any sort of connection with a bunch of pampered and highly in-bred royals...but that's just part of my cranky personality! So, for me, it was an uphill battle for me to enjoy this film. Keep this in mind when you read the rest of my review.As far as the look of the film goes, it's terrific. The film is made using the lovely 1950s color--and the DVD print is gorgeous. It also didn't hurt that much of the film was filmed in the Austrian Alps--with some of the most amazing natural beauty you could ask for in a movie. In addition, the music worked wonders with the scenery--setting a nice romantic mood for the film. It also didn't hurt that Romy Schneider was in the film. At 17, she was among the most beautiful young women in the world--and she played the character with a lot of seemingly natural charm. Unfortunately, the film also seemed a bit long and a tad slow. In other words, while quite pretty the plot was a bit on the slow side--but it was still quite watchable and entertaining.I was happy to see Karlheinz Böhm in the film playing Emperor Franz Josef. That's because the only film I'd seen him in before this, "Peeping Tom" was an English-language film and it was nice to see him using his native tongue. And, by the way, "Peeping Tom" is a thoroughly amazing and creepy film--well worth your time unless you are very squeamish! By the way, early in the film there seems to be a sort of mania about assassinations. This was very realistic as many leaders around the Western world in this era were the objects of assassinations and assassination attempts--such as two Presidents (Lincoln and Garfield), the King of Belgium, Czar Alexander II and even Sissi and her husband, Emperor Franz Josef. It seems that killing royalty and elected leaders alike was all the rage in the mid-late 19th century--not to mention all the ones that occurred in the following century!

sweetie307de Austria, 19th centutry: the bavarian princess Elisabeth meets the austrian emperor Franz-Josef and of course they fall in love. But Sissi knows that Franz shall get married wth her sister Nene and so she doesn't want to marry Franz-Joseph. Although at the end they get married. This film is really nice and if you like lovestories you'll love it. There are some really funny mistakes in it, e.g. you see a white OPEL Corsa driving around in the background. =) But all in all you can say, it's a good film. Watch it, watch it!! In germany we would say it's a typical HEIMATFILM