I finally got a chance to see Beloved Sisters (2014), the story of the (supposed) love triangle between Romantic-era German writer Friedrich Schiller, his wife Charlotte, and her sister Caroline. Set in the late 18th century (it begins in about 1788) and going through the early 1800s, it’s an interesting story that manages to be romantic, sad, and beautiful all at the same time.
Charlotte and Caroline von Lengefeld are the daughters of a minor aristocratic family that is very literary and Romantic. Charlotte is dutiful and quiet, Caroline is passionate, both are interested in poetry and love and nature, and they adore each other. At the beginning of the film (1786ish), Caroline has been married off to save the family’s fortunes (the father died while the girls were young), and Charlotte is sent off to stay with her aristocratic godmother at the court of Saxe-Weimar in the hopes that she’ll learn court ways and make a good match.
Charlotte hates court life and isn’t successful marriage-wise, but she meets budding poet/philosopher/Renaissance man Friedrich Schiller. When she returns home to her family, Schiller comes to visit, and falls in love with both sisters, who (led by passionate Caroline) encourage this situation. The two sisters are happy to share everything, and Charlotte feels that she owes Caroline because Caroline married a man she can’t stand in order to save the family’s finances.
Eventually, Charlotte marries Friedrich, and then life’s complications ensue…
I was impressed that they managed to cast an actor who convinced you of Schiller’s sickliness without being too weeny. Usually characters like this aren’t attractive to me, but I could see what the sisters saw in him.
I liked that the actor playing Caroline’s husband wasn’t 100 years older or hideous. This made it clearer that her objections to him were spiritual/emotional.
At one point, the sisters rescue Schiller from a river — a little girl sees a dog floating past, she goes in after him and starts drowning, and Schiller (who can’t swim) goes in to rescue HER. The focus of the scene is on the saving of Schiller (and the little girl), but WE NEVER FIND OUT WHAT HAPPENED TO THE DOG. I know it’s just fiction, but I will spend the rest of my life worrying about that dog.
WHO CARES ABOUT YOUR POET BOYFRIEND, WHAT HAPPENED TO THE DOG??!!
I don’t want to give away too much of the plot, so I’ll leave it there and get to the good stuff: costumes!
Costumes in Beloved Sisters
Overall, the costumes (designed by Barbara Grupp) were nicely done, if a little casual. The women’s dresses could have used some more petticoats and a bum pad or two, but things weren’t as pared down as the costumes in Poldark. They definitely captured the transition towards Regency wear that happens in the 1790s, although they just went for it a little bit earlier than they should have. However, the casual feeling of the clothing worked well when they were showing the Romantic world that Schiller and the sisters inhabited.
These two dresses were worn a good deal and very pretty, especially Caroline’s cream gown.
Both are made of nice fabric — rich in the woven pattern, but appropriately light and romantic.
Although clearly they couldn’t afford petticoats or bum pads, because the line of the skirts is just too limp.
The girls’ mother.
Charlotte’s traveling outfit.
I like the slightly raised waistline on the jacket with the little tails (although wouldn’t the skirt then be worn a bit higher?).
Charlotte’s wedding dress. I wish the stomacher weren’t so obviously sewn in.
Sister and mom have nice hats, however!
Where it didn’t work quite so well was when Charlotte was supposed to be at the Weimar court. Now, this is a small German duchy, not Versailles, but there’s a lot of emphasis on how this is Court and how Charlotte hates the artifice of it all. But that doesn’t read so well when the court people are dressed in the same casual, simple style that is worn in the country:
Charlotte’s godmother, Charlotte von Stein, who seems to be Important at Court (looking her up, she was lady-in-waiting to one duchess and very close friends with another). She’s dressed in VERY ho-hum, “I’m just churning some butter” outfits.
More ho-hum on von Stein.
A dress Charlotte wears at court. Still no petticoats/bum pads. Here the center front looks like a compere (sewn-in, buttoned) stomacher.
But here that compere looks more like “my dress didn’t fit, so we sewed in some only-kind-of-matching-fabric to extend things.”
Another dress Charlotte wears at court.
Another too-obviously-sewn-in stomacher.
Charlotte von Kalb, Schiller’s married, aristocratic patron and lover. Her dress is very “meh” to me.
I liked von Kalb’s dress here better — the addition of some stripes and some lace make it work in a 1780s, casual/romantic way.
There were also some costumes that seemed awfully fashion-forward for 1788-1790ish:
Charlotte’s bonnet, worn in 1788, just screams “Regency” to me.
Charlotte’s white dress (also worn in 1788) — are we really going for that high of a waistline this early?
Later scenes are in the late 1790s and 1800s, so you see the transition into Regency wear:
High waistline — check. Kinda snoozy — check.
Black silk taffeta with pleats and buttons — now we’re talking!!
I loved this print on Caroline’s dress.
There was at least one recycled costume from The Duchess, and another that pings my “Haven’t I seen that before?” button:
This dress, which is very nice for 1788…
… but could use a few petticoats…
… is this dress from The Duchess (2008).
WHERE HAVE I SEEN THIS BEFORE? I was thinking it was again from The Duchess, but no dice.
Help me out, people!
It’s pretty!
There were some good and bad things about the women’s underwear:
Ouchy chafe-y no-chemise-under-stays!
Ditto! You see more (ahem) of this corset, but I was aiming for non-nipple shots.
Now that I look at the still I can see that this is the same corset (above), but with the straps tucked in. On screen, however, it looked weirdly strapless and therefore Victorian. Also, shagging in a corset without a chemise on underneath: OW.
Nice Regency-era bodiced petticoat on Charlotte!
Caroline got some REALLY good hats:
THIS HAT. I’d like to put some trim on it, but still — SUCH a great shape. Caroline wears it in a number of scenes, which is A Good Thing.
Always good to put a dramatic veil on things!
Nice Renaissance revival style, which works well with the ruff.
Another beauty on Caroline.
Some of the women’s hairstyles were great, and then suddenly they’d get very faux:
This (1788ish) hairstyle on Caroline was probably my favorite in the film — they got the width around the face right, without sacrificing any tousle. (Image super lightened so you can see the hair)
Charlotte’s godmother, on the other hand, wears her hair in a weird, half-up/half-down with a little too much fringe around the face ‘do.
There’s a cute scene where the sisters dress up as men, so they can hear Schiller’s first university lecture:
Charlotte’s buckles (side rolls)!
So if you like this era, and you like films that aren’t all bunnies and happiness, check out Beloved Sisters! You’ll be glad you did.
Could costume be from Marie Antoinette? Looks like one Shirley wore. Want to see film.