Interval movies, specifically biopics featuring a well-known historical figure, can get started to blur collectively. They are under no circumstances revolutionary, generally observe the same system, and the only issue viewers go over at the stop is how excellent the costumes have been. But Corsage is diverse. This internationally co-made historic drama by author/director Marie Kreutzer was basically built to reverse the common stereotypes of the style, with a unusual exceptional take on the tale of the 19th-century Empress Elisabeth of Austria.
In Austria, Empress Elisabeth is an obsession. Her existence has been retold many periods as a result of movies and publications, and her confront is reproduced onto every touristy knick-knack. Most famously, she was the topic of the ‘Sissi’ film trilogy, a soapy, rose-tinted collection established in the 1950s — a portrayal that Corsage rebels towards. Instead, it’s a fictionalised account of the yr the empress turned 40, when society decided she had turn out to be an ‘old woman’ and she commenced to retreat from the community eye.
Corsage was riveting, a movie that followed a sluggish passage of time with no throwing away a instant. Every scene — whether or not it was Elisabeth submerged in a bathtub, smoking cigarettes even though standing for a portrait, or purple-faced and exercising on a wall bar — was important and extra perception into her character. And her character was interesting. Portrayed by the spectacular Vicky Krieps, the empress was imposing, steely, and entrancing to enjoy. This edition of Elisabeth (which couldn’t be further more from the G-rated 50s iteration), was a selfish, angry, sexual being, and a refreshingly complex portrayal of a historical female.
The film regularly deviated from expectations, using dry humour to include stunning moments and stay away from the common stale tempo of indie historical dramas. It experienced a sarcastic undertone, illuminating the performative character of the time by means of refined hints — like showing the characters’ faux teeth, wigs, and stick-on sideburns. Also, the dialogue had lots of darkly humorous lines, for instance ‘I forbid you to drown in my lake, it’s my lake’.
Corsage was developed with an inherently feminine standpoint. Quite a few of the scenes had an erotic good quality but directed by Kreutzer, they arrived across wholly in different ways than all those produced with the common male gaze. Elisabeth had a number of romantic interactions during the movie, but none had any avoidable sexual steps or nudity, and when they were included, it felt practical. One this kind of minute was with her English riding teacher (Colin Morgan), where their intimacy was employed to discover Elisabeth’s need for admiration. It was not choreographed to attraction to a male. And it was however superbly sensual.
The German term ‘corsage’ interprets to ‘corset’, and this restrictive, suffocating piece of clothes was not only a literal aim in the movie, but also a metaphor for the confinement of the empress’s daily life. Elisabeth’s struggles with entire body image and ageism, as very well as the limiting societal expectations of her position, will be relatable for any woman. These themes ended up explored viscerally in the movie and it was immensely gratifying.
Some sections of the empress’s riot (this kind of as increasing her middle finger to a room entire of dignitaries) ended up of course fictionalised, but other folks are correct. She did smoke, have a tattoo, ride her horse at breakneck pace, and stay away from her courtroom by travelling for lengthy intervals of time. Corsage just takes it a bit even further and magnifies her rising disillusionment, making an imagined ending that highlights the applicable areas of her story.
Amongst a plethora of dull, unoriginal historic stories, Corsage stands out as an unapologetic film with a transformative feminine viewpoint and a rebellious coronary heart. For any one who has at any time felt trapped by the expectations of other folks, it’s a certainly liberating knowledge.
Five STARS (OUT OF Five)
As section of the Perth Festival, Corsage is showing from 28 November to 4 December at the UWA Somerville Auditorium.
