Queen Christina (film): Difference between revisions
HAR citation |
m →Plot |
||
| (3 intermediate revisions by 2 users not shown) | |||
| Line 28: | Line 28: | ||
<blockquote>"Spoils, glory, flags and trumpets! What is behind these high-sounding words? Death and destruction, triumphals of crippled men, Sweden victorious in a ravaged Europe, an island in a dead sea. I tell you, I want no more of it. I want for my people security and happiness. I want to cultivate the arts of peace, the arts of life. I want peace and peace I will have!"</blockquote> |
<blockquote>"Spoils, glory, flags and trumpets! What is behind these high-sounding words? Death and destruction, triumphals of crippled men, Sweden victorious in a ravaged Europe, an island in a dead sea. I tell you, I want no more of it. I want for my people security and happiness. I want to cultivate the arts of peace, the arts of life. I want peace and peace I will have!"</blockquote> |
||
Christina, who first took the throne at age 6 upon the death of her father in battle, is depicted as so devoted to both governing well and educating herself that she has spurned any kind of serious romance or marriage despite pressures from her |
Christina, who first took the throne at age 6 upon the death of her father in battle, is depicted as so devoted to both governing well and educating herself that she has spurned any kind of serious romance or marriage despite pressures from her councilors and court to marry her hero-cousin Karl ([[Reginald Owen]]) and produce an heir. One day, in an effort to escape the restrictions of her royal life, she sneaks out of town, disguised as a man, and ends up snowbound at an inn, where she has to share a bed with also stranded [[Spain|Spanish]] envoy Antonio ([[John Gilbert (actor)|John Gilbert]]) on his way to the capital. After befriending, and upon revealing that she is a woman, then sharing the same bed, the two fall in love, however she still has not revealed that she is the queen. After a few idyllic nights together, Christina and Antonio are compelled to part, but Christina promises to find him in [[Stockholm]] – which she does, when the Spaniard presents his embassy to the Queen, whom he recognises as his lover. |
||
When Count Magnus ([[Ian Keith]]), who wants the Queen's affections for his own, riles up the |
When Count Magnus ([[Ian Keith]]), who wants the Queen's affections for his own, riles up the people against the Spaniard, Christina abdicates the throne, nominating her groom Karl as her successor while declining to marry him. She leaves Sweden to catch up with Don Antonio who has just been deported to the neighbouring country, but she finds him gravely wounded from a swords duel he had with Magnus, which he lost, and he dies in her arms. She resolves to proceed with her voyage to Spain where she envisions residing in Antonio's home on the white cliffs overlooking the sea. And, in arguably the most famous shot of the film, its ending, Christina stands as a silent figurehead at the bow of the ship bound for Spain. With the wind blowing through her hair, the camera moves in to a tight close-up on her face. |
||
==Critical reception== |
==Critical reception== |
||
Revision as of 07:20, 27 August 2010
| Queen Christina | |
|---|---|
| File:QueenChrisPoster.jpg Theatrical release poster | |
| Directed by | Rouben Mamoulian |
| Written by | Story: Salka Viertel Margaret P. Levino Screnplay: H. M. Harwood Salka Viertel S. N. Behrman (dialogue) |
| Produced by | Walter Wanger |
| Starring | Greta Garbo John Gilbert |
| Cinematography | William H. Daniels |
| Edited by | Blanche Sewell |
| Music by | Herbert Stothart |
| Distributed by | Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer |
Release date | December 26, 1933 (US) |
Running time | 97 minutes |
| Country | Template:FilmUS |
| Language | Transclusion error: {{En}} is only for use in File namespace. Use {{lang-en}} or {{in lang|en}} instead. |
| Budget | $1,114,000 (est.) |
| Box office | $2,610,000 (world) |
Queen Christina is a 1933 American pre-code historical drama film directed by Rouben Mamoulian.[1] The film was written by H. M. Harwood and Salka Viertel with dialogue by S. N. Behrman, based on a story by Salka Viertel and Margaret P. Levino. It stars Greta Garbo, John Gilbert, Ian Keith and Lewis Stone.[2][3]
The movie is very loosely based on the life of the 17th century Queen Christina of Sweden, who, in the film, falls in love during her reign but has to deal with the political realities of her society. It was billed as Garbo's return to cinema after an eighteen-month hiatus.
Plot
Queen Christina of Sweden (Greta Garbo) is very devoted to her country and the welfare of her people. As Queen, Christina favours peace for Sweden. At one point in the film she argues for an end to the Thirty Years' War, saying:
"Spoils, glory, flags and trumpets! What is behind these high-sounding words? Death and destruction, triumphals of crippled men, Sweden victorious in a ravaged Europe, an island in a dead sea. I tell you, I want no more of it. I want for my people security and happiness. I want to cultivate the arts of peace, the arts of life. I want peace and peace I will have!"
Christina, who first took the throne at age 6 upon the death of her father in battle, is depicted as so devoted to both governing well and educating herself that she has spurned any kind of serious romance or marriage despite pressures from her councilors and court to marry her hero-cousin Karl (Reginald Owen) and produce an heir. One day, in an effort to escape the restrictions of her royal life, she sneaks out of town, disguised as a man, and ends up snowbound at an inn, where she has to share a bed with also stranded Spanish envoy Antonio (John Gilbert) on his way to the capital. After befriending, and upon revealing that she is a woman, then sharing the same bed, the two fall in love, however she still has not revealed that she is the queen. After a few idyllic nights together, Christina and Antonio are compelled to part, but Christina promises to find him in Stockholm – which she does, when the Spaniard presents his embassy to the Queen, whom he recognises as his lover.
When Count Magnus (Ian Keith), who wants the Queen's affections for his own, riles up the people against the Spaniard, Christina abdicates the throne, nominating her groom Karl as her successor while declining to marry him. She leaves Sweden to catch up with Don Antonio who has just been deported to the neighbouring country, but she finds him gravely wounded from a swords duel he had with Magnus, which he lost, and he dies in her arms. She resolves to proceed with her voyage to Spain where she envisions residing in Antonio's home on the white cliffs overlooking the sea. And, in arguably the most famous shot of the film, its ending, Christina stands as a silent figurehead at the bow of the ship bound for Spain. With the wind blowing through her hair, the camera moves in to a tight close-up on her face.
Critical reception
The film received good reviews from contemporary film critics.
Critic Mordaunt Hall, writing for The New York Times, gave the film a positive review and liked the screenplay and Mamoulian's direction of the film. He wrote, "S. N. Behrman, the playwright, is responsible for the dialogue, which is a bright and smooth piece of writing, and Rouben Mamoulian did the direction. Mr. Mamoulian still has a penchant for asking the audience to fasten their gaze on his work with lights and shades rather than continuing the story, but here he does it less frequently than hitherto, and his scenes are, without a doubt, entrancing compositions."[4]
Currently, the film has a 100% "Fresh" rating at Rotten Tomatoes, based on ten reviews.[5]
Cast
- Greta Garbo as Queen Christina
- John Gilbert as Antonio
- Ian Keith as Magnus
- Lewis Stone as Oxenstierna
- Elizabeth Young as Countess Ebba Sparre
- C. Aubrey Smith as Aage
- Reginald Owen as Charles
- Georges Renavent as Chanut
- David Torrence as Archbishop
- Gustav von Seyffertitz as General
- Ferdinand Munier as Innkeeper
- Akim Tamiroff as Pedro (uncredited)
- Muriel Evans as Barmaid at Inn
- Hooper Atchley as Antonio's Companion in Coach
Awards
- Nominations
- Venice Film Festival: Mussolini Cup, Rouben Mamoulian; 1934.
Notes
- ^ Queen Christina at IMDb .
- ^ Variety film review; January 2, 1934, page 13.
- ^ Harrison's Reports film review; January 6, 1934, page 3.
- ^ Hall, Mordaunt Hall. The New York Times, film review, "Greta Garbo Appears as Queen Christina of Sweden in Her First Film in More Than Eighteen Months," December 27, 1933.
- ^ Queen Christina at Rotten Tomatoes Last accessed: March 27, 2007.
External links
- Queen Christina at Film Site by Tim Dirks
- Queen Christina informational site.
- Queen Christina at IMDb
- Queen Christina at the TCM Movie Database
- Queen Christina at AllMovie