Looks wonderful but looks are skin deep

Rating: 5/10 (15 November 2007)

As a fan of historic films I looked forward to this re-telling of a well known story. I hoped that I would not be disappointed by glaring historical errors and having just re-watched "The Madness Of King George" hoped that Coppola's film would be as engrossing and well executed.
Well, the film looked awesome. The sets, costumes, and camera-work are a credit to all concerned.
The main problems with the movie are a lack of depth. The story of the tragic Austrian is invariably connected to the famous revolution which caused her death (we don't see that, either) yet we witness little of the revolution save for an angry mob at the palace bearing torches.
The other main problem is that Dunst simply cannot carry the role. She delivered her lines with all the dignity of a cheerleader or burger bar waitress.
When watching the movie I thought of the Doctor Who episode (set earlier in the eighteenth century) and how a British actress such as Sophia Myles would have been so much more suited to the part.
Overall, quite enjoyable but could have been so much more.
As entertaining as the film is a trawl through the IMDb comments - the "plants" are a more blatant than usual.