L'amante pura

At the beginning of the 20-th century, the tragic history of love among an Austrian officer and a girl of modest condition. The beauty of decorations and suits and the charm of the couple Romy Schneider-Alain Delon is the main attractions of this romantic drama.

In 1906, in Vienna, Lt. Franz Lobheiner (Alain Delon) and Lt. Theo Kaiser (Jean-Claude Brialy) are womanizers best friends and together with their others fellow military officers, they bet who will not seduce women in their leisure time. Franz has a love affair with Baroness Lena Eggersdorf (Micheline Presle), who has the key of his apartment for their encounters. Meanwhile, the naive and inexperienced Christine Weiring (Romy Schneider) goes to the ball with her friends Mitzi Schlager (Sophie Grimaldi) and Joseph Binder (Jacques Duby), who has a crush on her. Mitzi dances with Theo and Franz talks to Christine, and they schedule a picnic on Sunday. Soon Franz and Christine fall in love with each other, and he looks for Baroness Eggersdorf to end their affair and propose Christine. However, the suspicious Baron Eggersdorf (Jean Galland) finds Lena's key in her desktop and challenges Franz to a duel, with tragic consequences.

"Christine" (1958) is a heartbreaking romance and remake of Max Ophüls' Liebelei (1933). The film presents Alain Delon in his first lead role and the sweet and lovely Romy Schneider as his romantic pair, and they are enough to recommend this film. They met each other while making "Christine", in the beginning of their intense romance in real life and considered one of the most beautiful couples of the cinema industry. This film was only released on VHS in Brazil. My vote is seven.

Title (Brazil): "Christine"

romantic, nice, result of pieces of Sissy shadow and product of Schneider - Delon chemistry. it is not impressive but it remains as good memory from lost age. romanticism is basic ingredient. the sad story - precious spice. music, love, good looking actors and a town as fairy-tale book. a mixture of Bovary's dreams and a form of history. so, it is difficult to write much about it and only verdict is fruit of passing time. its roots - fascinating - out of film. it is a little spring wind. this is fundamental virtue. a film like old velvet dress. or silk handkerchief. like a room in evening of fall. or, only, like a daisy in a childhood herbarium. for special hours, after a work day, it is necessary option. for escape from yourself. and dream

"Liebelei" was one of Max Ophuls's triumphs in the thirties .One should notice it was Romy's mother (Magda Schneider) who was the lead.The first thing to bear in mind is that "Liebelei" was BARELY a romantic story.A harsh tale,more like,where princes do not generally marry shepherdesses.For the young hero ,Christine is only a liebelei (passing fancy;amourette). A quarter of century later,the screenplay had been watered-down and cheapened.Romy Schneider taking on her mother's part was perhaps not a very good idea in the first place.Delon and Schneider met during the shoot and they became THE lovers of the late fifties/early sixties. As for "Christine" it's a tragedy ("liebelei" ) turning soap opera ,even if the ending was kept .Supporting cast includes Micheline Presles,Jean-Claude Brialy and Fernand Ledoux.Schneider's voice was dubbed in the original version ,for her French was not good enough at the time.With terrible results ,because the voice that dubs her (like in "Sissi" ) borders on silliness.

After "Christine" and a very small cameo of Romy in "Plein soleil" (the talented M.Ripley ,first version) ,Delon and Schneider would reunite twice :in "la piscine" (1968) and in "the assassination of Trotsky" (1971);they had planned to team up in a third one ,directed by Granier-Deferre circa 1981,but Romy died in 1982.

This dramatic romance on the Austria in the turn of last century displays the romantic life of the official of the Austro-Hungarian empire and a fully portrait of an era where they was feared by their enemies nearby, before WWI, also the picture target on aristocracy and barracks where the army officers meanwhile the training, getting affairs with naïve ladies at Vienna in an idyllic lifestyle, on those gala events sponsored by the wealthy nobility, the picture exposes an awful truth, no military officials of the majestic Franz Joseph I weren't allowed marry no lady without a dowry, it was the rule, should be followed, otherwise they could be expelled of the army.

In this environment the young Lieutenant Franz Lobheiner (Alain Delon) has a forbidden and secret affair with the sexy mid-age Baroness Lena Eggersdorf (Micheline Presle), aside that Franz has a strong friendship with the "Don Juan" Lieutenant Theo Kaiser (Jean-Claude Brialy) together with some young officers of the garrison, they spend their free time on hard drunkenness and deceiving foolish girls on love affairs that end up in prematurely loss of the virginity, due they just want having fun, Franz is smooth and quiet one, he has been planned drop with this affair which can hamper his career at Austrian army, it wasn't for less, the Baroness is wife of a powerful and wealthy old man of the Vienna's society Baron Eggesdorf (Jean Galland).

He meets accidently the pretty shy girl Christine (Romy Schneider) at fancy Vienna's Coffee house, wherein has a dancing hall, hence followed by several Sunday's afternoon at Danube River at flamboyant park, they are getting closer and sooner as they think falling in love, for a couple weeks or so of intense feelings Frank decides break up with of possessive Baroness, meanwhile he didn't speak a word of Christine all about, however on the night meeting he is spotted by the jealous husband that demands a duel.

Talk about the angelical Romy Schneider one of beautiful actress on Europe at its time is pure redundancy, Romy Schneider is German Goddess, holder of a pristine godsend, this movie is something near of Romeo & Juliet's Austrian love story, actually in this movie Romy and Alain starts a hot love affair, sadly Christine wasn't a famous picture worldwide, nevertheless is enough good, sometimes a slight tedious and even slow, so idyllic to my taste, let it see!!

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First watch: 2021 / How many: 1 / Source: DVD / Rating: 7.