Queen Christina Analysis
Queen Christina starts dramatically with the death of the Swedish King in battle. Christina, the future queen is revealed through theatrical and celebratory music as people bow down to a little girl. Despite her baby voice, she tries to exude a witty, commanding attitude but she forgets her line, which reveals that she is indeed just a child.
The movie fast-forwards 30 years post-war and Christina struggles to balance duty and her wish to fulfill a personal life. Early on in the movie she insists that her priority is to run her country despite the Parliament’s pressure to marry her to Prince Charles.
The clothing in the movie is effectively used to communicate Christina’s personality. Her high stiff and angular collar makes her look uptight. And her long fur coat shows her status. Despite her strong makeup, the dark eyeliner and red lips that accentuate her feminine features, she wears masculine clothing such as big leather boots and baggy pants. She has expressive hand gestures and a confident laugh much like a man’s.
Her clothing and attitude change as she meets the Spaniard Antonio. While she was commonly mistaken as a rough man before, Christina transforms into a passion ridden romantic as she courts Antonio. Even the way she eats the grapes at the inn convey graceful and womanly gestures.
The movie centers on the love triangle between Antonio, Magnus and Christina. Magnus is portrayed as an antagonist as he plots to shatter Christina’s hopes at fulfilling true love by deliberately arousing the public against the Queen. Christina is tired of being a symbol of duty and abdicates her throne in order to chase after personal freedom. I thought it was interesting that the chancellor, who crowned Christina as a child refuses to uncrown her and she has to do it herself. Argo the servant continues to call her, “Your Majesty” and it is evident Christina never fully strips herself of her queenly status even after running away.
Antonio dies in a dual
The movie fast-forwards 30 years post-war and Christina struggles to balance duty and her wish to fulfill a personal life. Early on in the movie she insists that her priority is to run her country despite the Parliament’s pressure to marry her to Prince Charles.
The clothing in the movie is effectively used to communicate Christina’s personality. Her high stiff and angular collar makes her look uptight. And her long fur coat shows her status. Despite her strong makeup, the dark eyeliner and red lips that accentuate her feminine features, she wears masculine clothing such as big leather boots and baggy pants. She has expressive hand gestures and a confident laugh much like a man’s.
Her clothing and attitude change as she meets the Spaniard Antonio. While she was commonly mistaken as a rough man before, Christina transforms into a passion ridden romantic as she courts Antonio. Even the way she eats the grapes at the inn convey graceful and womanly gestures.
The movie centers on the love triangle between Antonio, Magnus and Christina. Magnus is portrayed as an antagonist as he plots to shatter Christina’s hopes at fulfilling true love by deliberately arousing the public against the Queen. Christina is tired of being a symbol of duty and abdicates her throne in order to chase after personal freedom. I thought it was interesting that the chancellor, who crowned Christina as a child refuses to uncrown her and she has to do it herself. Argo the servant continues to call her, “Your Majesty” and it is evident Christina never fully strips herself of her queenly status even after running away.
Antonio dies in a dual