Review of Marie Antoinette (2006) by Susans — 25 Oct 2006

Wow, I really liked this movie. And I'm usually kind of reluctant on historical movies, due to the normal gross inaccuracies, etc. But the trailer for this intrigued me, and I really like Sophia Coppola.

This movie is not meant to be "informative." It's not an educational movie in the sense that we usually think of them. It is a striking, strange, awkward, slow portrayal of, what it seems like Marie Antoinette's life at Versailles must have truly been.

I mean, how many times can you watch a PBS doc or go see an exhibit at a museum (not to knock either of those), to really understand what life was then? The film has a documentary, rough feel to it (there's even several shots where the microphone is visible overhead), and I loved it.

I don't think she's played dim-witted, she's merely living as she only can figure out as she goes along. What I appreciated most was the intense feelings of isolation. We get one "les miserable" scene when the people storm the castle, but that's it.

And that's what Marie's life was. Isolation. Parties. Fashion. Why else would she have not tried to use her queenly influence to remedy the problems of the country? As much as we hate to see it, this movie really gets at the emotional, although not necessarily historical, core of France just before the Revolution.

Also, I loved Jason Schwartzman as the King; he silently every scene for me.