The Sissi Collection

[Note: This review is of the Blu-ray edition; this is also a "verified purchase," but was a gift, so my name does not appear on the original Amazon order.]I have long been fascinated with the later history of the Hapsburg monarchy, of the problematic marriage between Franz Josef and Elisabeth, and the tragedy of Mayerling. This series presents a rather whitewashed version of historical events; a friend of mine who lived in Vienna told me that Austrians think of these films less as history and more as light entertainment, sort of the way Doris Day movies are perceived by Americans. They are also the films that are credited with making Romy Schneider a star, and deservedly so. The historical Elisabeth was widely regarded as the most beautiful woman in Europe, and Schneider's radiant beauty does her full justice. So if you're willing to set aside any expectations of probing psychology and historical details, you can derive an enormous amount of pleasure from these sumptuously filmed excursions into the world of Austrian royalty. I have had the complete set first on VHS, then on DVD and now, finally, on breathtakingly restored Blu-ray. The visuals are absolutely sumptuous, with magnificent costumes and Austrian scenery, and most of the interiors were filmed in actual Viennese locations. Some of them are not the true locations--for instance, the church in which we see Sissi and Franz get married in the first film is not the Augustinerkirche where the historical event took place, but rather the nearby St. Michael's, which is surprisingly used again in the second film as the site of the royal couple's coronation in Hungary. These minor lapses aside, the clarity of the visuals and extraordinary detail make every scene a treat for the eyes, and the soundtrack is in excellent fidelity, showcasing Anton Profes's lush romantic score. Some of the music he has selected is anachronistic, featuring waltzes by Johann Strauss, Jr., that hadn't actually been composed at the time of the events portrayed, but that's neither here nor there; they wonderfully evoke the fantasy of what we would all like to think the imperial lifestyle should have been. An unexpected feature of the set is that the films can be viewed either in the original 1.33:1 aspect ratio, or in 1.78:1 wide-screen. Normally I would not be a fan of such "conversion"; obviously something is lost at the top and the bottom of the screen when you try to fill a wide screen with a movie that was not filmed in a widescreen format, but it has been so skillfully edited that you do not notice anything awry in the widescreen versions; the tops of heads are not cut off, vital visual elements are not missing, and the high-definition image makes it look as though the series was actually filmed in widescreen yesterday rather than 60 years ago. I can honestly say I have never enjoyed these films more or been more involved in the story than while watching these incredible faux widescreen adaptations. And for purists, of course, the original aspect ratio is also an option. Life in 19th=century Vienna could be dark and grim, a place where every silver lining seemed to have a cloud. But if you want to travel to the fantasy operetta Vienna in which everything is gilded opulence, whipped cream and prancing Lipizzaner horses, these delightful entertainments will take you there.

Sissi-formally remembered as Elisabeth,Empress of Austria and Queen of Hungary,was the wife of Emperor Franz Josef of the decaying Austro-Hungarian Empire-the gentleman who really provided the initial impetus for the outbreak of World War One,and is truly one of modern history's most romantic and enigmatic characters.This new offering of the Sissi Collection,starring Romy Schneider,is a delightful,beautifully crafted visitation to a world long gone,,and in its digitally remastered state,is infinitely better than any offered previously,and is a million miles ahead of what the world saw when it was first released over half a century ago.The spoken language is German,but the English subtitles work very well.The collection comprises four discs,and discs two and three contain the guts of the thing.They contain the story of Sissi's young life,marriage,early motherhood,conflicts at Cout,political intrigues,and her efforts to help her somewehat limited husband improve and retain his sprawling Empire The collection does not cover her later life as the "absentee" Empress,or her assassination in 1898,neither did the original,and the other two discs contain a film with Romy Schneider playing the part of a young Queen Victoria,plus sight of the Sissi films in their original format.I was fascinated to compare the originals with the remastered discs....incredible!-and can't speak too highly about this new offering of the Collection.....just buy it!

Romy Schneider's "Sissi"-trilogy is a piece of nostalgia that I watched as a young kid in the sixties pretty much every Christmas on German TV. Loved it then. An unapologetically sentimental romp, full of extended scenes of royal pageantry, and featherlight romantic intrigue with a hint of political turmoil in the background. The real empress was an interesting historic character. There should be a better movie about her. But this trilogy is nonetheless a great nostalgic trip worth watching, if only for Romy Schneider, who went on to be one of the great actresses in French films. Subtitled in optional English with original German dialogue, as it should!

A trilogy for the ages with Romy Schneider looking utterly luminous in 1080p. All three of the Sissi movies have been digitally remastered and look spectacular. The precursor to these movies, Victoria in Dover, has also been given consideration but looks just a bit faded by comparison. We also get Paramount's redubbed English compendium of the Sissi flicks - Forever My Love, looking pathetic and careworn on DVD. The extras are also idiotically produced - two truncated snippets, presumably from other documentaries we never get to see. Bottom line: you are not buying this collection for the English dubbed version of these originals, nor for the extras, but for the 3 Sissi classics. They look and sound great. So enjoy and buy with confidence.

Sissi is what we watched every year during Christmas. It's a tradition and I'm so glad that I have them on a format that is able to be played here in the states. Now, the actual story of Sissi, empress of Austria, is not a glamorous as the movies show, so if you're looking for a correct life documentary on Sissi, this is not for you. If you want a spin off and are looking for a romantic story without indecency that still has some solid historic facts in it, this is for you. Romy Schneider plays a lovely Elisabeth aka Sissi. The movies are clean, modest, innocent. There are family issues that have to be resolved, life to be dealt with, and lots of love to be shared.

This is a set of 5 DVD 's. Considering the age of the origional film in 1957, the picture is incredibly smooth & clear.This story is of Elizabeth (Sissie) Princess of Bavaria who married into the Austrian Empire. Her whole life story is retold in great detail with style. The costumes, acting and details are awesome. This is a film the whole family will enjoy.It has a very contagious, feel good factor with watching this very long set of 5 DVD's. Worth every penny & more.!

Very good Blu Ray collection.

Excellent movie also for children, the box contains also a movie on young queen Victoria which is not so good.Be aware that the info is misleading: the audio is in German with English subtitles.

It a classic with many laughs and the costumes are just breathtaking. The story warm and tragic at the same time.

Fabulous!