Queen Christina (1933)
Queen Christina (1933)
DVD5 | ISO+MDS | NTSC 4:3 (720x480) | 01:43:58 | 4,36 Gb
Audio: English, Portuguese - AC3 1.0 @ 192 Kbps (each track)
Subs: English, Chinese, Indonesian, Japanese, Portuguese, Spanish
Genre: Drama
DVD5 | ISO+MDS | NTSC 4:3 (720x480) | 01:43:58 | 4,36 Gb
Audio: English, Portuguese - AC3 1.0 @ 192 Kbps (each track)
Subs: English, Chinese, Indonesian, Japanese, Portuguese, Spanish
Genre: Drama
No one needs convincing of Garbo's mysterious, magical talent, her role as the 17th-century Swedish Queen Christina is a persuasive argument for her genius. While the rest of the cast flail around in search of a decent script, Garbo makes her character both regal and pitiful as she flees from the prospect of an arranged marriage only to encounter the Spanish envoy newly arrived to consolidate the union between the thrones. The film's highlight is the charmingly ambiguous scene in which the Ambassador (an inadequate Gilbert, who replaced Laurence Olivier during shooting) shares a room with the flippant youth. The rest is history.
IMDB
A revelation, wrung from the usual MGM bio identikit, but given shape by Mamoulian's painterly eye, and immortality by Garbo's ability to transcend. Even when the script serves up great clumps of unleavened bread, Garbo imbues it with living emotion. Although the same cannot be said of still-handsome Gilbert's Spanish Ambassador, their love scenes capture the depth of overwhelming emotion in an unparalleled, perfectly beautiful way. If some of Garbo's other performances have dated, this one documents her magical strangeness in a way that has stood the test of time.
Queen Christina (1933)
![Queen Christina (1933)]()
Garbo's CHRISTINA is a decisive queen, ruling Sweden with wisdom and compassion. Her former lover, Magnus (Keith), attempts to arrange a marriage between Christina and a dashing prince, but she will have nothing to do with political unions. Then, while out riding, she encounters Don Antonio (Gilbert), the newly appointed ambassador from Spain. Intrigued by the gallant Spaniard, Christina decides to discover his real nature by disguising herself as a man. She goes to an inn where she knows Don Antonio is staying. He befriends her, and, unaware that she is a woman, invites Christina to spend the night in his room. She eventually reveals her identity and the two fall in love, spending two glorious days and nights together. Their idyll over, Christina returns to her court and receives Don Antonio officially, pretending she knows him only as an official representative of a foreign power. He is there, he informs her, to ask for her hand in marriage–for the king of Spain. She does not respond, but instead continues to meet him secretly. When the manipulative Magnus discovers their meetings, he rouses the public against Don Antonio, labeling him a trifling interloper.
Queen Christina (1933)
![Queen Christina (1933)]()
In QUEEN CHRISTINA, Garbo had her way, making use of an iron-clad contract that paid her $250,000 a film, gave her the choice of director, cameraman, leading man, and, in fact, the entire cast, if she cared to select the extras. She had seen a young British actor, Laurence Olivier, in an Ann Harding vehicle, WESTWARD PASSAGE, and liked him. Olivier was signed to play the Spanish ambassador and came to the studio to rehearse with Garbo, at Mamoulian's suggestion. The rehearsal was a disaster, as Garbo froze up. Olivier was told to forget about appearing in a Garbo film, and Mamoulian immediately called Gilbert, asking him to help warm up the woman he had starred with in the heyday of the silent era.
Queen Christina (1933)
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The effect he had on her was amazing. Still, the studio proposed other leading players, anyone but Gilbert, but Garbo refused anyone else. Much has been said about Garbo's magnanimous insistence that Gilbert, the fallen star, join her in a major film to rescue his almost lost career. She was reportedly no longer in love with him but was returning the favor he had extended to her at the beginning of her career, when he demanded she costar with him in the silent classic FLESH AND THE DEVIL. But not until Gilbert signed his contract to do QUEEN CHRISTINA did Mayer give up trying to replace him. Chief of production Irving Thalberg and Garbo hoped for a comeback for Gilbert, but even though he was touching in his role, the public was no longer interested, having bought the myth, sponsored by Mayer, about the actor's inadequacy in talkies.
Queen Christina (1933)
Queen Christina tells the story of the 17th Century Swedish royal and her ill-fated love affair with a Spanish courier. It is a romantic tragedy of the highest order, the kind only Garbo could make.
Wishing a respite from her constantly attended life, Queen Christina disguises herself as a young man and sets out to see some of her countryside. At a tavern she meets a courier named Antonio sent from the king of Spain. Unbeknownst to her, Antonio is carrying a proposal of marriage. Antonio (John Gilbert) takes an immediate liking to the "boy". In 1983 Barbra Streisand borrowed liberally from this scene in her movie Yentl. In both cases it is a stretch to believe that they are supposed to be boys, but you have to accept this fact to enjoy either film.
Queen Christina (1933)
![Queen Christina (1933)]()
The Inn is booked solid so the 'boy' must room with Antonio. Forced with sharing a bed for the night, Christina reveals her true sex, but not her true identity. They fall instantly in love. The next morning Christina, realizing she cannot continue the charade, spends a few hopelessly romantic moments memorizing the details of the room. It is one of Garbo's most iconic scenes. She tells Antonio, "I have been memorizing this room. In the future, in my memory, I shall live a great deal in this room."
Queen Christina (1933)
![Queen Christina (1933)]()
You can imagine Antonio's shock when he delivers his royal message to the Queen and discovers that she is the woman he fell in love with. From here the story moves quickly to its tragic conclusion. Antonio suffers mortal wounds in a duel and dies in his lover's arms aboard the ship they were planning on running away together in; Christina having abdicated her throne in order to be with her man.
Greta Garbo in Queen Christina (1933) The final shot of Christina on the prow of the ship staring into space is a miracle. Garbo never changes expression, hell she doesn't even blink. It is a truly stellar and incredibly moving moment in cinema.
Well, I think I've gushed enough for one review. All I can say is "SEE THIS FILM!"
Queen Christina (1933)
Special Features: Theatrical trailer
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