The Empress of Austria Elisabeth (or Sisi, as she is popularly known) is one of the most famous characters in European historical films. To date, there have been 10 feature films about her (the first was shot as far back as 1922), an uncountable number of TV series, books, performances and architectural monuments. Yet Frauke Finsterwalder reinvents the character completely by turning what had been considered the portrayal of a timid person into a liberating force that drives people to freedom. The new movie SISI & I seeks to explore the last years of Sisi’s life through a thought-provoking adventure filled with rebellion and excitement.
SISI & I is narrated by Irma who applies for a position of Lady in Waiting to Sisi. However, the friendship between them turns out to be more complicated than Irma expected when they were kids. Finally being hired on (and having her mother played by Sibylle Canonica laughing loudly at her right hand) she leaves for Corfu Island where Sisi lives now. This majestic building serves as Irma’s household while also acting as an escape for the empress from court life and her husband Franz Joseph I of Austria (Markus Schleinzer), where she plays with people’s lives like toys for amusement purposes alone. From beginning to end, SISI & I is both hilarious and captivating in its two principal female characters.
The late 19th Century set story sees Sisi leaving behind all personal possessions and material wealth she had enjoyed at court just so she can live on the Greek island called Corfu filled with endless parties and fun without feeling ashamed. For example, even though surrounded only by women on this island, she exercises total control over those working at her residence forcing them to follow absurd diets or use “healthy” concoctions while taking care of every minute detail herself. No other actress’ rendition of this character can be compared to the one Susanne Wollf gives because she does not mimic anyone. Therefore, in preparing for her role, the German actress was asked not to try and research anything concerning the real Empress Elisabeth beforehand – instead Frauke Finsterwalder wanted her performance to give life to the script of the film rather than just repeat a history book.
Sandra Hüller has been paired with Wolff (and it is high time some casting director put them together in a buddy cop flick). By early 2023, SISI & I had already premiered throughout Europe before audiences could see Hüller’s stunning performances in Anatomy of a Fall and The Zone of Interest. However, even though SISI & I introduces her as an actor into another genre, there are certain things that made her become an Oscar nominee for being a terrific lead actress in Anatomy of a Fall.
Irma draws closer to Sisi as her new lady in waiting, while SISI & I peels back another layer of their distinct, but well matched personalities. Does Irma’s help make Sisi a more caring friend from being an amoral empress when we first meet? Or is it that she becomes the spitting double of Sisi herself at the cost of her selflessness so as to still enjoy a modicum of power over their relationship?
SISI & I isn’t about offering direct solutions; neither does it need to be. It involves a messy relationship with manipulation and abusive power dynamics that come along with constant disagreement. This is a lifetime friendship that could send modern therapists outside laughing all the way to bank. However, despite evident red flags and signs of abuse, this friendship still rings true, feels genuine and enjoyable in its best moments. Achieving this balance required careful direction and exceptional performance from two of Germany’s finest actresses.
Beyond your typical period drama, SISI & I is consistently funny and surprising. Diverse themes like mental illness, eating disorders, abuse and femininity are tackled here in a mature manner. But there is also some humor in all this gloom which takes on an insubordinate attitude. The movie opens with Le Tigre’s “Deceptacon” blasting over the soundtrack as Irma rows across the sea towards Corfu for a very first meeting with Sisi –one which would be fictitious if it weren’t so powerful that playwrights were inspired by it for generations afterwards–as 90s art punk anthem engulfs every single frame; before you know it SISI & I has given you a smack on the backside saying ‘this isn’t your average period piece.’
SISI & Is dark sense of humour allows it to target those mature themes already mentioned which often dominate slow-burning prestige costume dramas like John Adams or Cranford. From a drunken rendition of the ancient Hellenic play Lysistrata to Sisi pretending to throw herself off a cliff and successfully pranking her staff at home. The film is constantly changing direction and rejuvenating itself emotionally with sudden bursts of energy in every scene. The opening shot has Hüller’s Irma being knocked out by her geriatric mother-a closed fist punch, not a slap-an audacious summation of the film’s physical comedy.
The trailers make this movie look slow-paced when that is far from the case. SISI & I is an emotional freight train that never stops, and takes turns one couldn’t expect. Audiences who do not know how Sisi’s story ends will be both enlightened and entertained; those familiar with Empress Elisabeth history would however be too engrossed in the journey to bother about the destination.
It seems odd then that it should come with frocks, corsets and ther Austria-Hungarian Empire set against Le Tigre Portishead Pop Tarts, and a beautiful T-Rex cover. Sofia Coppola’s Marie Antoinette had done something similar. It uses modern music which exhibits its new perspectives on both historical figures such as empresses Elizabeth whose names have featured in numerous European movies for decades now but also onto period drama itself. Such was the late 19th century obsession over Empress Elisabeth of Austria-Hungary who is today popularly known as Europe’s initial pop star by many people.
Why make another film about Sisi? How many times has her life story, her affair with the Emperor and how she rose to power been dealt with before (most notably in a series of German films starring Romy Schneider)? Why should we be subjected to it again? That’s because SISI & I doesn’t repeat what has been said before but peels away all the surrounding pop culture. It is not a totally historically correct movie that SISI & I wants to be. This film is mainly a study on character that focuses on both the happy energy and mental torments of this powerful figure who was simultaneously very weak as well.
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