Die geliebten Schwestern

I saw this at the CPH PIX film festival in Copenhagen, and was very impressed. Although much of the story that is shown is speculative, it appears to be highly qualified speculation. Whether it reflects historical reality or not, it worked exceedingly well as an epic cinema drama.

As the title says, "The Beloved Sisters" is about the two sisters who loved Friedrich Schiller. Schiller himself is a kind of supporting character, as seen through the eyes of the sisters. The actresses who play the sisters are very good indeed, esp. the older one (Caroline), and it is expertly illustrated how they actually love each other more than they love Schiller.

Highlights include the scene where the sisters sit by Schiller's sickbed in the dark, and (as I interpret it) he can't tell them apart, and the reconciliation scene towards the end where Schiller stands between the sisters, and then discreetly moves away, allowing them to reconnect. Very powerful stuff.

I enjoyed this 171 minute movie immensely and can't wait to watch it again. Definitely one of the best experiences at the film festival.

My rating: 9 stars out of 10.

Two cuts of the movie that is. There is the shorter cinema version and the Directors cut, which obviously is longer. And therefor more conclusive, which also makes more sense than. If you only watched the shorter version you probably won't get that. Not that this means it's a sure thing you will like the longer version.

One thing is for sure, there went a lot of thought into the design(s) of the movie. Again you might not like what you see, but the effort is there. Also our male lead has a way of speaking that fits more with a period piece like this than contemporary cinema. If you see it favorable you'll call it sophisticated. Acting in general is good, though not up to par with things Natalie Portman did of course. Still a refreshing look (with some artistic freedom/choices) back at time/history

Rushes along. Interesting times but doesn't settle into a rhythm. Don't like narration. Was the story based on fact? Didn't finish watching.

Median. A novel based on the love triangle involving the German writer Friedrich Schiller. I found the film long (almost 3 hours long) and, at one point, tiring. It's worth as knowledge about this love affair of the writer I wasn't aware of. I believe that 6 perfectly reflects the rating of this film. I like films set in the classical period, specifically in the second half of the eighteenth century. Schiller is a contemporary of Mozart and Beethoven, and during the execution of the film, listening to the soundtrack, this detail reminded me of the two composers.

I wish IMDb.com allowed "Likes" and "Comments" the way social media allows these days. Although there were some beautiful scenes, most of the outdoor shots were stunning (I'd love to know where it was all shot, as it seems to be an idyllic land to visit), and the lead actors are all gorgeous and obviously very talented -- these riches were all just wasted on this much-too-long film. Kudos to the Casting Director, those two lead actresses could definitely pass for sisters with their mesmerizing blue eyes, and the "Schiller" character was played by a very hunky and charming actor. I didn't really need to write a movie review, because the review posted by "Trivial Tapestry" says it all. As did all the other user reviewers who agreed that "Beloved Sisters" was simply boring overall with a practically non-existent musical score.