In honor of our director of the month, Sofia Coppola, I decided to rewatch a film of hers that I haven’t seen since it first came out. It was a pleasant experience getting reacquainted with her loosely historical biopic of the infamously executed queen of France. Marie Antoinette is a bit of a divisive watch but I think it’s certainly got plenty to commend.
5. It features a few actors before they became well known: This is a slightly shallow compliment, but it was quite fun to revisit this and see so many faces that have become far more famous than they were when casted. I didn’t even remember previously seeing them in this movie as they’ve each become familiar faces. Steve Coogan certainly had been around for long before 2006, but I didn’t really learn who he was until Tropic Thunder. Rose Byrne is fantastic as the flamboyant Duchesse de Polignac, although I never thought I had seen her in a movie before seeing 28 Weeks Later a few years after it came out. Another actor is Tom Hardy in a small part, but I always thought I first hear of him through Bronson. Lastly, in a sizable role is the most recently famous Jamie Dornan as Count Axel von Ferson, Marie’s lover with an awesome name. It was his first film role although I didn’t remember that it was him at all until his name popped up in the credits. Just a cool group of soon-to-be big names that I can appreciate a lot more now, especially their baby faces.
4. Sofia leaving worries of accuracy and authenticity behind: Although it’s a sore spot for many, I love how Sofia Coppola’s screenplay is far more concerned with a feeling than a strict retelling. She has an idea about the experiences of Marie-Antoinette, that might not adhere to the facts completely but creates an interesting portrait of the complex figure. It’s decidedly modern, especially with its anachronistic elements. The soundtrack isn’t just the sweeping orchestral movements we’ve come to expect from period pieces, but tracks by The Strokes and New Order that fit perfectly despite the film taking place in the 18th century. She maybe gives Marie-Antoinette a bit too much deniability in her role during the French Revolution, keeping her too naive and disconnected from politics throughout the film. It does give a fascinating insight into the bizarre situation that the young Austrian teen found herself in when thrown into a monarchy and culture she was unaccustomed to, though. It’s refreshing that in an overwhelmingly serious genre, Sofia took a looser approach based more on intuition than veracity.
3. Kirsten’s depiction of stifling isolation: All of Sofia Coppola’s movies are about some kind of isolation or loneliness, most of which concern women. This is no different, telling Marie-Antoinette’s lesser known back story as a teen forced into a marriage that embarrassingly took years to consummate. Despite Louis XVI’s complete refusal to have sex with his bride (depicted humorously by Jason Schwartzman), she carries the burden of their marital failures. The alliance of her native country with France was based on her producing an heir, in a place where she has no real connection to her husband, friendship, or family. Even when her marriage becomes more smooth and caring, she never feels real love and Versailles becomes her own beautiful cage.
I was into anything Kirsten Dunst was in from the time I first saw Little Women til she went off the map for a little while there. She was a few years ahead of me in age so that I always admired her as like the cool older girl who made out with Jay Hernandez and did comedies but also interesting projects like Eternal Sunshine. She does a beautiful job showing Marie-Antoinette’s vulnerability, pressure, sadness and longing. She’s not just isolated from the common folk and reality, but disconnected from everyone in her day to day life. It’s not just that in this particular situation she’s a female who’s function is to birth heirs, but a representation of any teenage girl who’s coming of age and feeling awkward and unsure. As an actress who made a name for herself playing teenage girls, Dunst is a perfect choice for the part.
2. The costuming: It’s predictable but easy to see why period pieces so often win Best Costume at the Oscars. In Marie Antoinette in particular though, it goes beyond the usual fancy dresses and ornate attire. So many costumes in this movie are custom and unique with a particular feel that is just as hyper-stylized as Sofia Coppola’s direction and soundtrack. The costumes aren’t just backdrop but a very important element to the overall story, as Marie-Antoinette’s dresses and accessories, and most of all her hair, get bigger and louder as she uses them to express herself and indulge in one of the greatest advantages of her position. Her wealth and excessive spending is what landed her terrible reputation and these costumes become the evidence of her behavior. Her appetite for luxury is insatiable, which Sofia’s screenplay suggests is a reaction to her stifled personal life. There’s also the inclusion of converses seen in her bedroom, the most overtly anachronistic thing seen in the film, which I love. It’s obviously there to make this story feel more connected to the modern girl’s experiences, but it’s a very fun detail that really sells Sofia’s intentions.
1. It’s a gorgeous visual experience: I find all of Sofia Coppola’s films to be very beautiful with stunning cinematography, but this is the most obviously gorgeous. It certainly helps that it was filmed at the actual Palace of Versailles, with incredible access to the lands and interior. If it was attempted to imitate the location no doubt it would be lacking. Filming there seems like half the battle before you even get to production design which is flawless with opulence in every frame. Then you add in the fantastic costuming, hair styling, and make up to all the visual flair and it’s really perfect. But one step further is all the food and pastries featured throughout the film, which becomes another layer of decadence, crafted by the Parisian bakery Ladurée (where I would like to visit someday). When people mention movies that make them hungry this should really be in that discussion. It certainly gives you a sweet craving and they just just look so pretty. Even if you find the story lacking or shallow, it would be difficult for me to understand anyone not admiring the exceptional look of the film and all its gorgeous elements.
