Marie Antoinette
By Steven Perdue, Blockbuster.co.uk

From director Sofia Coppola comes Marie Antoinette. Spanning from her betrothal to Louis XVI at the age of fourteen to the final fall of Versailles and the end of the Monarchy, the film tracks the tempestuous emotional life of France’s famous teenage Queen.

Ok, let’s get this out of the way right now. If you are looking for a faithfully realised, historically accurate drama about the life and times of Marie Antoinette then Sofia Coppola’s film is probably not for you. If, on the other hand, you are after an intimate, intelligent, beautiful and compelling story about the doomed Dauphine then you need look no further.

Rather than slavishly recreating the period Coppola has chosen to embrace the teenage spirit of Marie Antoinette, a girl given immense wealth and star status at the tender age of fourteen. So it is out with the sedentary nature of the regular period drama and in with modern music and a more visceral, kinetic style of filmmaking. That is not to say that the period detail has been totally abandoned, the costumes (courtesy of the incredible designer Milena Canonero) and much of the dialogue still reflect the historical setting without getting in the way of the fact that the story of Marie Antoinette is being used to comment on a broader theme. Sofia Coppola finds strong links between the hedonism of 18th Century Versailles and the current cultural trend for conspicuous consumption. Marie Antoinette is portrayed as the teen rock star of her age. Given the bizarre surroundings and rituals of Versailles she reacts as any teenager would, by indulging her senses and abandoning all forms of responsibility.

The cast are superb throughout. Kirsten Dunst gives a touching and tender performance as the young Queen making her way in incredibly alien surroundings. Throughout the course of the film you are constantly aware of her changing character and how previous events have informed that change. It is a beautiful, and at times heartbreaking process that lends great weight to what some may consider a rather slight story. Jason Schwartzman is solid as the distant King, managing to turn what could so easily have been a one-note study in indifference into a more subtle and occasionally endearing role. In terms of stand out performances it is Judy Davis who runs away with every scene she appears in. As the caustic Comtesse de Noailles her prim manner and acidic tongue threaten to steal the show completely. She also gets to hiss one of history’s immortal lines: ‘This, Madam, is Versailles’. And, coincidentally, it is actually Versailles, the filmmakers managed to secure unprecedented access to the palace and its surrounding gardens. Reality, in this case, is more ridiculously opulent than anything a set designer could come up with.

Marie Antoinette is a rather intense and achingly beautiful character study. With some breathtaking camerawork, amazing costumes and a fantastic modern soundtrack it manages to shun historical accuracy whilst simultaneously remaining faithful to the spirit of its subject. In short it is another triumph for Sofia Coppola to add to her previous directorial successes Lost in Translation and The Virgin Suicides. Add it to your list today!

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