''Sissi – The Young Empress'' () is a 1956 Austrian film directed by

Ernst Marischka Ernst Marischka (2 January 1893 – 12 May 1963) was an Austrian screenwriter and film director. He wrote for more than 90 films between 1913 and 1962. He also directed 29 films between 1915 and 1962. He wrote and directed the Sissi trilogy ...

and starring

Romy Schneider Rosemarie Magdalena Albach (23 September 1938 – 29 May 1982), known professionally as Romy Schneider (), was a German and French actress. She is regarded as one of the greatest screen actresses of all time and became a cult figure due to ...

Karlheinz Böhm Karlheinz Böhm (16 March 1928 – 29 May 2014) was a German-born Austrian actor and philanthropist. He took part in 45 films and became well known in Austria and Germany for his role as Emperor Franz Joseph I of Austria in the Sissi film trilo ...

, Magda Schneider, Uta Franz,

Gustav Knuth Gustav Knuth (7 July 1901 – 1 February 1987) was a German film actor. He appeared in more than 120 films between 1935 and 1982 and starred in the TV series ''Alle meine Tiere''. He was married to the actress Elisabeth Lennartz. Selected ...

Vilma Degischer Vilma Degischer (17 November 1911 - 3 May 1992) was an Austrian theatre and film actress. She appeared in more than thirty films from 1931 to 1991. From 1931 to 1991 she played at the Theater in der Josefstadt in Vienna Vienna ( ; ; ) is ...

and Josef Meinrad. It was entered into the 1957 Cannes Film Festival. It is the second film in the ''Sissi'' trilogy, following '' Sissi'' and preceding '' Sissi – Fateful Years of an Empress''. This movie in three parts tells the famous story of the Empress of Austria best known as Sissi.

Plot

Sissi slowly adapts to life as empress of Austria, but her mother-in-law is hard to live with. Archduchess Sophie adheres to the long-established rules, protocol and etiquette, and constantly interferes not only with the emperor's government of the empire but in his family life as well. When Sissi's first child is born, the Archduchess Sophie insists on taking away the child to raise her, because she feels Sissi is too young and inexperienced to do so. Sophie also feels that Sissi's place is not in the nursery with her baby, but with her husband as the emperor travels around the empire. A scandal threatens to break out when Sissi leaves Vienna and returns to Bavaria to see her parents. She keeps the truth from her mother, but confesses to her father that she cannot live with Archduchess Sophie's constant criticism and tyranny. Franz Joseph follows her and finally convinces her to return to Vienna. This strengthens Sissi's influence with the emperor, and she supports Count

Gyula Andrássy Count Gyula Andrássy de Csíkszentkirály et Krasznahorka (, 8 March 1823 – 18 February 1890) was a Hungarian statesman, who served as Prime Minister of Hungary (1867–1871) and subsequently as List of foreign ministers of Austria-Hungar ...

and the cause of the Hungarians for equal standing in the Empire. The film concludes with her being crowned Queen of the Hungarians in Buda.

Starring

as Empress Elisabeth of Austria, or "Sissi" *

as Emperor

Franz Joseph I of Austria Franz Joseph I or Francis Joseph I ( ; ; 18 August 1830 – 21 November 1916) was Emperor of Austria, King of Hungary, and the ruler of the Grand title of the emperor of Austria, other states of the Habsburg monarchy from 1848 until his death ...

as Archduchess

Sophie Sophie is a feminine given name, another version of Sophia, from the Greek word for "wisdom". People with the name Born in the Middle Ages * Sophie, Countess of Bar (c. 1004 or 1018–1093), sovereign Countess of Bar and lady of Mousson * Soph ...

, Franz Joseph's mother * as Archduke Franz Karl, Franz Joseph's father * Magda Schneider as Duchess Ludovika in Bavaria, Sissi's mother *

as Duke Max in Bavaria, Sissi's father * Josef Meinrad as Oberst Böckl *

Richard Eybner Richard Eybner (3 March 1896 – 20 June 1986) was an Austrian actor at the theatre and in films. Selected filmography * ''Purpur und Waschblau'' (1931) - Kabinettsrat Traunstadt * '' Die große Liebe'' (1931) * '' When You're Young, the World B ...

as Postmaster of Ischl * Walter Reyer as Count

Andrássy Small arms of the Andrássy family The House of Andrássy is the name of a Hungarian noble family of very ancient lineage that was prominent in Hungarian history. The full family name is ''Andrássy de Csíkszentkirály et Krasznahorka''. Csí ...

* Senta Wengraf as Countess Bellegarde * as Countess Esterhazy-Liechtenstein

Historical inaccuracies

* The film portrays the historical events as if they had happened much earlier than they actually did. The Austro-Hungarian Compromise and the coronation of the imperial couple as King and Queen of Hungary happened in 1867, 12 years after Sissi's first daughter Sophie was born. This is in contrast to the third film, '' Fateful Years of an Empress'', which instead narrates historical events prior to 1859. * Sissi's first daughter,

, died at the age of two during a trip to Hungary. The second child, Gisela, born one year later, survived the same disease. * The Archduchess

indeed removed Sissi's daughters from her custody and took care of their education; Elisabeth suffered from it but accepted the decision and did not flee from the court. * Sissi's escape from Vienna happened instead, for the same reasons, after the birth of her son Rudolph. She would later oppose the strict military education planned for him.

Music

In addition to creations by Anton Profes, the film's music includes many classical works, including several waltzes by Johann Strauss and the Hallelujah from Messiah by

Georg Friedrich Handel George Frideric (or Frederick) Handel ( ; baptised , ; 23 February 1685 – 14 April 1759) was a German-British Baroque composer well-known for his operas, oratorios, anthems, concerti grossi, and organ concerti. Born in Halle, Germany, Han ...

, as well as the waltz "Les Nubiennes" from the opera ''

Faust Faust ( , ) is the protagonist of a classic German folklore, German legend based on the historical Johann Georg Faust (). The erudite Faust is highly successful yet dissatisfied with his life, which leads him to make a deal with the Devil at a ...

'' (Act 5) by

Charles Gounod Charles-François Gounod (; ; 17 June 181818 October 1893), usually known as Charles Gounod, was a French composer. He wrote twelve operas, of which the most popular has always been ''Faust (opera), Faust'' (1859); his ''Roméo et Juliette'' (18 ...

References

External links

*
Official site
{{DEFAULTSORT:Sissi 2 1956 films 1950s biographical drama films 1950s historical drama films Austrian biographical drama films Austrian historical drama films Cultural depictions of Empress Elisabeth of Austria Cultural depictions of Franz Joseph I of Austria Biographical films about Austrian royalty Films directed by Ernst Marischka Films set in Bavaria Films set in the 1850s Films set in Vienna 1950s German-language films Fiction about monarchy Austrian sequel films Films set in the Austrian Empire Films set in the Kingdom of Bavaria German-language biographical drama films German-language historical drama films