The story of an Austrian empress who decided to break all the rules
“Corsage” succeeds in being a rare cinematic work, which follows Elizabeth, a woman whose beauty precedes her, but who feels more and more trapped day by day, until she decides to embark on a journey of self-initiation and breaking glass ceilings. The result is spectacular and unique
Marie Kreutzer’s new film describes the mental disintegration of someone who lives in a golden cage, a noble and beautiful woman, but at the same time impudent. That’s why she fascinates us from the first moment. The heroine is played by Vicky Krieps from Luxembourg, nominated for an Oscar, who presents a breathtaking performance, no less.
The film opens on Elizabeth’s 40th birthday. Her frustration moves along two axes: she resents the limited role she has been given and should be expressed mainly in the flattering portraits of her distributed by the royal house, and at the same time she suffers greatly from the idea that she is getting old and what that will entail. In other words, its only advantage in the eyes of the environment, its reason for existence, its beauty, is fading away.
She is obsessed with her appearance, and at the same time resents that the emperor refuses to allow her to express her opinion and influence the affairs of the empire. Elizabeth’s loneliness increases when it becomes clear that her children, who were born into the class, have completely internalized the code of conduct, joining all of her critics and also trying, in their own way, to rule her.
The heroine, as mentioned, is a sharp and smart woman, one who knows how to conduct herself in a man’s world. And at the same time it stretches the boundaries in a way that threatens to harm the reputation of the royal house. The film is a collage of scenes, many of which stand on their own, and do not advance the plot, and this is part of the strength of the entire film – they range between images of gray routine, such as the obsessive diets and weighing, and images of rebellion, such as the impulsive cutting of her long hair that weighs her down . Most of the scenes, like the one where Elizabeth is riding a galloping horse inside an enclosed space, are full of trapped energy, so the film draws the viewer in immediately.
All these clues that connect the past with the present, make the film multi-layered and fascinating. “Corsage” is a movie The beauty, which is made with great talent, such that bears a frustrating statement, regarding the ability of women to act in the world. The question that arises at the end of the viewing is whether the sad fate of Princess Elizabeth, who was very talented but could not see herself other than through the eyes of the men around her. Is it largely also the fate of all women?
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