Project Cinema (11): Romy

"Sissi just sticks to me just like oatmeal", is a famous quote by Romy Schneider. Born Rosemarie Magdelena Albach-Retty in Vienna, she made her acting debut on stage by the side of her mother (like her father an actor too). In 1955 the world fell in love with her, when she played empress-to-be Sissi in the first of three films about the Austrian royal. From that point on, she tried to break away from her saccharine image by taking parts in sombre films like Christine (where she met fiancé Alain Delon), The Process (dir. Orson Welles) and Visconti's Ludwig.
Her life was filled with tragedy: she was dumped by Delon, first husband Henry Meyen committed suicide after the divorce, her son David got into a fatal accident and she got addicted to alcohol in her final years. Officially, she died because of cardiac arrest, but rumour has it she commited suicide. Knowing this, I can only see oceans of schmerz in her eyes.
On a lighter note, she sang as well. In what I think is her best movie, Les Choses De La Vie (although it's been a while since I saw it, or any movie with Schneider in it for that matter), her melancholic, Hardy-like voice is perfect for La Chanson d'Helene, a duet with Michel Piccoli. And for Max & Les Ferrailleurs she sang a short a-capella song in German. Props to composer Philip Sarde too.

Romy Schneider & Michel Piccoli - La Chanson d'Helene
Romy Schneider - Lily et Max