Queen Christina (film)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Queen Christina | |
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 Theatical Poster |
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| Directed by | Rouben Mamoulian |
| Produced by | Walter Wanger |
| Written by | Story: Margaret P. Levino Salka Viertel Screnplay: S.N. Behrman H.M. Harwood |
| Starring | Greta Garbo John Gilbert |
| Music by | Herbert Stothart |
| Cinematography | William H. Daniels |
| Editing by | Blanche Sewell |
| Distributed by | MGM |
| Release date(s) | December 26, 1933 (USA) |
| Running time | 97 minutes |
| Country |  United States |
| Language | English |
| All Movie Guide profile | |
| IMDb profile | |
Queen Christina is an American pre-code feature film released in 1933 and directed by Rouben Mamoulian.[1]
The screenwriters for the film were Viertel LeVino and Margaret "Peg" LeVino, and the dialogue was provided by S. N. Behrman. It was based on a story by Salka Vierted and Margaret P. Levino.
The picture stars Greta Garbo, John Gilbert, Ian Keith, Lewis Stone, and others.
The movie was based on the life of the 17th century Queen Christina of Sweden and was billed as Garbo's return to cinema after an eighteen-month hiatus.
The film is about a Swedish Queen who falls in love ruring her reign but has to deal with the political realities of her society.
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[edit] Plot
The film tells of Queen Christina of Sweden (Greta Garbo). She's very devoted to her country and the welfare of her people, and she has long since abandoned all thoughts of pursuing any kind of a romance.
Yet, one day in an effort to escape the restrictions of her royal life, she rides away, disguised as a male, and is snowbound at an inn. There she changes her mind when she meets and falls in love with Spanish envoy Antonio (John Gilbert). After an idyllic night together, Christina and Antonio are compelled to part, but the Queen vows then and there to relinquish her throne in favor of marriage.
As Queen she favors peace for Sweden. At one point in the film she argues an end to the Thirty Years' War. She says:
- 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!
At the end of the film after Christina has abdicated the throne she's exiled from Sweden and Don Antonio dies in her arms.
In arguably the most famous shot of the film Christina stands as a silent figurehead at the bow of a ship as the wind blowing through her hair. The camera zooms in on the blank expression on her face.
[edit] Critical reception
The film received good review from the film critics.
Critic Mordaunt Hall, writing for The New York Times, gave the film a positive review and liked the screenplay and the 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."[2]
Currently, the film has a 100% "Fresh" rating at Rotten Tomatoes, based on ten reviews.[3]
[edit] 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
[edit] Awards
Nominations
- Venice Film Festival: Mussolini Cup, Rouben Mamoulian; 1934.
[edit] References
- ^ Queen Christina at the Internet Movie Database.
- ^ 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.
[edit] External links
- Queen Christina at Film Site by Tim Dirks; contains spoilers.
- Queen Christina informational site.
