Mädchenjahre einer Königin (1954)
(Les jeunes années d'une reine)
Country: ÖST
Technical: Agfacolor/1.37:1 108m
Director: Ernst Marischka
Cast: Romy Schneider, Magda Schneider, Adrian Hoven, Karl Ludwig Diehl
Synopsis:
The young princess Victoria becomes Queen, decides to keep Lord Melbourne as Prime Minister (against the wishes of her scheming mother), and is steered towards the choice of a consort. This she resists until a chance meeting in a tavern changes her mind.
Review:
The first of a number of films Marischka made with Schneider, which focus on the young years of attractive monarchs so as better to turn history into romance. It led on to the popular Sissi trilogy and, like those films, is flatly lit in gaudy Afgacolor and combines the political manoeuvring of older characters with the fresh-eyed best intentions of the heroine, throwing in a servant for light relief. It would all be horribly dull if it were not for the natural radiance of Schneider, who here does the same job Emily Blunt did years later without sounding a false note to our more worldly, modern eyes. As ever, the romance between Albert and Victoria makes ideal film fodder (hence its presence in an Austrian film) and the makers contrive an entirely fanciful first meeting, even managing to introduce the personage of Johann Strauss II at the same time!
(Les jeunes années d'une reine)
Country: ÖST
Technical: Agfacolor/1.37:1 108m
Director: Ernst Marischka
Cast: Romy Schneider, Magda Schneider, Adrian Hoven, Karl Ludwig Diehl
Synopsis:
The young princess Victoria becomes Queen, decides to keep Lord Melbourne as Prime Minister (against the wishes of her scheming mother), and is steered towards the choice of a consort. This she resists until a chance meeting in a tavern changes her mind.
Review:
The first of a number of films Marischka made with Schneider, which focus on the young years of attractive monarchs so as better to turn history into romance. It led on to the popular Sissi trilogy and, like those films, is flatly lit in gaudy Afgacolor and combines the political manoeuvring of older characters with the fresh-eyed best intentions of the heroine, throwing in a servant for light relief. It would all be horribly dull if it were not for the natural radiance of Schneider, who here does the same job Emily Blunt did years later without sounding a false note to our more worldly, modern eyes. As ever, the romance between Albert and Victoria makes ideal film fodder (hence its presence in an Austrian film) and the makers contrive an entirely fanciful first meeting, even managing to introduce the personage of Johann Strauss II at the same time!
(Les jeunes années d'une reine)
Country: ÖST
Technical: Agfacolor/1.37:1 108m
Director: Ernst Marischka
Cast: Romy Schneider, Magda Schneider, Adrian Hoven, Karl Ludwig Diehl
Synopsis:
The young princess Victoria becomes Queen, decides to keep Lord Melbourne as Prime Minister (against the wishes of her scheming mother), and is steered towards the choice of a consort. This she resists until a chance meeting in a tavern changes her mind.
Review:
The first of a number of films Marischka made with Schneider, which focus on the young years of attractive monarchs so as better to turn history into romance. It led on to the popular Sissi trilogy and, like those films, is flatly lit in gaudy Afgacolor and combines the political manoeuvring of older characters with the fresh-eyed best intentions of the heroine, throwing in a servant for light relief. It would all be horribly dull if it were not for the natural radiance of Schneider, who here does the same job Emily Blunt did years later without sounding a false note to our more worldly, modern eyes. As ever, the romance between Albert and Victoria makes ideal film fodder (hence its presence in an Austrian film) and the makers contrive an entirely fanciful first meeting, even managing to introduce the personage of Johann Strauss II at the same time!