Magnificent Sinner
Magnificent Sinner (original French title: Katia) is a 1959 French film by director Robert Siodmak about the romance between Tsar Alexander II of Russia and the then-schoolgirl Catherine Dolgorukov, who later became his mistress and finally his morganatic wife.
Plot
Produced in France, Magnificent Sinner stars Curd Jürgens as Tsar Alexander II, with Romy Schneider as the schoolgirl Katia who first becomes his mistress, before being elevated to the rank of princess. The romance between emperor and commoner leads to court intrigue and a weakening of the ties of loyalty between the Tsar's ministers and their ruler, and is instrumental in Alexander's ultimate assassination.[1]
Magnificent Sinner was originally released as Katia; it was a remake of a 1938 French film of the same name, which starred Danielle Darrieux.
Cast
- Curd Jürgens as Tsar Alexander II of Russia
- Romy Schneider as Katia, a schoolgirl who becomes the Tsar's mistress
- Monique Mélinand as Tsarina Maria, wife of Alexander II
Reviews
Film critic Leonard Maltin gave the film two out of four stars, describing it as "lackluster."[2] Bosley Crowther of The New York Times equally panned it as "an overstuffed costume picture" and "a hackneyed and ponderous bore." "It would be just as good, if not better," he continued, "if it had been a tractor with which the Tsar fell in love."[3]
References
- ↑ Material in this section was obtained from the four film listings given in "external links."
- ↑ Magnificent Sinner, TCM
- ↑ Magnificent Sinner, The New York Times
External links
- Katia (1959) at the Internet Movie Database
- The Magnificent Sinner (1959), New York Times listing
- Magnificent Sinner, TV guide listing
- Magnificent Sinner Mubi listing