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Reel Norden : Nordic Film & History

Ebba Sparre

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The Girl King -- Setting, Details, and Design The Girl King uses costume, setting, and details to bring the audience to Sweden in the seventeenth century, but also to set characters apart in the story. Queen Kristina is set apart by her ideas and her regalia.
Costumes
Women's Wear
Dresses displayed in The Girl King are a mix of period dresses, and dresses that would have been more popular before Kristina’s reign. Low-cut dresses, and dresses that are off shoulder were top fashion during the 1650s, as opposed to the dresses she wore in the film that had a high neck and did not show much cleavage or skin.(1) Had the costuming followed more traditional dresses of the time we would have seen lower necklines, and puffier sleeves. A dress that is of considerable noting is the dress Queen Kristina gave to Ebba Sparre. The dress is very similar to the actual one that Sparre is seen wearing in a portrait the Queen had made of her. The puffy sleeves, and off shoulder style, pearls and even the way Sparre held her hand is almost identical to the portrait. Because this is one of the only portraits done of Kristina or anyone in her social circle, the director most likely found this to be an important part to include.
Men's Wear
The Girl King had an interesting challenge of creating the menswear clothing for Queen Kristina and for the men in the film. The costume department juxtaposed their outfits and did not follow the traditional dress of men for Kristina. Men’s pants were loose around the thighs unless covered by a suit jacket.(2) Kristina’s pants that she wore were fitted tightly to her entire leg. Kristina’s jackets and blouses are more ornamented than the advisors around her. These differences in men's costuming clearly show that while she was raised like a boy, she would not fit in as a man in a man’s world. Instead, she should attempt to fit into the women’s world.
Hair
Queen Kristina was not a woman who cared about her appearance, including the state of her hair. This was portrayed accurately in the film, as the only times Queen Kristina’s hair was not in disarray were special events such as her coronation or times when the public would see her. It has been reported that she would run a comb through her hair once a week.(3) By not having her hair in perfect condition throughout the movie, it emphasizes her views of women of the time. Music assists in adding to a film’s events and moves the viewers to follow the emotions of the characters on screen. In The Girl King, some attempts were made to reflect the Baroque period of music, but occasionally the contemporary sounds would take away from the historical accuracy of the film even though they added to the emotions of the scene.
Music
The coronation scene serves as an example of mixing contemporary and traditional music. The organ carries the scene and is the primary instrument of the score. Organs are considered a chordal instrument that can fill a room.(4) The orchestral score accompanying the organ was unnecessary and did not add to the seriousness of her crowning moment. The following scene features a small group of performers with musical adornments introduced in the age, like trills, vibratos, and tremolos.(5) Using these ornaments adds to the ambience a coronation dinner would have then. The final scene, again in the church where she was crowned, has a harpsichord as the primary instrument, symbolizing the relief she felt from the release of her duties. The up and down vocals do not match the traditional shape of music, where dynamics were a gradual process.(6) The use of less traditional musical elements may have been the director trying to show how Queen Kristina felt out of place in her time and gender roles. The contemporary features reflected her feelings in each scene, while the traditional background contrasted her non-traditional thoughts and actions. This reflects the constant war she had between expectations of her, the way she was raised, and the vision she had for Sweden.
Setting
Lighting
Viewers may be surprised by the brightness of the film. One example from the middle of the film, has Kristina’s council around a table in a room with no windows and the lighting source clearly is not coming from the candles in the background. The unnatural lighting patterns only take away from the film for a short time, but would have been a great detail to consider to transport the audience to 1632.
Location
The filming was done in Finland and Germany.(7) Landscape shots would have been similar to that of Sweden, even though they were not done in the country. The castle they used for exterior shots was Turku Castle in Finland. The castle Kristina would have reigned in (Tre Konor) was severely burned in a fire in 1697, hence why they did not film at the Tre Konor. A comparison picture displays the Tre Konor is 1661, and an exterior of the castle in the film.

The Girl King, like many historical films, must pick and choose what events it portrays. The film allowed the viewer to get a glimpse of high Swedish society in the seventeenth century, but still be swept into the story of a scandalous historical figure's life. In regards to the setting and surroundings the film is accurate; and the variations made are meant to aid in developing character.

(1) Doreen Yarwood, Fashion in the Western World (London: B.T. Batsford Ltd, 1992), 41-53.
(2) Yarwood, Fashion in the Western World, 38-48.
(3) Paul Lewis, Queen of Caprice (New York: Holt, Rinehart and Winston, 1962), 55-57.
(4) Anthony Burton, A Performer's Guide to Music of the Baroque Period (London: The Associated Board of the Royal Schools of Music, 2002), 4.
(5) Burton, A Performer's Guide, 43.
(6) Burton, A Performer's Guide, 7.
(7)"The Girl King: Filming Locations," IMDb, Access date: Jan 26, 2017, http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1254322/locations.

Written and edited by Anna Buan & Marah Moy.
The Girl King -- Behavior
The Girl King depicts the early life of Kristina and her rise to the crown. A central focus of the film is Kristina's relationship with Ebba Sparre, one of her ladies-in-waiting. While the movie is accurate in showing Kristina's unique upbringing, the nature of her relationship with Ebba Sparre as depicted in the film cannot be verified in the historical record.
Growing Up Like a Boy
The movie shows Kristina as a headstrong, clever young woman. She fences, doesn’t ride sidesaddle, and seems to enjoy the outdoors a great deal. Basically, the film depicts her as an untraditional woman. This representation is largely accurate; her upbringing was unusual for a girl. The activities she learned and the education she received was much more common for a wealthy young man of that time period. She learned to wield a sword, she became familiar with horses, and she liked to hike and hunt. She received a thorough education and learned six languages.(1)

Because of this, Kristina did not act like many people thought a lady should. “She is nothing feminine about her except her sex. Her voice, her manner of speaking, her walk, her style, her ways are all quite masculine,” the Jesuit priest Mannerschied (the Spanish Ambassador's confessor) commented in 1653.(2) Some people wondered if she was a hermaphrodite.(3) Not only was she much more educated than other women of her time, but she also refused to conform to standards of dress. As was depicted by the costumes in the movie, she only dressed as a woman part of the time; she also wore men’s clothes. It is likely that Kristina used her status to allow her this luxury. If others of lower class had dressed as the opposite sex, they would have been severely punished.(4)
Relationship to Women and Men
The film has strong lesbian themes throughout. However, Kristina’s relationship to women (and men) was perhaps slightly different than the strong female attraction the film presents. Kristina wrote she had “an aversion and an invincible antipathy to all that women are and say.”(5) On the one hand, it seems Kristina had a strong revulsion to women; it is recorded that she would call pregnant women “cows.” She did not like talking to them. Other women’s lack of education made topics of conversation hard to find.(6)
However, as the film clearly shows, Christina also had a deep appreciation for and fascination with female beauty. In the film, this appreciation is portrayed in Kristina’s lesbian relationship with Ebba Sparre, her lady-in-waiting. The historical Ebba was indeed employed by Kristina, and there are multiple historical accounts describing the close relationship they had. Because of most women’s lack of education, it is likely the close relationship Kristina had with Ebba was inspired because of Ebba’s physical attributes and not because of the conversation. There are multiple aspects of their relationship in the film that are accurate; Kristina is heard calling Ebba “Belle,” which the real Kristina did as well.(7) They did share a bed, which was common at the time. It is also evident that Kristina cared deeply for Ebba. After Ebba left Kristina’s court, Kristina wrote to her, “I am condemned for ever [sic] to love and adore you without being allowed to see you… happy I cannot be so long as I am far from you… in me you will find one who is devoted to you as ever.”(8)

However, while it is clear that Kristina and Ebba shared a close relationship, and it is clear that Kristina had an appreciation for beautiful women, it cannot be proven that Kristina and Ebba were ever in a romantic relationship.(9) However, it is certainly a possibility that the filmmakers took a chance to explore. And yet, while the movie sheds light on many social issues surrounding same-sex relationships both in the seventeenth century and today, there is no historical evidence that Kristina engaged in lesbian relations.

There is also evidence that she fell in love with men. The film accurately portrays her complete aversion to marriage; she was extremely deterred by the idea of sexual union. She was frustrated by the authority marriage would give a man over her, and had no desire to experience pregnancy and childbirth. However, something the film does not portray is that Kristina also expressed a desire for men. There is evidence that she was once in love with her cousin Karl Gustav at a young age, but when he came back from war, it seems Kristina had fallen out of love. Later in her life and after her move to Rome, she uncharacteristically said she had a desire to submit to Cardinal Decio Azzolinio, who was another potential love interest. (10)
Class Differences and Authority Figures
Some scholars believe that Queen Kristina was a lesbian, and the reaction towards that would have been much greater at that time than in contemporary society. Homosexuality was seen as a sin in most Scandinavian countries in the seventeenth century. However, those in power did not follow the same rules as the peasants. For example sex outside marriage would be more common for those in power then peasants.

In the 1600s there was a widespread belief that Judgment Day was near. If sinners were not punished, then God might to punish the entire community. This view had enough with the fact that it was hard times and struggle for resources. The distance was short between life and death. Europe had not recovered yet after the Black Death, which ravaged in the 1300s. (11)
The film is fairly historically accurate in representing Kristina's unique behavior. She was more learned than most women and did act in ways that people considered masculine. The movie provides a good way for the viewer to see the challenges a woman in court faced in the seventh century. However, Kristina's lesbian relationship with Ebba is an interpretation by the artistic creators of the movie. There is no concrete historical evidence of such a relationship.

(1) “Queen Christina of Sweden,” Lesbian News 24, no. 10 (1999): 52 (accessed January 25, 2017).
(2) Francis Gribble, The Court of Christina of Sweden and the Later Adventures of the Queen in Exile (New York: Mitchell Kennerly, 1913), 67-68.
(3) “Queen Christina of Sweden,” 52.
(4) Sarah Walters, “‘A Girton Girl on a Throne’: Queen Christina and Versions of Lesbianism, 1906-1933,” Feminist Review, no. 46 (1994): 42-43, doi: 10.2307/1395418.
(5) “Queen Christina of Sweden,” 52.
(6) Sven Stolpe, Christina of Sweden, ed. Sir Alec Randall (New York: The Macmillan Company, 1966), 49, 57.
(7) Stolpe, Christina of Sweden, 57, 60.
(8) “Queen Christina of Sweden,” 52.
(9) Stolpe, Christina of Sweden, 52.
(10) Stolpe, Christina of Sweden, 48, 52, 54, 52.
(11) Arnt Folgerø, "Norge hadde sharia-lover på 1600-tallet," March 10, 2017, , accessed May 02, 2017, https://www.document.no/2017/03/10/nrk-norge-hadde-sharia-lover-pa-1600-tallet/.

Written by Ali Froslie and Ulrik Sagbakken
The Girl King -- Chronology & Events
Family Life and Childhood
The film The Girl King begins with the history of the Thirty Years’ War and the death of King Gustav II Adolf in 1632. The film then introduces the young Kristina, at a time when she is in the possession of her mother, Maria Eleonora. The film conveys that Maria Eleonora is mentally unstable and unfit to raise the heir after the death of her husband. Even before Kristina’s birth, Maria Eleonora was considered eccentric, depressed, and hysterical.(1) Partially due to Maria Eleonora’s obsession with her husband, the King’s body was not buried until nineteen months after his death.(2) The only rightful heir at the time of the King’s death was his six-year-old daughter, Kristina. After being with her mother until the age of eight, Kristina was taken away by the "five great old men," Sweden's new regents.(3)
Education and Formation of Ideas
Since she didn’t live with her mother, her aunt, Princess Katherine, was the one woman who was influential in Kristina’s life.(4) During her childhood Kristina was educated in the way a prince would have been at the time.(5) She was taught Latin, Italian, Swedish and French from her teachers. She also knew German from a young age because her mother had spoken German.(6) The film depicts Kristina’s education as the motivation behind her intellectual ideas and unique way of ruling. According to the film, Kristina favored the writings of René Descartes, even in her childhood. In Kristina's own writings, she concluded that her later correspondence with Descartes gave way to her rejection of the Lutheran ideals.(7)
Countess Sparre
Throughout the film a prominent theme was the questioning of Queen Kristina’s sexual orientation. One of the main characters was Ebba Sparre, or Belle, one of the Queen’s ladies-in waiting. Countess Sparre was fairly accurately portrayed in the film, with the exception of her first engagement to Jakob Casimir De la Gardie. Countess Sparre’s first engagement was to Chancellor Oxenstierna’s son, Bengt, whereas the film depicts Sparre with De la Gardie. The Queen later convinced Belle to instead marry Jakob Casimir De la Gardie. The film also shows Sparre and her husband with a child in their bed; however, Sparre’s three babies all died in infancy.(8)
Karl Gustav
The film depicts Karl Gustav, along with other men, often in pursuit of the eccentric Queen Kristina. At one point in her life, Kristina did intend to marry her cousin Karl Gustav, but she felt that it was unfair to him because she only loved him as a friend. He pursued her for many years, but she was unable to return the love. Eventually, Kristina named him as her heir.(9) The film portrays this event in the way that Kristina named him as her son and adopted him. However, we do not have proof that this event happened, she most likely named him solely as the heir to the throne.(10) She abdicated the throne after ten years as Queen, and left for Rome to pursue the Catholic faith. Karl Gustav was crowned in 1654, but he was left with a nation in financial distress after the reign of Kristina.(11)

Though her childhood is only referenced for a small portion of the film, it accurately conveys that her mother, Maria Eleonora, was mentally unstable. Much of the film focuses on Kristina's love life and her questionable sexual orientation. Though this is an important part of her life, it is over exaggerated throughout the film. The Girl King contributes to the audience's understanding of the experiences of the upper class during this time period in the history of Norden. The noble classes are portrayed as having lavish lives through their extravagant parties. However, the lower classes are depicted as poverty stricken, and their only want is "free beer." The Girl King provides a fairly accurate portrayal of the life of Queen Kristina.

(1)Veronica Buckley, Christina, Queen of Sweden: The Restless Life of a European Eccentric (New York: Fourth Estate), 20-21.
(2)Buckley, Christina, Queen of Sweden, 42.
(3)Buckley, Christina, Queen of Sweden, 43.
(4)Paul Lewis, Queen of Caprice: A Biography of Kristina of Sweden (New York: Holt, Rinehart, and Winston), 33.
(5)Lewis, Queen of Caprice, 34.
(6)Sven Stolpe, Christina of Sweden (New York: Macmillan), 56-57.
(7)Buckley, Christina, Queen of Sweden, 148.
(8)Buckley, Christina, Queen of Sweden, 98.
(9)Buckley, Christina, Queen of Sweden, 99.
(10)Buckley, Christina, Queen of Sweden, 99.
(11)Encyclopædia Britannica (2017), s.v “Charles X Gustav” accessed January 28, 2017, http://academic.eb.com/levels/collegiate/article/22579#.

Written and edited by Grete Hamnes and Rachel Olson.