“She is like a book to me, a riddle on each page. Her soul is like a chaotic museum, full of treasures that cannot be exploited. She doesn’t know what to do with all that. She lives in a different world, where she is walking a path so narrow, that only one person can walk it. “

Unless you are a firm adherent to the intimate details of European nobility and the history of the royal families that populated the continent in previous centuries, you likely are one of the multitudes of people who simply don’t know that much about Empress Elisabeth of Austria, the queen consort that reigned alongside her estranged husband in the late 19th century, which was a time of great social, political and cultural upheaval. As the quote above indicates, what has made her such an intriguing historical figure is how unknown she was, not in the sense of not being of notable public prominence (it is nearly impossible to be a member of any royal family and manage to remain in obscurity), but rather that those closest to her didn’t even know her that well. Personally, my knowledge of Empress Elisabeth (more informally known as “Queen Sissi”) ends with memories of seeing pictures of the Royal Hearse of Austria, which was used to transport her body after her death – and I’d expect many have similarly paltry fragments of knowledge about her, which only proves what a fascinating figure she was in terms of exploring her historical significance, of which she had an abundance. One individual who seems to have a remarkable depth of knowledge of Empress Elisabeth is Marie Kreutzer, who crafts a fascinating and thrilling biographical account of a short period in the monarch’s life, in the form of Corsage, a film of impeccable beauty and deeply provocative virtues, in which the director explores the various aspects of the queen’s life, focusing on the period surrounding her 40th birthday, which a doctor remarks is the life expectancy for the majority of women during this period, only to be met with the mocking scorn that Empress Elisabeth seems to have been known for, at least in Kreutzer’s version of her life. Endlessly clever and filled with wit and candour, Corsage is a compelling film, an entrancing account of a very interesting moment in her life, crafted with the kind of beauty and simplicity we don’t come across all that often in recent years.

The period drama as a genre tends to be quite divisive – for some viewers, the opportunity to luxuriate in the excess and splendour of the past is an unmissable experience, while for others, it is beyond unbearable, an attempt to hypnotize us into believing a work is of higher artistic merit because it is set in the past and distracts us with certain visual and narrative elements designed to hide the pedestrian nature of the story. Very often, these are both valid perspectives and shouldn’t be too harshly judged either way, since there are as many brilliant period dramas as there are awful ones, which makes its polarizing reception somewhat understandable. However, when it is done right, it can be difficult to find fault, and Corsage is one such film. It all comes down to how the director uses the period drama as a genre to tell a very particular story, and while it is a very straightforward drama, Kreutzer is not afraid to playfully subvert our expectations as she goes in search of a deeper understanding of the protagonist, one of the rare instances of a monarch who seemed to resent her status and place in the national culture, yearning for the freedom that she will never be afforded due to her stature. The film presents a compelling snapshot of a period, focusing on its people and places, rendering them in exquisite detail. Too many period dramas tend to be overinflated when it comes to the visual presentation, mainly using lavish production design and gorgeous costumes to draw our attention away from the narrative weaknesses – and while Corsage is stunningly beautiful, these aspects are not hiding the shortcomings. One could even argue that it has the opposite effect, hiding its true nature until quite late into the story – those who have given up with not be aware of the intelligent and subversive approach that only comes about in the latter portions, while those who are more attentive will find the journey there all the more captivating knowing very little about its existence, and instead just embracing the unknown, knowing that there is a rewarding conclusion on the other end, even if it is distinctly melancholy.

This conversation ultimately leads into a discussion on the most integral of themes that guide Corsage, namely that of the battle between modernity and tradition, which have been a component in multiple period films over the years, mainly because it is both wildly entertaining and very interesting and can easily be configured to fit the confines of a particular narrative, which is especially important when dealing with a biographical story. This film takes place on the precipice of the 20th century, so the winds of change are steadily blowing throughout this kingdom, and Empress Elisabeth is not one to idly sit by while progress is being made around her, instead plunging herself into he outside world as much as possible, hoping to unearth its peculiar secrets that are lingering out of view. We see her toggle the steadily narrowing division between the centuries, with the rise of new technological innovations and medical or scientific breakthroughs clashing with the belief in older traditions, which the nobility and aristocracy seem to be fervently holding onto for the sake of maintaining control, being fully aware of the fact that the moment they allow the modern world to encroach on their carefully-calibrated lives, their empire will begin to crumble. It’s not the first work to deal with these issues, but filtering them through the perspective of a truly fascinating figure like Empress Elisabeth is an intriguing choice since it takes some unique liberties in how it depicts her development into a proverbial “modern” woman, whether in her fashion choices or interest in new developments, which she embraces with far more enthusiasm than most of the royal court, who view were erratic behaviour as indicative of some terminal condition when in reality she is simply someone trying to desperately break out of the shackles into which she was put for so many years. The film shows her attempts to fight against the stifling conditions of the period, starting with a very literal image of her entrapment, and ending with a leap into the unknown, a scene taking place outside of any determinable place or time, showcasing the very timeless quality of this film and its story.

Vicky Krieps has been doing steady work for well over a decade now and has become one of these actors who has successfully managed to embrace her multicultural origins to play a wide range of characters, whether in period pieces or contemporary stories. Her sensibilities as an actor inherently lead to her making bold choices, regardless of the character – and as Empress Elisabeth, she finds herself turning in another astonishing performance. It’s always remarkable when a film can employ an ensemble cast, and have a wide range of great performers bring these characters to life, but we ultimately find ourselves lingering on only one of them, which is precisely the case with Krieps, who spends a considerable amount of time developing the role to feel like the sufficient and detailed individual the film was intent on portraying. Corsage is primarily a character study, and Krieps commits wholeheartedly to the challenges presented to her in the role, finding the nuance and detail in absolutely every frame of the story, and emerging having given a truly remarkable, detailed and complex portrayal of a woman teetering dangerously close on a complete breakdown, but who ultimately maintains her steadfast independence and spirit of rebellion, which manifests in behaviour that would appear erratic to those unversed in this style of storytelling, but which makes perfect sense in the context of the film as a whole, especially in those final few scenes where she truly embraces the revolutionary nature she has grown to depend on within, and which is finally manifesting in her outward actions. Krieps is a remarkable actor, and her chemistry with every one of her fellow performers, as well as her steadfast and meaningful approach to defining the character as one that is extremely three-dimensional, is a major reason behind the resounding success that Corsage has been experiencing over the past few months, the entire project serving to be a detailed showcase of Kriep’s excellent talents.

At a cursory glance, Corsage doesn’t seem all that striking or impressive – it appears to be a relatively conventional period drama, a well-constructed blend of beautiful costumes and stunning set design that draws on our inherent fascination with the past but does very little beyond offering us the chance to bask in the splendour of the period. In many ways, this isn’t entirely false – this is not a film that has a particular interest in reaching a coherent point, with the plot revolving around Empress Elisabeth approaching and surpassing her fortieth birthday (which isn’t even that important a milestone, since she managed to live a solid two decades past the period-specific life expectancy), trying to balance her duties as a monarch with her fervent desire to break free, going in pursuit of the individuality that she was forced to abandon years before, but which she has slowly started to learn has not disappeared from her life entirely, remaining embedded deep within her soul, yearning to emerge and manifest in her eventual shattering of conventions. Corsage is a film about liberation, whether it be physical or psychological, focusing on the efforts of someone who is a prominent member of one of Europe’s most intimidating royal families, yet feeling like this life of luxury does not match her inner intentions. Anchored by an astonishing performance by Krieps, and directed with precision, curiosity and compassion by Kreutzer, it actively manages to be so much more than initially meets the eye. A unique and powerful piece of historical storytelling, told by someone with a deep and sincere fondness for its material (both factual and detailed added for the sake of artistic liberty), Corsage is astonishing, and a film of such immense complexity and virtue, it’s a miracle that it managed to contain such a neat resolution, which is exactly what any period drama should strive to achieve in one way or another.