August der Starke (1936)

Dresden, in the late 17th century. At the Saxon court, the autocratic Elector Augustus the Strong rules amid pomp and splendor; the rhythm of life is set by festivals and celebrations full of feasting and beautiful women. Only his constant rivalry with the Swedish king Charles XII, who, like Augustus, seeks supremacy in neighboring Poland, gives cause for concern. When word arrives that King Charles is at the gates of Warsaw, Augustus immediately sets off for the Polish capital as well. On the way, he meets the Polish Princess Jablonska, whose carriage has broken a wheel. Hoping for an erotic adventure, Augustus the Strong takes her along. Soon afterward, however, the Saxon Elector decides to return to his castle. There he begins an affair with the very young wife of his finance minister, who will become his mistress and later exert great influence over Augustus. As Countess Cosel, she makes Saxon history. Distracted by his amorous adventures, Augustus the Strong almost forgets to govern. The Swedish king takes advantage of this and advances with his troops dangerously close to the Saxon border. To lull his royal rival, Augustus sends his former mistress, Countess Aurora Königsmark. But unlike his adversary Augustus, King Charles is not easily wrapped around anyone’s finger. He even manages to sneak into the Elector’s court. Augustus the Strong recognizes him, but since they are both high-ranking noble gentlemen, there is no duel. Instead, Augustus politely escorts his opponent to the gate, in order to throw him out with style. Charles of Sweden then decides he would rather march with his troops against Russia and its tsar, Peter. At the Battle of Poltava (1709), the Swedish monarch suffers a crushing defeat at the hands of the Russians. Augustus the Strong, who had in the meantime also been King of Poland (from 1697 to 1704), before Charles stripped him of that title, now believes he has another chance to win the Polish crown. To do so, however, Augustus the Strong needs a substantial injection of money, which he hopes to obtain from neighboring Prussia. For this reason, he sends his confidante, Countess Cosel, who is playing a double game. When Augustus finds out, he has her arrested. Augustus is crowned King of Poland for the second time in Kraków, but his joy does not last long. He has grown old and ill, and the strength of the man once known as “the Strong” is fading. He can no longer bend a horseshoe with his bare hands, as he did long ago when he earned his nickname, and his legendary powers of love have also failed him. As his end approaches, someone plays Johann Sebastian Bach’s Mass in B minor in the castle chapel. Then the old womanizer dies in Warsaw. Saxon cavalrymen carry Augustus the Strong’s heart, which had been removed beforehand, to bring it home from Poland to Dresden.