Marie Antoinette (2006)

Director:

Sofia Coppola

Writer (WGA):

Sofia Coppola (written by)

Release Date:

20 October 2006 (USA)

Genre:

Biography | Drama | History

Tagline:

Let Them Eat Cake

Plot:

The retelling of France's iconic but ill-fated queen, Marie Antoinette. From her betrothal and marriage to Louis XVI at 15 to her reign as queen at 19 and to the end of her reign as queen and ultimately the fall of Versailles.

Plot Keywords:

Marie Antoinette | Queen | France | Versailles | Austria

Awards:

Won Oscar. Another 6 wins & 9 nominations

Cast

Kirsten Dunst	...	Marie Antoinette
Jason Schwartzman	...	Louis XVI
Judy Davis	...	Comtesse de Noailles
Rip Torn	...	Louis XV
Rose Byrne	...	Duchesse de Polignac
Asia Argento	...	Comtesse du Barry
Molly Shannon	...	Aunt Victoire
Shirley Henderson	...	Aunt Sophie
Danny Huston	...	Emperor Joseph
Marianne Faithfull	...	Maria Teresa
Mary Nighy	...	Princesse Lamballe
Sebastian Armesto	...	Comte de Provence
Jamie Dornan	...	Count Fersen
Aurore Clément	...	Duchesse de Char
Guillaume Gallienne	...	Vergennes

Also Known As:

Marie Antoinette (France)

MPAA:

Rated PG-13 for sexual content, partial nudity and innuendo.

Runtime:

123 min

Country:

USA | France | Japan

Language:

French | English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

DTS | SDDS | Dolby Digital

Certification:

Netherlands:AL | Switzerland:10 (canton of Vaud) | Switzerland:10 (canton of Geneva) | USA:PG-13 | Ireland:12A | Finland:S | UK:12A | France:U | Canada:G (Québec) | Canada:PG (British Columbia/Ontario) | Germany:o.Al. | Italy:T | Philippines:R-13 | Sweden:Btl | Hong Kong:IIA | Portugal:M/12 | Argentina:Atp | Brazil:14 | Singapore:PG | Australia:PG | South Korea:15 | Taiwan:PG-12 | Peru:PT

Filming Locations:

Basildon Park, Lower Basildon, Berkshire, England, UK

Company:

Columbia Pictures Corporation

Trivia:

The blue and gold robe a la Francaise Shirley Henderson wears as Aunt Sophie was previously worn by Geraldine Somerville as Lady Emily (during the scene of Lord Kildare having dinner at Richmond House). The same gown also appeared previously in "Doctor Who" (2005) on Sophia Myles in the final ballroom scene of "The Girl in the Fireplace".

Goofs:

Anachronisms: Kirsten Dunst's contact lenses can be seen multiple times during close-ups.

Quotes:

Marie-Antoinette: So, I hear you like to make keys as a hobby?
Louis XVI: Yes.
Marie-Antoinette: And do you enjoy making keys?
Louis XVI: Obviously.

Movie Connections:

Featured in The Making of 'Marie Antoinette' (2007) (V)

Soundtrack:

Il Secondo Giorno Instrumental

I Thought I'd Like It and...Ta Dah! I Did! Not Only That, I Love It!!!

Having trashed two of the three movies Sofia Coppola has directed (I didn't see Lick the Star, yuck!) what made me think I'd enjoy Marie Antoinette? I'm old and worse yet, a male. Certainly not the demographic Marie Antoinette is aimed at, so I found when I ventured out to my local Cineplex to check out Ms. Coppola's 4th go at directing. I figured to use the theater as my personal screening-room on a Friday at noon. Oops! It was a school holiday and I entered one of the smaller of the 14 "theaters" into a crowd of a dozen or so chatting high school girls. I had mistakenly arrived 20 minutes early so I had an opportunity to eavesdrop on their discussion concerning the ethics paper they were required to write and what they were considering giving up for a week as required by their class. These must have been students at the nearby parochial high school. What public high school has ethic courses? They seemed a perfect audience for a film on Marie Antoinette. The theater continued to fill as film time approached. It filled to approximately ¾ capacity and I was, as best as I could determine, the only male person of my gender.

So why did I think I'd enjoy a film by a director whose films seemed directed by a person with a spoiled child's view of the world? Well, what I'd read about Marie Antoinette resonated close enough with Moulin Rouge, Baz Luhrmann's Moulin Rouge which blew me away. "Lavish imagery and a daring soundtrack set this film apart from most period dramas; in fact, style complete takes precedence over plot and character development in Coppola's vision of the doomed queen" should sound familiar to Moulin Rouge fans.

Well, as soon as the black and shocking pink credits showed up to the sound of The Gang of Four's "Natural's Not In It" I knew I was in the right place. Kirsten Dunst was, in my opinion, a perfect choice. She's beautiful but not too beautiful. She has an aura of mischievousness which worked from start to finish. Ms. Dunst, at the young age of 24 or so, already has a long career in Hollywood. And she was only one of many. From Marianne Faithful, to Judy Davis, to Rip Torn, to Jason Schwartzman, to Asia Argento, to many others perfectly cast.

For me, the film never dragged or bogged down. The sets were beautiful. (What can you say about Versailles and the French countryside?) The food was reminiscent to me of Wayne Thiebaud paintings, but more colorful. The costumes, the music, added to the sense of decadence I think the film aimed for.

Yet Marie Antoinette's character never seemed decadent. Ms. Dunst's openness and delight in all presented to her, came across. Despite her loss of freedom and the difficulty in eventually becoming the Queen of France she was able to "Party On!"

What made the film, for me, exceptional, was how Sofia Coppola was able to make both Marie Antoinette and Louis XVI living, breathing, human beings, rather than grotesqueries. I was moved several times by their connection or lack of the same.

There is a lot to see, hear and experience in Marie Antoinette. It is an accomplished and stimulating cinematic experience. I shall view it as much as I am able. This film has prompted me to review both The Virgin Suicides and Lost in Translation. The world is certainly in need of feminine perspective and Sofia Coppola has made a statement that she has the potential to be a very Great talent.

Pardon my verbosity.