The Scarlet Empress

Pleasure, Cruelty, Arrogance in Glowing Colors

Julia Sirmons·

Issue 104: Opulence

Both Josef von Sternberg’s The Scarlet Empress (1934) and Hulu’s current series The Great use the opulence of the Empress’ court to tell the story of Catherine's rise as a triumph of light, elegance, and beauty over a twisted, grotesque darkness.

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