The idea of this blogathon event is to write about a film that features either a character that battles their primal inclinations or one who challenges social norms–think of the plot of Disney’s Beauty and the Beast as the best example of this theme. We have the Beast who has to fight his primal inclinations to be violent and angry when things don’t go his way. Then we have Belle, the young woman who is more interested in reading than she is in marrying the handsome Gaston. She further challenges social expectations by falling in love with the Beast after discovering his inner kindness and caring nature.
Another film featuring a woman challenging social expectations is Queen Christina (1933) starring Greta Garbo as the titular character. The film is a biopic and loosely depicts the life of the real life Queen Christina who ruled Sweden from 1632 to 1654. At the beginning of the film, Christina’s father, King Gustavus Adolphus is killed in battle. His daughter, 6-year old Christina, is the next heir and ascends the throne. As a minor, the adult members of Christina’s court rule until she is old enough to assume control of the throne. The film flashes forward a couple decades in the future and a now-grown Christina is beloved by her constituents due to her fair rule and love for her country. Her goal is peace for Sweden and is happy when the Thirty Years’ War finally ends.
Because an adult woman, especially royalty, cannot be single by choice, Christina’s bachelorette status is in question. The male members of Christina’s court are heavily preoccupied with her marrying and producing an heir. It can also be assumed that Christina is approaching 30 which puts her into spinster territory and increases fears that she’ll never have a child that can inherit the throne. The court keeps pushing their desired suitor, Karl Gustav, on Christina. She is dismissive, because first of all, Karl is her cousin. Then she sees an image of Karl and laughs, “is that what he looks like?” Despite being cousins, Karl and Christina are not acquainted. Other potential suitors throw themselves at Christina and being the progressive woman that she is, she indulges in some of the affairs, but ditches them when they reveal that her throne is what they want.
Later, Christina further rebuffs social norms when she sneaks out of her castle, dressed in male clothing, to ride her horse in the countryside, unbothered. It starts snowing and Christina seeks refuge in a local inn. She manages to claim the last remaining room. Spanish Envoy, Antonio (John Gilbert), shows up at the inn also in need of a room. Fooled by Christina’s male garb, the innkeeper asks her if she’d mind sharing her room with Antonio. After taking one look at Antonio, Christina agrees. Christina makes for quite the fetching man as all the women flirt with her including the chambermaid. In a funny scene, Antonio becomes uncomfortable when he realizes that he’s attracted to “the man” with whom he’s sharing his room. However, when Christina starts to undress to get ready for bed, Antonio is relieved to discover that she is in fact, a woman.
In one of the most “pre-code” scenes in the film, Christina and Antonio end up spending three days (and nights) together when the inn is snowed in. Further defying social expectations, Christina and Antonio’s lust for one another is too intense and it is very obvious that they gave into their carnal desires. The subsequent scenes of Christina (post-coital) walking around their room caressing the bedposts and feeding grapes to Antonio is very sexual and suggestive. Christina even compares their lovemaking to how God must have felt when he created the world (!). For the remainder of the film, Christina maintains her passion for Antonio, but does not reveal her true identity.
Christina’s implied sexuality subverts social norms, when she’s seen smooching her lady-in-waiting, Countess Ebba, towards the beginning of the film. She becomes visibly upset and jealous when Ebba announces that she’s planning on spending the weekend in the country with her boyfriend. Later, she falls in love with Antonio, suggesting that she was bisexual. This is most definitely not what was expected of 17th century women–especially royalty.
Even to the very end, Queen Christina never gives into societal pressure. After her court coerces the public opinion into denouncing Antonio, she abdicates her throne–giving it to Karl Gustav, the person her court wanted her to marry. Christina plans to sail away on a ship with Antonio to start a new life. However, when she arrives at the ship to meet Antonio, she is saddened to discover him lying on the ground, gravely wounded. He was mortally wounded during a swordfight with Count Magnus, a member of Christina’s court and her former lover. Antonio dies in Christina’s arms. Instead of turning back and attempting to resume her throne, or even marrying Karl to return to her old life, Christina resolves to live the life she and Antonio envisioned. She sets sail, dreaming of her new life living in the house sitting on the white cliffs, overlooking the sea.
Christina could have married the man her court wanted. She could have birthed “the heir and the spare.” Christina could have continued being the people’s Queen, doing everything in accordance with royal protocol. However, that’s not what she wanted. She loved who she wanted to love, and lived the life she wanted–much like Greta Garbo herself. Garbo never married. She never had children. Much like Christina, Garbo was rumored to be bisexual or lesbian. In 1941, Garbo turned her back on Hollywood, never to make another film. Her departure from Hollywood could be considered comparable to Queen Christina’s abdication of her throne. Both Garbo and Christina retired to the private life, to live anonymously. Despite rumors that Garbo became a recluse after the end of her Hollywood career, this is not true. She took vacations, attended parties, walked around New York City, and was an avid art collector. It’s easy to believe that the former Queen Christina, upon reaching her home on the white cliffs lived a similar life to Garbo, only the 17th century version.
Whimsically Classic 