This delightful trilogy tells the story of Elisabeth of Bavaria (nicknamed Sisi) who ascended to the Austrian throne at the age of 16 upon marrying her cousin Franz-Josef. In doing so, she became Empress of Austria and beloved Queen of Hungary.
Elisabeth's beauty was legendary. 17-year old Romy Schneider was perfect in the role of the enchanting, outgoing, free-spirit. She plays Sisi from the age of 15 to her mid-20s when the last film ends.
The films were made between 1955 and 1957 as an Austro-German co-production under the helm of Austrian director Ernst Marischka. They are not historically accurate. They are in the style of mid-50s romantic comedies, good-natured and innocent and with a large dose of cornball humour. To modern viewers they may appear dated, schmaltzy and yes corny.
The first film "Sissi" is my favourite. It has the most pageantry and is the archetypal romance with the fairy-tale ending. It begins with Elisabeth's chance meeting with the young Franz-Josef, literally "hooking" him while out fishing in the lakes around Austria's picturesque Salzkammergut. It chronicles their secret whirlwind romance against the wishes of their parents and ends with the lavish Royal Wedding in Vienna amidst general rejoicing.
"Sissi: Die Junge Kaiserin" (The Young Empress) charts the first year of her marriage to Franz-Josef, her unhappiness at court, the meddling of her mother-in-law, her championing of Hungarian rights and ends with the Hungarian coronation.
"Sissi: Der Shicksalsjahre einer Kaiserin" (The Fateful Years of an Empress) chronicles her estrangement from the Austrian court, her diagnosis with a severe lung disease, presumably tuberculosis and her moving to warmer climes; her travels to Madeira, Corfu, Athens, Milan and Venice. The third film takes the most liberties in conflating fact and fiction. All the sad parts of her life have been removed or altered. The film ends with the Imperial Family meeting the Pope at St Mark's Basilica in Venice. The final lingering shot is of the happy family waving at their loyal Italian subjects in the Piazza San Marco as the band strikes up Haydn's rousing Kaiserhymne one last time.
Each of the 3 films is presented on its own individual disc. Disc 4 contains the 139min abridged version shown in America. It is recut with scenes reordered and dubbed into English and contains a new title song "Forever My Love" sung in English. In doing so it omits the original Sissi theme music. It is too truncated for my liking though American viewers averse to reading subtitles and not wanting to spend 5-plus hours on the originals may find this a worthwhile substitute.
Disc 5 contains the 1954 film "Mädchenjahre einer Königin" (Youthful Years of a Queen). 15-year old Romy Schneider plays Britain's newly crowned Queen Victoria. Amidst the scheming to get her married off to one or other of the royal houses of Europe, she travels to Dover and falls madly in love with a dashing young man who turns out to be the love of her life, Prince Albert of the German House of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha. Like the Sissi films this is also a light-hearted romance with humour provided in the form of the 3-stooges-like ladies-in-waiting and the young Queen's bumbling old manservant. Nice costumes and sets but not on the scale of the Sissi films. And the lovely Miss Schneider is much too beautiful to be believable as the stumpy, dour-faced Queen. Still it is a nice change from the Austrian court. And after 4 films filled with the Kaiserhymne (Deutschlandslied), it's actually a pleasure to hear "God Save The Queen" once again. The film is in German with optional English subtitles.
Picture quality is excellent in the main Sissi Trilogy. The entire trilogy has been restored and remastered. A few scattered instances of damaged and off-colour segments can be found but they are thankfully rare. All 3 films are presented in their original 1.33:1 aspect ratio (fullscreen). Sound quality is clear 1.0 mono, although it tends to be very bright, noticeable especially when the children come screeching onto the screen. Overall, very pleasing picture and acceptable sound. Optional English subtitles are provided. The 139min American version has NOT been restored. Contrast is set pretty high, the image looks a lot brighter, washed out at times, and colours are slightly off - Franz's blue uniform looks almost green at times. "Mädchenjahre einer Königin" has similarly not been restored and suffers from the same deficiencies. Still they are watchable, about comparable to a TV broadcast of vintage 50s material. Extras are pretty limited: A trailer each for the first and last Sissi films and a vintage 18-minute "Behind the Scenes" featurette for "Die Junge Kaiserin" on Disc 2. Romy Schneider takes us through the filming at the Schönbrunn Summer Palace, the honeymoon in the Tyrolean Alps, and Fuchsl Castle which stands in for Sisi's childhood home of Possenhofen. Three truly delightful gems from the past, beautifully restored. The price though should be a little lower.
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The Sissi Collection by Koch Lorber Films
VILMA DEGISCHER, GUSTAV KNUTH, MAGDA SCHNEIDER,
(Actor),
KARLHEINZ BOHM, ROMY SCHNEIDER,
(Actor)
Rated: Format: DVD
NR
$269.75$269.75
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Product Description
ROMY SCHNEIDER STARS AS SISSI, AN AUSTRIAN PRINCESS CAUGHT BETWEEN LOVE AND ROYAL RESPONSIBILITIES. THIS WORLD RENOWNED TRILOGY OF FILMS FOLLOWS PRINCESS ELIZABETH [SISSI] AND HER HUSBAND FRANZ JOSEF FRO.
Product details
- Is Discontinued By Manufacturer : No
- MPAA rating : NR (Not Rated)
- Media Format : Collector's Edition
- Run time : 574 minutes
- Release date : July 1, 2016
- Actors : VILMA DEGISCHER, GUSTAV KNUTH, MAGDA SCHNEIDER,, KARLHEINZ BOHM, ROMY SCHNEIDER,
- Subtitles: : English
- Studio : KOCH / LORBER
- ASIN : B00UGPG1MA
- Country of Origin : Germany
- Number of discs : 5
- Customer Reviews:
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Reviewed in the United States on November 25, 2007
Reviewed in the United States on January 1, 2018
[Note: This review is of the Blu-ray edition; this is also a "verified purchase," but was a gift, so my name does not appear on the original Amazon order.]
I have long been fascinated with the later history of the Hapsburg monarchy, of the problematic marriage between Franz Josef and Elisabeth, and the tragedy of Mayerling. This series presents a rather whitewashed version of historical events; a friend of mine who lived in Vienna told me that Austrians think of these films less as history and more as light entertainment, sort of the way Doris Day movies are perceived by Americans. They are also the films that are credited with making Romy Schneider a star, and deservedly so. The historical Elisabeth was widely regarded as the most beautiful woman in Europe, and Schneider's radiant beauty does her full justice. So if you're willing to set aside any expectations of probing psychology and historical details, you can derive an enormous amount of pleasure from these sumptuously filmed excursions into the world of Austrian royalty. I have had the complete set first on VHS, then on DVD and now, finally, on breathtakingly restored Blu-ray. The visuals are absolutely sumptuous, with magnificent costumes and Austrian scenery, and most of the interiors were filmed in actual Viennese locations. Some of them are not the true locations--for instance, the church in which we see Sissi and Franz get married in the first film is not the Augustinerkirche where the historical event took place, but rather the nearby St. Michael's, which is surprisingly used again in the second film as the site of the royal couple's coronation in Hungary. These minor lapses aside, the clarity of the visuals and extraordinary detail make every scene a treat for the eyes, and the soundtrack is in excellent fidelity, showcasing Anton Profes's lush romantic score. Some of the music he has selected is anachronistic, featuring waltzes by Johann Strauss, Jr., that hadn't actually been composed at the time of the events portrayed, but that's neither here nor there; they wonderfully evoke the fantasy of what we would all like to think the imperial lifestyle should have been. An unexpected feature of the set is that the films can be viewed either in the original 1.33:1 aspect ratio, or in 1.78:1 wide-screen. Normally I would not be a fan of such "conversion"; obviously something is lost at the top and the bottom of the screen when you try to fill a wide screen with a movie that was not filmed in a widescreen format, but it has been so skillfully edited that you do not notice anything awry in the widescreen versions; the tops of heads are not cut off, vital visual elements are not missing, and the high-definition image makes it look as though the series was actually filmed in widescreen yesterday rather than 60 years ago. I can honestly say I have never enjoyed these films more or been more involved in the story than while watching these incredible faux widescreen adaptations. And for purists, of course, the original aspect ratio is also an option. Life in 19th=century Vienna could be dark and grim, a place where every silver lining seemed to have a cloud. But if you want to travel to the fantasy operetta Vienna in which everything is gilded opulence, whipped cream and prancing Lipizzaner horses, these delightful entertainments will take you there.
I have long been fascinated with the later history of the Hapsburg monarchy, of the problematic marriage between Franz Josef and Elisabeth, and the tragedy of Mayerling. This series presents a rather whitewashed version of historical events; a friend of mine who lived in Vienna told me that Austrians think of these films less as history and more as light entertainment, sort of the way Doris Day movies are perceived by Americans. They are also the films that are credited with making Romy Schneider a star, and deservedly so. The historical Elisabeth was widely regarded as the most beautiful woman in Europe, and Schneider's radiant beauty does her full justice. So if you're willing to set aside any expectations of probing psychology and historical details, you can derive an enormous amount of pleasure from these sumptuously filmed excursions into the world of Austrian royalty. I have had the complete set first on VHS, then on DVD and now, finally, on breathtakingly restored Blu-ray. The visuals are absolutely sumptuous, with magnificent costumes and Austrian scenery, and most of the interiors were filmed in actual Viennese locations. Some of them are not the true locations--for instance, the church in which we see Sissi and Franz get married in the first film is not the Augustinerkirche where the historical event took place, but rather the nearby St. Michael's, which is surprisingly used again in the second film as the site of the royal couple's coronation in Hungary. These minor lapses aside, the clarity of the visuals and extraordinary detail make every scene a treat for the eyes, and the soundtrack is in excellent fidelity, showcasing Anton Profes's lush romantic score. Some of the music he has selected is anachronistic, featuring waltzes by Johann Strauss, Jr., that hadn't actually been composed at the time of the events portrayed, but that's neither here nor there; they wonderfully evoke the fantasy of what we would all like to think the imperial lifestyle should have been. An unexpected feature of the set is that the films can be viewed either in the original 1.33:1 aspect ratio, or in 1.78:1 wide-screen. Normally I would not be a fan of such "conversion"; obviously something is lost at the top and the bottom of the screen when you try to fill a wide screen with a movie that was not filmed in a widescreen format, but it has been so skillfully edited that you do not notice anything awry in the widescreen versions; the tops of heads are not cut off, vital visual elements are not missing, and the high-definition image makes it look as though the series was actually filmed in widescreen yesterday rather than 60 years ago. I can honestly say I have never enjoyed these films more or been more involved in the story than while watching these incredible faux widescreen adaptations. And for purists, of course, the original aspect ratio is also an option. Life in 19th=century Vienna could be dark and grim, a place where every silver lining seemed to have a cloud. But if you want to travel to the fantasy operetta Vienna in which everything is gilded opulence, whipped cream and prancing Lipizzaner horses, these delightful entertainments will take you there.
Reviewed in the United States on January 30, 2023
Both my mother and my wife have always loved watching this series, when it was shown on television at Christmas time. Now my daughter has also grown to love it.
Reviewed in the United States on October 11, 2022
My Bavarian Mom loves this movie. It’s her favorite and now that she has dementia she doesn’t remember it. I recently found it on Amazon & I’m so grateful for the subtitles. We have watched it numerous times and I’ve found I absolutely love it! The costumes, the settings and the actors themselves are beautiful and endearing.
Reviewed in the United States on May 26, 2009
This German film trilogy is delightful and entertaining on several levels. While it has a decidedly light feel, particularly to this current generation accustomed to ponderous and hypercritical treatments of the past, the films also deal with important human themes beneath the sparkle and charm of the beautiful scenery, charming actors and actresses, its sentimentality and the frequent comic relief. It is a refreshing change to view a film that is immensely entertaining in its combination of history, romance and humor, yet still manages to depict issues of universal relevance and import such as tensions between mother-in-law and daughter-in-law, the conflict between individual dreams and family harmony, the clash of differing family cultures as well as temptations to adultery. The film also presents the political tensions within the Hapsburg Empire as well as the burdensome, stressful life of the ruling Hapsburg family that "Sissi" married into.
Romy Schneider is lovely as the main character Elisabeth of Bavaria, affectionately known as "Sissi," and the other characters are splendidly played as well. Critics may argue that a film with such a light tone is far from realistic in its handling of the historical period depicted. There is unarguably some truth to such a criticism, as this is no documentary-style drama. However, if we are just in our examination of historical films, the very serious works that focus on everything grim and sordid in the past, usually viewed through a modern perspective completely alien to the time period presented, are probably as far removed the historical reality as the sentimental and idealized "Sissi." I believe that we would all benefit from more films like "Sissi"--sparkling entertainments that still provide a few good insights about human nature and history amidst the laughter and optimism.
"Sissi" is also of particular interest to German speakers and those interested in German cinema.
Romy Schneider is lovely as the main character Elisabeth of Bavaria, affectionately known as "Sissi," and the other characters are splendidly played as well. Critics may argue that a film with such a light tone is far from realistic in its handling of the historical period depicted. There is unarguably some truth to such a criticism, as this is no documentary-style drama. However, if we are just in our examination of historical films, the very serious works that focus on everything grim and sordid in the past, usually viewed through a modern perspective completely alien to the time period presented, are probably as far removed the historical reality as the sentimental and idealized "Sissi." I believe that we would all benefit from more films like "Sissi"--sparkling entertainments that still provide a few good insights about human nature and history amidst the laughter and optimism.
"Sissi" is also of particular interest to German speakers and those interested in German cinema.
Reviewed in the United States on June 11, 2013
The Box set includes Three Sissi films. The first was a big succes, so they got caught up in the "sequel" trap. Number 1 is very good, number 2 is ok, number 3 is Very Slow and at times boring. The last two discs are condense versions of the first three and then Out takes. So truly you are getting 1 good film, and two poor films, and then "filler."
Yes, I have visited Austria, and yes the Schonbrunn Castle and The Bavarian countryside are gorgeous and make the film beautiful. The acting is good, and the story is "Fairytale."
I became interested because (I am American) and my husband is Austrian. He talked about Sisi a lot, and how wonderful the film was, so I bought it.
I speak some German so it was fun to hear a German movie (with English subtitles).
BUT...the movie is no more true than Cinderella !
Elisabeth disliked being Empress, she disliked being in Vienna. She spent the perponderance of her time in Hungry, and Maderia, and any other place that was NOT Vienna. In her last decades she spent as little as a few weeks per year with her husband. Much of this is atributed to the fact that her mother in law was domineering and disaproving. While in the film, Franz Joseph takes the side of Sissi (one or two middle 'ss' I see it each wasy) in life Franz Josef looked to his mother for all things relating to the Empire and the Castle. Even Sissi's parents, who are portrayed as supportive and loving were anything but. Even the circumstances of how they met is FALSIFIED in the movie. (there are hints of these truths in between the lines in the movie)
I find this all amusing since one of America's most loved films "Sound of Music" was filmed in Salzburg, Austria, and it is dismissed in Austria for it's deviation from facts. Ah well.
Believe me, the first film is very good and very beautiful and very entertaining.....and for a film that is great. But do not walk away thinking you know the story of The Last Emporer and Empress of Austria. I have read a couple of books on the subject. "Nervous Splendor" and "Reluctant Empress" The first covers the murder / suicide of Sisi's son Rudolf. The second is a very well done biography of Sisi herself. Both are spellbinding. They are not from the same author, and important incidents are portrayed identically.
So, enjoy the movie for entertainment, but I recommend the books if you care at all about the fascinating True Story.
Yes, I have visited Austria, and yes the Schonbrunn Castle and The Bavarian countryside are gorgeous and make the film beautiful. The acting is good, and the story is "Fairytale."
I became interested because (I am American) and my husband is Austrian. He talked about Sisi a lot, and how wonderful the film was, so I bought it.
I speak some German so it was fun to hear a German movie (with English subtitles).
BUT...the movie is no more true than Cinderella !
Elisabeth disliked being Empress, she disliked being in Vienna. She spent the perponderance of her time in Hungry, and Maderia, and any other place that was NOT Vienna. In her last decades she spent as little as a few weeks per year with her husband. Much of this is atributed to the fact that her mother in law was domineering and disaproving. While in the film, Franz Joseph takes the side of Sissi (one or two middle 'ss' I see it each wasy) in life Franz Josef looked to his mother for all things relating to the Empire and the Castle. Even Sissi's parents, who are portrayed as supportive and loving were anything but. Even the circumstances of how they met is FALSIFIED in the movie. (there are hints of these truths in between the lines in the movie)
I find this all amusing since one of America's most loved films "Sound of Music" was filmed in Salzburg, Austria, and it is dismissed in Austria for it's deviation from facts. Ah well.
Believe me, the first film is very good and very beautiful and very entertaining.....and for a film that is great. But do not walk away thinking you know the story of The Last Emporer and Empress of Austria. I have read a couple of books on the subject. "Nervous Splendor" and "Reluctant Empress" The first covers the murder / suicide of Sisi's son Rudolf. The second is a very well done biography of Sisi herself. Both are spellbinding. They are not from the same author, and important incidents are portrayed identically.
So, enjoy the movie for entertainment, but I recommend the books if you care at all about the fascinating True Story.
4.0 out of 5 stars
Tremendous Family Films Tho Only Two of Five Discs Are Dubbed in English Language
Reviewed in the United States on January 9, 2017
Endearing, wholesome movies inspired by the lives of Emperor Franz Joseph and Empress Elizabeth (Sissi) of Austria. Had a delightful combination of light romance and drama with a surprising amount of comedy which made the movies for me. Austrian landscape does remind me of 'Sound of Music' as do the number of children engaged (no singing tho so clearly not a musical), costumes and locations were elegant by far, and characters were utterly engrossing from Sissi's struggles to cope with becoming a queen, to the amusing antics of the Gendarmerie-Major Böckl (reminded me some of Danny Kaye in "The Inspector General") as well as the coldness portrayed by Archduchess Sophie (came across as Endora's character from "Bewitched" only this time rancor was directed toward Sissi). Product description was true tho not as clear as it could be as to Language, subtitles were easy-to-read and to the point which was appreciated, and my wife said some scenes moved too fast of which I would agree one example such as thrill of being one-month pregnant to scene abruptly one year later with baby born and shapely figure back in form. Enjoyable films overall tho and I would assuredly recommend!
Reviewed in the United States on December 11, 2021
Love this film collection! One thing to realize is that only with Blu-ray do you get a choice of original or widescreen, otherwise only widescreen. It is well-done, but I was slightly disappointed about this. The dubbed compilation film is still in its original format though. Also if I could have everything, I wish there were German subtitles as well as the English ones. These details don't affect my overall satisfaction significantly, especially for the reasonable price and since in any case the films are so enjoyable and look great.
Reviewed in the United States on February 13, 2020
(This review pertains to the remastered Blu-ray version.) In these angst-laden times, what could be more pleasing than to cozy up with a cup of tea, a cookie (or better still, a pastry mit schlag), and watch this delightful confection? I recently visited Sissi's palace Godollo in Hungary, and several of the people in our group remembered fondly watching the Sissi films at Christmastime growing up in Europe. If the radiant Romy Schneider, the sumptuous color, the beautiful European scenery, music and costumes, and the touching sentiment aren't a vacation from your day-to-day cares, I would be very surprised.
Yes, it's perhaps a little schmaltzy at times to our contemporary eyes, and it's not meant to be a historical documentary. But I was entranced by the story of the love between Sissi and her family, and her romance with her husband Emperor Franz Joseph. Occasionally a tear came to my eye as well. A real pleasure.
Yes, it's perhaps a little schmaltzy at times to our contemporary eyes, and it's not meant to be a historical documentary. But I was entranced by the story of the love between Sissi and her family, and her romance with her husband Emperor Franz Joseph. Occasionally a tear came to my eye as well. A real pleasure.
Reviewed in the United States on June 21, 2012
Having studied & lived in Germany for 3 years, I was introduced to the Sissi movies, which I learned were a big comfort to Europeans after their ordeal before the 1950's. Watching what life was like in the era of monarchies & churches brought back meaningful memories of a time that was in important ways freer & more humane. Plus, these movies were something different from the same stream of Cowboy-Western movies that were so big in the 1950's.
But the Sissi movies are phenomenal. For some reason before the 1990's (except for the British), German & European movies in general never compared to the quality of Hollywood, usually making no sense. The plots were weird, the acting was strange, the scripts were subjectively symbolic, the scenes were psychological, etc. The Sissi movies prove that the Germans & Austrians, and any European film company, could produce top quality movies that felt just like they came from Hollywood. The story, the acting, the scripts, the scenes, everything about the Sissi movies are comparable to a Hollywood movie. All of them are quite delightful & historically-culturally informative. Why didn't the Europeans do more of this?
I highly recommend these movies, in spite of the Bavarian & Austrian dialects. They are a lot of fun to watch for the whole family. Plus, teachers can use them to start good discussions on culture, certain social issues, history, etc. from a German-Austrian perspective.
But the Sissi movies are phenomenal. For some reason before the 1990's (except for the British), German & European movies in general never compared to the quality of Hollywood, usually making no sense. The plots were weird, the acting was strange, the scripts were subjectively symbolic, the scenes were psychological, etc. The Sissi movies prove that the Germans & Austrians, and any European film company, could produce top quality movies that felt just like they came from Hollywood. The story, the acting, the scripts, the scenes, everything about the Sissi movies are comparable to a Hollywood movie. All of them are quite delightful & historically-culturally informative. Why didn't the Europeans do more of this?
I highly recommend these movies, in spite of the Bavarian & Austrian dialects. They are a lot of fun to watch for the whole family. Plus, teachers can use them to start good discussions on culture, certain social issues, history, etc. from a German-Austrian perspective.
Reviewed in the United States on November 24, 2019
From the details on the costuming to the details on the furniture, this is one visual feast of elegance. Add to that the stunning outdoor locations and the radiant beauty of 18 year old Romy Schneider, and you just may wish the Empire had never ended. There are historical events and relationships in the films, and the trilogy does mirror Sissi's young life, but much of it is just a twirling waltz through an opulent world, in vibrant technicolor (I assume), and that is fine with me. I think the first of the three films is my favorite because of the added personality of Sissi's father and his drinking song, but the third film has a gorgeous boat procession up the grand canal of Venice and a scene in front of St. Mark's, so hard to say.
Reviewed in the United States on April 19, 2018
OMG what a restoration from the original DVD's! AGFA color never looked this good. Bruno Mondi (who filmed a lot of movies in the Nazi period) shot spectacular scenery...almost a fairyland story. You will never get tired of these movies. Sound is outstanding too. What is so interesting is Germans (or Austrians) were still filming in 4 X 3 frame while Hollywood had really gone to widescreen by this time. On these disks there has been a "re-framing" of the original to make them appear widescreen - and really not a bad effort. I am way too much a purist and want to see everything that was filmed and keep it in 4 X 3 (you have a choice). Films are virtually perfect - clear, clean, no scratches and very very sharp and colorful. Subtitles are excellent.
Reviewed in the United States on December 1, 2007
I saw the Sissi films many, many years ago when I still lived in Germany. Though I have seen many films over the past 2 decades that I liked a lot, Sissi has always been my all-time favorite. I have the VHS tapes, but no longer a Video player to play the tapes... I am thrilled to pieces to have found the Sissi films on DVDs I can watch here in America and can't wait for them to arrive! I should probably have waited until they got here to provide a REAL review, but I already know what I'm getting...lol. I honestly don't think that I will ever see a film or series which could knock Sissi off the #1 spot on my favorites list. Sissi, played by Romy Schneider and co-starring her real-life mother Magda Schneider in the role of Sissi's mother is enchanting in her innocence. I feel rebellious with her when she has to fight against Franz Joseph's dominating mother, putting her husband in the middle.
All in all, I am completely ecstatic at having found this DVD set here!!!
All in all, I am completely ecstatic at having found this DVD set here!!!
Reviewed in the United States on February 24, 2018
Sissi is what we watched every year during Christmas. It's a tradition and I'm so glad that I have them on a format that is able to be played here in the states. Now, the actual story of Sissi, empress of Austria, is not a glamorous as the movies show, so if you're looking for a correct life documentary on Sissi, this is not for you. If you want a spin off and are looking for a romantic story without indecency that still has some solid historic facts in it, this is for you. Romy Schneider plays a lovely Elisabeth aka Sissi. The movies are clean, modest, innocent. There are family issues that have to be resolved, life to be dealt with, and lots of love to be shared.
Reviewed in the United States on May 22, 2015
My German wife watched this movie every year for Christmas as a child. So, while in Germany one recent Christmas, I watched it in entirety. YES, I watched am movie titled 'Sissi,' so get over it, fellas. If you're a history buff who read books like 'The Hapsburgs, or 'Buddenbrooks,' then you'll get why I loved the movie. It's a true story of love, honor, duty, commitment and struggle between a man and a woman who love one another, who also happen to rule an empire. Where does a man's love for his wife take precedence over his duty to his entire kingdom? A noble man; a duty-bound and honorable leader, but torn between duty, tradition, and love. It's a refreshing thing to watch something that is true, and neither ends in Greek Tragedy or a Hollywood ending. Well done to those who made this German/Austrian production!!