FILM: ‘CORSAGE’ ACTRESS VICKY KRIEPS SHINES IN REVISIONIST TAKE ON EMPRESS SISI
BY: LOUISE BARRETTO
When you’re royalty or rather a celebrity, which is today’s version of royalty, there tends to be a public persona that takes over and the private moments that humanize these public figures tend to not exist at all. The fascination into the less known and darker aspects of a famous person’s life has become the trend in film about well known figures – just like Andrew Dominik’s BLONDE or Baz Luhrmann’s ELVIS. We love to see what makes these famous people tick and what their hang-ups are, because in reality, they’re human and they’re all just like us.
Vicky Krieps as Empress Sisi, CORSAGE // IFC FILMS
CORSAGE Director, Marie Kreutzer, did just that when she chose to portray Austria’s Empress Elisabeth (Sisi as she is fondly known) in her latest film. Kreutzer made sure we saw the Empress as a full human with a rebellious streak, someone who was restless and always searching for adventure. The Empress had everything she could ever want, but she was still longing and pining for more.
Vicky Krieps (PHANTOM THREAD, BERGMAN ISLAND) plays the renowned Austrian royal with such nuance and grace. I had the chance to chat with her real quick after a screening, and she said she chooses projects based on intuition and feeling. CORSAGE is a film that invites audiences into the life of a woman who felt trapped by her responsibilities. While not driven by plot, the film gives the audience a sneak peek into the life of a woman who is never alone but is also very lonely. The cliché that it is lonely at the top rings true here. When the obligations keep stacking up, it’s hard not to lose yourself. How do you stay true to yourself while keeping all your duties as well? Krieps and Kreutzer deftly navigate these territories, showing Sisi’s inner life and how she juggles her responsibility to the public while honoring her own human needs.
It’s easy to stick to facts and true events when a historical figure is involved, and much harder to conjure the spirit of a human being that lived centuries before us. Krieps embodies the Empress based on Kreutzer’s interpretation of her life, reimagining the Empress’s emotional journey while remaining true to her spirit. In CORSAGE, there are no black and white answers, and that allows us, as viewers, to connect the dots from a place of real empathy.
Empress Elisabeth of Austria is known for her beauty and fashion trends. But in 1877, she celebrates her 40th birthday and must fight to maintain her public image. With a future of only ceremonial duties in front of her, she rebels against her public image and comes up with a plan to protect her legacy.
Director: Marie Kreutzer
Starring: Vicky Krieps, Florian Teichtmeister, Jeanne Werner, Alma Hasan, Finnegan, Colin Morgan
