A step backwards...

Rating: 4/10 (9 May 2007)

In 2003, an enterprising filmmaker brought the world a human drama set in one of the most heavily-populated yet despairingly lonely places of the modern world. It was a success unexpected, giving its director a level of fame and interest that kept all eyes on her next effort. Of course, it did not hurt that this director just happened to be the daughter of one of Hollywood's most successful and well-regarded directors. So for her next project, Sofia decided to create a biopic of one of history's most controversial and maligned historical figures, Marie Antoinette, Queen of France and Navarre. French history is not a subject of interest to me, and my selection of this film was more a whim based on positive experience with Ms. Coppola's previous effort, Lost In Translation. So when I say that Marie Antionette circa 2006 is a real disappointment, I can only do so with a serious and heavy heart. I wanted to like this film, and there are even times when I do. But for a film that was ostensibly made with the goal of setting the record straight, it is disappointingly shallow.
The film begins with the titular character being introduced to her husband-to-be, who just happens to be the Dauphin of France. As the Dauphin's consort, she is expected to produce a child with him with all haste, and much is made of the fact that this will strengthen the French-Austrian alliance. A problem arises when the Dauphin is unwilling or somehow unable to perform the required actions on his part to produce an heir. As Marie begins to receive the proportion of the blame that eighteenth century courts placed upon women that were not producing heirs, her influence with the court begins to weaken. I must admit, the device by which we are shown the two extremes of her popularity in France's court are quite novel. However, a problem arises as we notice increasingly during the running time that very little exists beneath the surface. We know so little about Antoinette during the opening reels, but we know almost nothing else by the time it ends. In effect, we are simply seeing people dance around in period costumes.
Speaking of dancing around, numerous sequences are shown in which the cast and extras hunt, dance, or eat to the tune of post-punk songs that anyone who grew up during the 1980s will recognise at least a few of. Some of them are exceptionally well-chosen in light of the visuals that they accompany. Others, not so. Watching Marie descending stairs as The Cure's Plainsong plays in the background is a feast for the eyes and ears. The use of All Cats Are Grey over the ending credits, on the other hand, just seemed like a decision based on the need for a sound to fill the void. Not that it is a bad song, but considering the tone of the closing scene, there are a thousand songs from this era that would have done far more to build the appropriate mood. Antoinette's story is a sombre one, and an ostensibly painful transition in France's history. So It is unfortunate, but the music really does reduce the whole affair to the feeling of a music video. Sort of the opposite to what happened with Lost In Translation, in other words.
The performances are also somewhat mixed. Kirsten Dunst is way out of her element as Marie Antoinette. She has portrayed individuals from the eighteenth century on previous occasions, and she has also demonstrated a talent uncommon among actors of her generation. So her performance in this mess probably is not her fault. I am also loathe to blame it upon Sofia's direction, as her prior two films were enthralling even if they took a couple of viewings to get into. However, Sofia's writing appears to have more of the fault than anything else. Some stories rely on sex scenes to keep the viewer interested. Some stories rely on violence to keep the viewer interested. Some stories rely on extremely peculiar characters to keep the viewer interested. I am still in a state of wonder as to exactly what the story is reliant upon, in fact. It seems to have no buildup or payoff. Perhaps Ms. Coppola wanted to write the ultimate 1980s music video, but that already exists in the form of a film called Repo Man.
Another problem Marie Antoinette suffers from is that it drives in the stricter, lower limits of the Australian PG rating (honestly, the American system must be run by 100 year old men), and this severely impacts the story. One of the women seen farewelling Marie as she leaves in exile ended up with her head being paraded around for Marie's benefit, a fact that could have done much to put the story in its proper historical context. Much of the film is so perversely tame and restrained that one starts to wonder if anything is going to happen. It is just another example of how overly restrictive America's rating system really is. This is where the whole problem of the film derives. Ask any writer, director, or producer what the one unforgivable sin of telling a story is, especially where film-making is concerned, and they will always tell you the same thing. You can make a good film, you can make a bad film, you can even make an indifferent film. But heaven and the entire chorus of archangels will not help you if you make a boring film.
Thus, I gave Marie Antoinette circa 2006 a four out of ten. Some of the music works, but that is about it.