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THE OBSERVER
January 25, 2023
Arts & Culture
15
Royalty in Modernity: A Dive Into ‘The Empress’
Katharina Eyssen’s period drama on Netflix boasts international success; it’s also a sign of the times By ERIC JOOYOUNG KIM Contributing Writer
Last year saw the release of some of the most successful series in recent history, with streaming heavyweights such as “Heartstopper,” “House of the Dragon” and “Wednesday” dominating Anglophone pop culture. However, one series in particular drew international attention away from its English-speaking rivals. German actress-turned-writer Katharina Eyssen’s new period drama, “The Empress,” was released on Netflix on Sept. 29, 2022. The show revolves around the radical life of Empress Elisabeth “Sissi” of Austria during the exceedingly conservative 19th century and is delivered entirely in German (although a lackluster English dub is provided). The show was a global hit; during its peak, it managed to secure its place as the second-most watched Netflix series worldwide for two consecutive weeks, only trailing behind the American hit-series “Dahmer.” Since its debut, “The Empress” has cemented itself as one of the most successful Netflix releases from continental Europe, rivaled by the likes of “Elite” from Spain and “Lupin” from France. What is essentially a biopic of Elisabeth masterfully portrays a glimpse into the dynamics and machinations of one of Europe’s most reactionary courts during the 19th century. In an era dominated by towering series productions with multimillion-dollar budgets and a burgeoning East Asian film and animation production industry, how did this unassuming German period drama captivate an international audience? The answer, perhaps, lies beyond show business.
“The Empress” follows a slew of recent royalty and nobility period drama successes — namely, “The Crown” and “Bridgerton” from the United Kingdom; “The Serpent Queen” from the United States; and “Marie Antoinette” from France. In fact, “The Empress” is not even the most recent retelling of the story of Elisabeth. “Corsage” (2022), written and directed by Austrian filmmaker Marie Kreutzer, details the story of the Austrian royal’s obsession with beauty later in her life. Though the period drama has long proven to be a successful formula, its recent prominence can be partially attributed to the abrupt ascent of modern royalty to the media spotlight. In October 2021, the former Princess Mako (now Mako Komuro) of Japan’s imperial family thrust the ancient institution into the spotlight when she announced her marriage to Fordham Law graduate Kei Komuro, School of Law ’21, her college sweetheart and a commoner in the eyes of the Japanese Imperial Household Law. In doing so, the princess abdicated all of her royal duties, as well as the inheritance and status that comes along with those duties. The former princess’s decision to effectively leave the Japanese royal family made global headlines and kicked off a year that saw a surge in the popularity of royal families. Less than a year later, in June 2022, the Princess Märtha Louise of Norway also renounced her royal status in favor of marriage to a commoner. Her engagement to American shaman Durek Verrett drew national criticism in Norway that paralleled the attention that Komuro received in Japan.
As shown in “The Empress,” royal marriages are incredibly publicized affairs that are often arranged to increase the prestige and popularity of the next generation of royals. As such, both praise and backlash are intense experiences for newlywed royals — Prince Harry’s marriage to Meghan Markle, for example, elicited a much different and more negative public reaction compared to his brother Prince William’s marriage to Kate Middleton. Royal marriage, however, constitutes the first step before the raison d’être of royalty itself: succession. That much is emphasized in “The Empress” as well, with the titular character often clashing with her mother-inlaw, the Archduchess Sophie of Austria, over the matter of producing an heir. Royal succession has also recently been thrust into the public spotlight following the death of Queen Elizabeth II last September and the subsequent accession of King Charles III to the British throne. The late queen’s funeral broke records to become the most televised and watched event in human history and saw the attendance of every other remaining royal family in the world, ranging from the Saudi to the Spanish royal families. The queen’s death formally challenged the place of monarchy in the modern world. In one case, it prompted the late queen’s distant cousin Queen Margrethe II of Denmark to strip most of the Danish royal family’s titles, with only her immediate family remaining as royalty — a decision that reverberated throughout the Danish tabloids.
NETFLIX
“The Empress” is exemplative of a global burgeoning interest in royalty.
While the multitude of royal incidents in the past year wcertainly helped to catapult the rise of royalty in popular media, the appeal of “The Empress,” along with its many other period drama contemporaries, continues to lend itself to the imagery of bygone eras of grand, absolute monarchs. In today’s turbulent political climate, both within the United States and abroad, the idea of leaders that are publicly perceived to be infallible, sophisticated and otherwise “perfect”
sounds incredibly appealing. “The Empress,” beyond its beautiful settings and costumes, its engaging story and its cast of talented actors and actresses, tells a story of someone who was born to rule and who wholly devotes herself to the good of her people. Royalty’s ascent in both fictional and real popularity represents our yearning for faultless leaders to rally around in an age where it seems that no political figure is without flaws.
‘Puss in Boots: The Last Wish’ Deserves To Be Taken Seriously
The critically acclaimed ‘Puss In Boots’ sequel demonstrates that animation is for everyone, while exploring mature themes of life and death By JULIA JARAMILLO Asst. Arts & Culture Editor
The first scene opens to a merry celebration of a town’s beloved and chivalrous hero. The hero in question sings about his feats and adventures with pride. Even when the festivities awaken an angry giant, the hero defeats him with thrill, laughing in the face of death.
But what ensues after is not a movie about this hero fearlessly saving the day from a big bad monster. Instead, what follows is a beautifully animated lesson about one’s mortality. This movie is the “Puss in Boots” sequel, “Puss in Boots: The Last Wish.” Despite being the studio behind some of my childhood favorites
UNIVERSAL PICTURES
“Puss in Boots: The Last Wish” stuns audiences with its clever and unique approach to themes of mortality and anxiety in a film primarily marketed toward children.
such as “How to Train Your Dragon,” “Kung Fu Panda” and “Rise of the Guardians,” I haven’t paid much attention to DreamWorks films in recent years. “Trolls” was mediocre; “The Boss Baby” is universally hated; and “Abominable” was alright at best. When “Puss in Boots: The Last Wish” was nominated for Best Animated Feature at both the Golden Globes and the Critics’ Choice Awards, I didn’t bat an eye. But after listening to reviews that said the newest “Puss in Boots” movie was making them believe in “Shrek” and DreamWorks again, I decided to give the film a chance. I was shocked, but also very delighted, to find an incredibly enjoyable film. Despite his confidence, Puss in Boots, voiced by Antonio Banderas, dies in his fight against the giant. Puss’ “fearless hero” bravado has caused him to squander eight of his nine lives. It is in this movie that he finally begins to realize that death is both very real and very close. But his realization isn’t muddled with over-the-top outbursts or slapstick comedy. Instead, he struggles in a fight against a bounty hunter (Wagner Moura). In the form of a wolf, the bounty hunter clearly has the upper hand, and Puss slowly loses his cool in the duel. Then, the bounty hunter lands a hit on Puss, drawing actual blood. Puss’ life flashes before his eyes, in hair-raising, hyperventilating fear. It’s a chilling scene, as the fear of death is quite familiar to many. The intensity of it all is enhanced by the gorgeous, multi-framed animation. Compared to previous films, which favored a more realistic
style, “The Last Wish” combines 2D and 3D animation, resulting in an illustrated, paintbrush-like aesthetic that brings the world to life. The inspiration drawn from the critically acclaimed “Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse” is especially present in the dynamic fight scenes. The lower frame rate allows the audience to feel every hit, and snappy quick-cuts make Puss’ anxiety feel so much more tangible. Reprising her role from the original “Puss in Boots” film, Salma Hayek voices Kitty Softpaws, an expert thief and Puss’ rival-turned-love interest. Perrito, a friendly, peppy therapy dog voiced by Harvey Guillén, joins the two. Chasing after them are three villains, including the haunting bounty hunter. Goldilocks, voiced by Florence Pugh, is the leader of the Three Bears Crime Family, and Big Jack Horner is an evil pastry chef and crime boss voiced by John Mulaney. With such a large cast, most of the characters could have easily been unremarkable and forgettable, but the film manages to make every one of them leave an impression. Whether it was through pulling at my heartstrings, making me laugh at their antics or filling me with dread, every character contributed in some shape or form to the film’s message. It’s a message that certainly reminds you that death is coming, but it also demonstrates a celebration of life that speaks to viewers of any age. Watching “The Last Wish” didn’t feel like watching a kid’s movie. Besides animating blood, the way DreamWorks depicted Puss’ anxiety and fear is
uncommonly realistic — a topic I never thought would be explored in a popular kid’s franchise. The ever-present bounty hunter that triggers Puss’ newfound fear of death is quite unsettling. There are even censored swear words and on-screen deaths that were surprisingly gruesome but also hilarious in the moment. Since “Spider-Verse” came out, mainstream animated media has begun to stray away from a realistic art style and revolve around deeper topics that appeal to both children and adults. The belief that animation is only for kids is fading. Shows like “The Legend of Vox Machina,” “Arcane” and “Invincible” are examples of this. However, while these are amazing shows, they specifically are adult shows with adult content. “The Last Wish” is special because it is a kids’ movie only in rating. What bothers me about the belief that animation is only for kids is that it assumes kids are stupid, and therefore their content must be stupid. But children aren’t necessarily dumb; they’re just inexperienced. Movies like “Encanto” and “Turning Red” demonstrated this concept beautifully and to great success. Death and fear aren’t completely foreign concepts to children. Just as I am able to understand that death is scary, so can the 9-year-old that sat next to me in the theater. There doesn’t have to be animated media strictly for adults or an animated media strictly for kids; there can just be animated media. I’m happy to say that “The Last Wish” falls under this category.