Saraband 4K 1948

The end of the 17th century. The heiress princess of Celle, Sophia Dorothea, marries the future King of England, George I. The marriage is dynastic, and the spouses have no feelings for each other. Sophia falls in love with Count von Königsmark, and he reciprocates her feelings. But there are too many obstacles in the way of the lovers, and the story cannot end well.

This British costume melodrama was nominated for an Oscar for Best Art Direction. It is based on a true story that was quite scandalous at the time. The creators, by the way, hardly deviated from historical facts. The 17th century is shown here in a very gloomy and realistic manner. Without large crowds and battle scenes, they managed to convey the spirit of that era. In terms of costumes and authenticity, everything is in order here. And at the center, of course, is a tragic love story that was doomed from the start.

The cast is also good. Stewart Granger, with his physique, fits perfectly into the image of the noble Count Königsmark. Princess Sophia, played by Joan Greenwood, makes a good duo with him. And the villains of the film are also well-matched. First and foremost is Flora Robson as Countess von Platten, who plays a fateful role in this story. She is a woman who is terrified of aging and in love with Königsmark (incidentally, Granger wanted Marlene Dietrich to play this role, but it didn't work out). Peter Bull is also good in the role of Sophia's husband, who mocks her and the servants.

A good historical melodrama that perfectly conveys the atmosphere of the distant and gloomy time of the “century of kings.” For lovers of costume dramas. By the way, the sarabande is a Spanish folk dance that spread throughout Europe in the 17th century as a ballroom dance. The English gothic rock band Sex Gang Children has a song called Saraband for Dead Lovers.