Queen Christina (A- or 3.5/4 stars)
'Queen Christina' (directed by Rouben Mamoulian) is one of those lavish MGM biopics from the 1930s that played fast & loose with historical accuracy. Having said that, it's a beautiful movie that engrossed me from beginning to end -- and contains the legendary Greta Garbo in one of her finest performances. When Sweden's King dies in battle in 1632, after 14 yrs. of the Thirty Years' War, the 6 yr. old Christina, raised like a boy by her father, is crowned ruler. The grown-up Christina, who enjoys wearing men's clothes, confers with her council about the still-raging war and, decides that for the good of Sweden, a peace treaty MUST be negotiated. Peace brings prosperity and, her people press for her to marry. Chancellor Oxenstierna (Lewis Stone) urges that her best choice is to marry the politically correct option: older popular war hero, Prince Charles (Reginald Owen). Sure, he's her COUSIN, but producing a proper Protestant heir is of utmost importance. Instead, Christina has an affair with Count Magnus (Ian Keith), her overly-ambitious treasury secretary.
But the Queen tires of Magnus and, looking for some time away from court, goes horseback riding with her loyal valet, Aage (C. Aubrey Smith). Deep in the wintry forest, while dressed as a man, she encounters a coach that is stuck in the snow. One of the passengers is the handsome diplomatic emissary of the Spanish king, Don Antonio de la Prada (John Gilbert), who thinks she's a man servant. Later, he seeks shelter in the same inn she is staying at & apologizes for mistaking Christina for a servant instead of as a wealthy gentleman. Since all the rooms are taken {due to a snow storm}, Christina volunteers to let him share her room.
Forced to share a bed, Christina disrobes to reveal her true sex ... but not her true identity. The couple become lovers for the next few days; even vow lasting devotion to each other. When Antonio again meets Christina in Stockholm, he's stunned to discover that she's the Queen. In no time, he proposes marriage. Meanwhile, Magnus gets wind of her love for Catholic Antonio & vilifies him to the Protestant Swedish public. And so, Christina must make-up with her public, yet also make the most important decision of her life: abdicate her crown to marry Antonio, or remain as Sweden's beloved queen. Melodrama & tragedy ensues, culminating with Garbo's memorable long close-up shot as she looks mysteriously off into the horizon ... and we, the viewers, must try to ascertain what she might be thinking.
'Queen Christina' is another Garbo film that was inexplicably was left out of the Oscar race. Perhaps controversy held it back. Garbo insisted on ex-lover John Gilbert being the male lead when MGM wanted someone else. Also, showing Garbo in men's clothes, showing her kissing a female character, the fact that Garbo was bisexual, and knowledge that Queen Christina may have been bisexual, too ... all might've led some circles in Hollywood to cringe, bit. But boy, for me, this is one stellar movie. As mentioned above, it's not the most historically accurate depiction of events that occurred 400 yrs. ago, but as a piece of engrossing cinema ... it worked for me. From a technical standpoint, 'Queen Christina' is exceptional. The cinematography is crisp, with beautiful, sweeping camera movements to prevent a static/stagey experience. The set design is excellent - 17th century castles, the inn/tavern, the outdoor snow scenes {all done indoors}. Ditto the costumes; Garbo's stunning gowns, jewelry, as well as her men's attire. Having said all that, the visual feast we see would not be as impressive as it is had director Rouben Mamoulian not gone to great lengths - with his artistic eye for detail - in making all the loveliness we SEE onscreen actually FEEL like we're watching 17th c. Sweden (and not Hollywood). The atmosphere created here feels very authentic.
While I can go on & on about the magnificent look of this film, and I can say how the screenwriters did a swell job making this literate - if historically sketchy - script flow well, and I can say how good the supporting players/actors are ... nothing compares to the lead performance. This film is a romantic tragedy of the highest order, the kind only Greta Garbo could make. Garbo uses her face well to express emotions, but she also commands with her voice. When she addresses her court & public, it is powerful. In the tavern bedroom scene (when they're about to leave), she poignantly tells Antonio, "I have been memorizing this room. In the future, in my memory, I shall live a great deal in this room". In another scene, she tells an advisor, "Snow is like a wild sea. One can go and get lost in it". Those lines, as said by Garbo, hold so much more meaning than the written word shows. And that final shot of Christina on the bow of the ship looking on in the distance is just iconic; one of the great, moving closing moments in the history of cinema.
But the Queen tires of Magnus and, looking for some time away from court, goes horseback riding with her loyal valet, Aage (C. Aubrey Smith). Deep in the wintry forest, while dressed as a man, she encounters a coach that is stuck in the snow. One of the passengers is the handsome diplomatic emissary of the Spanish king, Don Antonio de la Prada (John Gilbert), who thinks she's a man servant. Later, he seeks shelter in the same inn she is staying at & apologizes for mistaking Christina for a servant instead of as a wealthy gentleman. Since all the rooms are taken {due to a snow storm}, Christina volunteers to let him share her room.
Forced to share a bed, Christina disrobes to reveal her true sex ... but not her true identity. The couple become lovers for the next few days; even vow lasting devotion to each other. When Antonio again meets Christina in Stockholm, he's stunned to discover that she's the Queen. In no time, he proposes marriage. Meanwhile, Magnus gets wind of her love for Catholic Antonio & vilifies him to the Protestant Swedish public. And so, Christina must make-up with her public, yet also make the most important decision of her life: abdicate her crown to marry Antonio, or remain as Sweden's beloved queen. Melodrama & tragedy ensues, culminating with Garbo's memorable long close-up shot as she looks mysteriously off into the horizon ... and we, the viewers, must try to ascertain what she might be thinking.
'Queen Christina' is another Garbo film that was inexplicably was left out of the Oscar race. Perhaps controversy held it back. Garbo insisted on ex-lover John Gilbert being the male lead when MGM wanted someone else. Also, showing Garbo in men's clothes, showing her kissing a female character, the fact that Garbo was bisexual, and knowledge that Queen Christina may have been bisexual, too ... all might've led some circles in Hollywood to cringe, bit. But boy, for me, this is one stellar movie. As mentioned above, it's not the most historically accurate depiction of events that occurred 400 yrs. ago, but as a piece of engrossing cinema ... it worked for me. From a technical standpoint, 'Queen Christina' is exceptional. The cinematography is crisp, with beautiful, sweeping camera movements to prevent a static/stagey experience. The set design is excellent - 17th century castles, the inn/tavern, the outdoor snow scenes {all done indoors}. Ditto the costumes; Garbo's stunning gowns, jewelry, as well as her men's attire. Having said all that, the visual feast we see would not be as impressive as it is had director Rouben Mamoulian not gone to great lengths - with his artistic eye for detail - in making all the loveliness we SEE onscreen actually FEEL like we're watching 17th c. Sweden (and not Hollywood). The atmosphere created here feels very authentic.
While I can go on & on about the magnificent look of this film, and I can say how the screenwriters did a swell job making this literate - if historically sketchy - script flow well, and I can say how good the supporting players/actors are ... nothing compares to the lead performance. This film is a romantic tragedy of the highest order, the kind only Greta Garbo could make. Garbo uses her face well to express emotions, but she also commands with her voice. When she addresses her court & public, it is powerful. In the tavern bedroom scene (when they're about to leave), she poignantly tells Antonio, "I have been memorizing this room. In the future, in my memory, I shall live a great deal in this room". In another scene, she tells an advisor, "Snow is like a wild sea. One can go and get lost in it". Those lines, as said by Garbo, hold so much more meaning than the written word shows. And that final shot of Christina on the bow of the ship looking on in the distance is just iconic; one of the great, moving closing moments in the history of cinema.