Sissi: Schicksalsjahre Einer Kaiserin (1957)

The young Austrian empress Elizabeth (Romy Schneider) returns from a good will tour of Hungary exhausted and is diagnosed with a lung disease that may be fatal. She is sent to Madeira to recover and when she doesn't, depression sets in. Directed by Ernst Marischka, this was the third and final installment of the SISSI trilogy that made Schneider a popular star in German films. It's also the weakest of the three entries. There was a great deal of innocence and charm in the first two movies and one could see why German audiences fell in love with Schneider. This one is more serious as it deals with political intrigue and a possible terminal illness. Alas, that seriousness eliminates the appeal that was present in the previous two movies. On the plus side, it's visually gorgeous and we get side trips to Madeira (that's Portuguese territory), Greece and Italy to feast our eyes. With Karlheinz Bohm, Magda Schneider and Vilma Degischer.