I did promise a review of the much-anticipated Marie Antoinette and I will be discussing it at length here so please AVERT EYES if you wish to be taken by surprise come October when it gets released in the US (or February in the UK – there was NO friggin’ way I was going to wait THAT long!). This review has been sitting in my drafts section for a week now because it has taken me THAT long to gather my thoughts about it so I hope this review is vaguely coherent! I did not want to review it in a slap-dash ‘Oh this movie was cute!’ way so if this post seems a little un-fashion related, please excuse me.
Having already heard so much about the ‘criticism’ surrounding this movie when it debuted at Cannes, I had two questions in mind when going to see this film and they were
i) whether I still maintained my argument that people who criticised it for it’s lack of historical appreciation (Time Out said ‘It may be hip, but it ain’t history.’) were missing the point of the film
and
ii) since I already knew this film was a highly stylised treatment of a piece of history then is style in itself enough to carry it through?
I can answer both questions with a resounding yes.
By the end of the movie, I had no doubt in my mind that historical fact had no place in this movie because it really didn’t matter. If Coppola had gone down the route of giving the film a firmly grounded historical slant, she would have failed purely because she loves Marie Antoinette, the character too much. Instead, what we have in Marie Antoinette is a metaphor for a female thrown into an attractive but dangerous environment. The story could easily have been a girl who suddenly gets sent to a posh private school, a trophy wife marries into snotty Upper Eastside society – the themes feel all too familiar. Yes, we are aware it’s Marie Antoinette and the bare necessities of her story are there – her struggle to produce a Dauphin, competition with her sister in law, her mother, Maria Theresa’s criticism of her, her extravagant Petit Trianon and Louis XVI’s sexual inadequacy. However, I do think her story is not integral to the film but only form a loose structure to make way for the real theme of the film which is decadence. Marie Antoinette as a character is portrayed as a victim, a bright young thing, adorable, vunerable and rightly so because if the character had been given a more cynical, historical treatment, the stylised elements of the film almost would be made redunant.
What drew me in and where I think the film succeeds is getting the appearance of everything so right. It is the stylistic treatment that is integral to the movie because ultimately, all the depiction of parties, shopping, indulgence etc. all hone in the message that its all fleeting and temporary enjoyment that must end at Marie Antoinette’s surrender to the people. It is imagery that carries the film through as the script is very very sparse and conversation is kept to a minimum. Rather we observe everything through Marie Antoinette’s eyes, the landscape, Versailles, sunsets, the ‘country’ in the Petit Trianon, courtiers. We hear things from her point of view, malicious gossip, advice from her mother, her brother. The film is never a straight-forward narrative.
The style of the film is very reminiscent of Terrence Mallick, someone that Coppola cited as an influence as there were a lot of slow shots of landscape and almost abrupt dialogue – don’t expect long conversations or coherent story telling. Coppola has produced a wonderfully shot film with scenes of grass, trees looking magical and other-wordly. Throughout the film, we are constantly given these rambling shots of the landscape as though in the eyes of Marie Antoinette, she wishes to escape and this is particularly true when the Petit Trianon is erected and she uses it as an escape from court. She meanders amongst the grass with her daughter in a languid state and the camera follows her with close-up shots of flowers, weeds, ladybirds. It is these things that gives the film the perfect pace and make it a delight to watch.
Of course, cinematography would be completely useless if it didn’t have the physical material to work with. Coppola has got the aesthetics of this film down to a perfection. Coppola has interpreted Marie Antoinette’s heady life at Versailles as a never-ending high school party where people are young, bitch about each other and indulge in themselves. Coppola sees Marie Antoinette as a symbol of decadence and that is exactly what we get. The word indulgence certainly shouts at you in practically every scene. Excess is contstantly thrown in your face as champagne (a drink that had not even been invented in the 18th century but is an apt symbol here) flows freely. Desserts so scrumptious and calorifc are given a LOT of on-screen time and could almost be a character by itself! Macaroons, eclairs, strawberry gateaux, cream cakes are consumed with wild abandon by Marie Antoinette and her posse.
Then there’s the clothes – you have to applaud Coppola for her eye for details because the costumes were historically very accurate with the right level of frivolity injected. You were given time in the film to take it all in – the ruffles, the clocks on the stockings, ribbons, sleeve trims, the rustling of fabrics. When Marie Antoinette had her girly boudoir parties with the Duchesse de Polignac and the Comte de Provence, it was fun to see these ‘girls’ (and literally, there were just teenagers) selecting shoes from ‘Christian in Paris’, rows and rows of colourful satin creations (all credit to Manolo Blahnik!). A particularly memorable scene is when Steve Coogan, who plays Ambassador Mercy tries to talk to Marie Antoinette about politics and she is asking in turn which ruffle suits her dress best. One historical fact that the film does get right is the portrayal of Marie Antoinette as a trend-setter. What the queen did, was replicated everywhere from the aristocracy down to lower class women Her hairdresser Leonard’s towering creations were filtered through to other ladies as hair grew and grew in height. When Marie Antoinette moved into the Petit Trianon, she instructed her dressmakers to make simpler and looser clothing – her conception of the ‘countrified’ look. Suddenly, her posse were all wearing these ‘country’ creations.
There has been much talk about the soundtrack which I was afraid might be too jarring but I found that it blended in seamlessly. The Strokes, New Order, The Cure, Gang of Four and Bow Wow Wow were all sitting comfortably with classical music. It almost would have looked silly if they were dancing and partying to Mozart’s sonatas because the 80’s hipster music conveyed sense of reckless youth and well….actually made it look like a wild party as everyone was getting drunk on champagne and snorting an early version of coccaine.
Having covered the style and appearance of the film which really superceded everything else, I suppose I should say something about the performances but with a script so sparse and style so present, it’s almost as if the characters themselves were moving images without feeling. This is where the film is lacking and that is heart You don’t seem to sympathise with anyone, least of all Marie Antoinette. Kirsten Dunst plays the character exactly how Coppola wanted to portray her but we don’t seem to want to engage with her or relate to her. So unfortunately, the film suffers a bit as the audience becomes just cold observers rather than sympathisers. Jason Schwartzman who plays Louis XVI is rather endearing as the sexually challenged, docile king but really is lacking in substance to make any strong impression. Molly Shannon and Shirley Henderson are wonderful as the gossiping, two-faced aunts. Rose Byrne is another endearing character as the wild Duchesse de Polignac and has the best line when she visits the Petit Trianon and declares brightly ‘I love the country!’. Asia Argento also puts in an amusing performance as Madame du Barry with her wild sexual antics in the bedroom with Louis XV. Jamie Dornan’s turn as Count Fersen was a little unnecessary as this storyline did not go anywhere. Overall, everyone did an adequate job but ultimately, ended up playing second fiddle to the style and aesthetics of the film.
I think all the pre-US release data reviews should have forewarned people enough to see this film, not as a historical period drama that wants to re-tell facts but as a stylised piece on 18th century decadence, that views Marie Antoinette as a young, bewildered girl thrown into a heady fast-paced lifestyle. There is nothing wrong with making a film that’s purely about style as long as it’s consistent and doesn’t try to dip fingers in too many pies, and that is what Marie Antoinette is – a rollicking stylish film and people should appreciate it for what it is.
exactly! thanks for this review!! mon dieu, i really wanna watch this so badly.. not a historical movie? so what! what i expect is a stylish movie, no?
I have seen Marie-Antoinette two times already and I have to agree with your review. I was very tired by everyone’s criticism about how the movie was historically untrue because that really didn’t matter. However, I thought there were a few flaws in the film including the whole story with Count Fersen and Marie Antoinette’s fantasy because it fell flat. Anyways, thank you for the review!
Kirsten Dunst is doing the same ol’ schtick with the I’m sweet, sexy and so naive yet braless thing. So bored. Costumes are lovely. KD is not, but she’s so painted over and made up she doesn’t look like herself. a troll.
I was browsing through the thread on tfs susie, and came across the link to this review. It’s written beautifully, and I couldn’t agree with you more on most points. Fantastic, dear!
Marie Antointte is a grate movie! but at the end when she is in the car going to the plase to her head cut off i relly felt like ceriying:'(. she had so much fun that in the end she ended up getting killed it’s just not faer.
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I am 57 years old.
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In this story words ‘’trial ” and “torture” seem to have the same root.
The test granted by destiny to 16-years Simeon Pribytkov is really similar to a refined torture. His own body became his prison. Eyes are the only alive part of his body. The rest of it is completely motionless. Just a few months ago he ran, jumped, danced, and enjoined life in all its beauty, like the majority of teenagers in his native city of Murom. He looked at the sky, the sun and could not imagine that one day he will be can missing all this. He pulled about his cat Anton’s ear having no idea what a happiness it is to be able to touch a dear creature. He was dating with a girl and could not even surmise how deadly could be an anguish for a loved person. He defeated monsters in computer games but now he is forced to win over his illness and himself.
They Thought, he will not survive……
He made a start, jump upwards, somersault in air and… fell his head downwards. For an instant Simeon has felt a sharp pain in the neck, in a second he lost consciousness… Doctors diagnosed: ” fracture of 4-th cervical vertebra “. Damage of a spinal cord caused paralysis of the whole body – torments of physical helplessness for him and spiritual sufferings for his mother. Her name is Galina. As to Semyon’s father -everything seems to be simpler. Two years ago he gone to other woman. Since then their communication has almost stopped. Simeon wanted to learn acrobatic tricks to improve the dancing program of a break dance collective and make it more complicated. That is why he began to attend the Murom circus studio. There he jumped, studied to carry out rollovers, somersault… They urgently operated Simeon, and replaced broken vertebra with an artificial one. Doctors were afraid that the boy will not survive –the injury was too serious, but he did survive.
Then the boy was transported to the regional hospital of Vladimir, and placed into neurosurgery department. In two months Sema has grown so thin, that his hands and a legs looked like thin twigs, the neck became longer, like sparrow’s one, and his clavicles stick out . His eyes became huge. Now they are almost everything for him. He moves them, instantly reacting on every event around him – this is his communication. No, Sema can say words. But they are hardly recognizable because of the husky voice caused by special pipe, inserted in his throat for breathing. Because of immobility of a body there is an inflammation and stagnation of a liquid in his lungs. Every day Galina pumps out it through a tube with a special device.
Five footsteps from one wall to another – this is a ward where Syoma was placed. At nights Galina curls up and huddles beside him on a tiny sofa. Simeon almost does not sleep. At times it is because of a pain. But the main cause of his sleeplessness are fear and melancholy. He admits, that sometimes he cries because of his powerlessness. He is afraid , that he will never be able to walk again. He says : ” I should learn at least to sit, to be able to use a wheelchair”. Still – he misses home and his girl Ksiusha. Their love has begun a couple of months before the tragedy. She does not come to the hospital, but sometimes writes letters and, it seems, promises to stay with him. Simeon trusts her. But he understands well that if will not recover, there will be not only Ksiusha, but there will be nothing in his life. Anything, except for a pain, and eternal imprisonment among four walls and fear, that if something happens to his mum he will stay completely alone.
Galina, certainly, also does not sleep, like her son. Moreover every hour or two Semyon has to be rubbed with a special solution to prevent bedsores. Including feeding, caring, talking…
Simeon is very communicative “, – says Galina. I stand up near his bed and I speak and speak… He mostly listens, but sometimes speaks hoarsely in the answer.
– Sema, will your life change when you will be able to stand up on your legs?
– I will be helping my mum…We did not get on well with each other before, but now we are the closest people in the world.
What do you want now?
I want fried macaroni, – Simon smiled at last, – I am fed up with boiled food[url=http://mp3downloadsplus.com/].[/url]
He smiled saying goodbye
Galina is in a very difficult situation. For the present she is on a vacation from her factory. But it is more than probable that she will have to give up her job. And even if she was working, her little wage would not be enough. Semyon’s elder sister and other nearest people often visit him in the hospital. They gather every little help, but there is still not enough money. Moreover the third part of Semyon’s story is about to begin.
By the time this article will be published, Semyon with his mother will be in Nizhni Novgorod at the Research Institute of Traumatology and Orthopedics. As doctors say the boy had a great luck. His spinal cord remained whole, though it is damaged. There is a hope, that Simeon will recover. In the Institute he should pass a long complex of rehabilitation treatment which will cost at least 450 thousand roubles. The only way how ‘’AandF’’ readers could assist, is to help Semyon’s mother to collect money. If collected sum will be insufficient, the boy might remain a disabled parson for the rest of his life.
Farewell turned out shrill.
It was difficult to choose the right words, but these words were necessary – Semyon needed it. They made him smiling. But when standing in the doorway, I looked back, there were tears in his eyes…
Let’s help Semyon !
Translation: Skibinsckaya Angelika
who wants to help him in deed there is now a webmoney purse: Z747926557509, R158311598309
periodically I will write here a sum on him
Androfroll. (Allmost Crew)
now in the purse:
Z747926557509 – 39,92
R158311598309 – 1958,36
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thanks: Angelika Skibinskaya, Meksivan, Misha from Murom, bboy noize, zme[yo]nish, Nalim, Gang Style Crew, MC Ched, Kiss Of Bee Yulya, NWP, Family Bboy Tema “Gust Life” (Murmansk)
A man should be just a thing, once and perseverance, and hope to get it. But I have to do everything, the result is what also hold. Every time I have found that, when a pursuit of what is available, I pursue something else. It’s too late.
I had reached the point in my life where I could not bare the idea of seeing another historical-costume-drama. The thought of seeing another actor attempting the stilted period lingo and mello-drama gives me a headache, BUT Miss Coppola has undone my pain with this fresh take on the period drama, with her lovely and off-beat MARIE-ANTOINETTE. Usually you watch the piece from afar, thinking, “Wow, life sure was hard back then,” but you never really can relate to the characters, but Coppola breaks tradition in a completely refreshing way, so that you can really understand these characters. She uses modern day music (not like the horrible A KNIGHT’S TALE did) and hand held camera work. Her style is much more free and alive. She takes her time with the material so that we get a feel for time period and all of the free time they had. The acting is first rate, other than a mis-cast Rip Torn who’s a little too over-the-top. If you’ve enjoyed her other movies (THE VIRGIN SUICIDES & LOST IN TRANSLATION), then you are sure to enjoy this film. But if you are looking for another stilted period drama with forced accents and dead camera work then rent THE PARTRIOT or VANITY FAIR. I really enjoyed MARIE-ANTIONETTE, though I’m not sure how historically accurate it is, it’s a fine film. Some have criticized Coppola for making a French subject so American, but that is not the point, she has created an accessible historical biopic, that people of MARIE-ANTIONETTE’s age could enjoy and relate to.