Superficial treatment of a major figure in history.

Rating: 7/10 (19 May 2014)

Kirsten Dunst looks wonderful as Marie Antoinette. However, the same adjective cannot be applied to the movie. The movie provides a sympathetic portrayal of the queen, but the attempt comes off as superficial and contrived. Although as a person Marie was essentially innocuous, it was the office into which she was placed that proved her undoing. The movie fails to drive home how she was perceived as a symbol of oppression and decadence. She was not loved. In fact, she was loathed and the target of unending gossip. Whether she deserved such shoddy treatment is debatable. But the movie gives cause to feel amazement at how such a shallow person could generate so much popular ill-will. She was neither brilliant, nor clever, nor had any special talents that set her apart. Yet, she became the center of a political storm, which guaranteed her place in history. This, however, the movie fails to develop as a central theme. That is, the movie fails to portray Marie in a broader historical context. Hence, the movie is flat, lacking in drama, and even becomes trite, which, given the momentous events that were happening in France, is really amazing. The movie provides few clues as to why the people are so angry at their queen, which is the critical factor in how Marie's life ended. The movie effectively depicts Marie's lack of preparation for the role to which she had been assigned, but then basically glosses over the ensuing years of her life. Marie became a symbol of scorn. This point the movie skirts. The movie also fails to convey the sense of tragedy associated with Marie's life. It could be argued that she was fated, a victim of circumstances. The movie does not explore that theme. Instead, what the movie offers is a glib and superficial dramatization of one of the major figures in European history, whose presence helped trigger a revolution that changed France and the world.