

Tsar Alexandre II meets a young student, Katia. He understands that he loves her and try to send her away but they end up seeing each other again and becomes his mistress. With the help of Katia, Alexandre prepares a liberal constitution, but these reforms make him hostile to the more privileged subjects without satirising the revolutionaries against the regime.
Acting
Romy Schneider's luminous, cunning performance at just 20
Costume
Imperial opulence that whispers rather than screams
Direction
Siodmak's elegant tension between public duty and private desire

Director
Robert Siodmak
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
Siodmak fled Nazi Germany and returned to Europe for this; his Hollywood noir instincts sharpen the political intrigue.