Versailles

Rating: 10/10 (8 December 2006)

The luxury and the royal decadence of the late XVIII century in France stand a good reason for the French Revolution. "Marie Antoinette", the wonderful new film directed by Sofia Coppola, serve to illustrate why that violent turn of events happened in that country.
Marie Antoinette, the tragic Austrian princess, is married to the French Dauphin, in order to cement her mother's strategic alliances with other European monarchies. This young woman, in a way, was sacrificed to complete the ambitious plans of her mother. We are given a scenario in which a somewhat naive young woman steps into a culture and a society she didn't belong. To make matters worse, her husband, the Dauphin, was a man not interested in a wife that was imposed on him by his own father.
When Marie Antoinette leaves Vienna, she enters a pavilion in the middle of nowhere where everything Austrian is cast away, even her beloved lap dog must be sacrificed. The Comptesse Noailles, in charge of protocol, guides the young girl into what is awaiting her at the court of Versailles. The Austrian princess is not ready for what awaits her in the sophisticated world of the French court.
It is somewhat clear that Marie Antoinette never felt love for her husband. She just was the vessel through which the successor of the throne of France would be conceived. When the children did arrive, her husband, then king Louis XVI, was too preoccupied with his own problems to really mean much to his queen. When he gives her the Petit Trianon, a place of her own, Marie Antoinette's real character comes through. She is not aware what her excesses do to the impoverished people in the country. She even had her own fling with Count Fersen. Her fate and her husband was sealed after the storm of the Bastille prison. We witness their departure from Versailles as they leave for an impending death.
Sofia Coppola, a director with a style of her own, shows why she is one of the most talented women in the business. Working loosely on Antonia Fraser's novel, she has given her subject a great reading in this film of epic proportions. She was lucky in her choice of collaborators for this project. She counted on people of the caliber of Malena Canonero for those elegant period pieces we see on the screen. Anne Seibel's art direction is flawless and Veronique Melery's sets show us the French court in all its splendor. Lance Acord photographs the historical palace in all its majestic beauty.
Another triumph for Ms. Coppola is in the choice of music for "Marie Antoinette". She blends the exquisite music by Jean-Philippe Rameau with modern classics, such as "Fools Rush In", something unheard of in a period film, yet, it makes sense and doesn't feel out of place.
As the heroine of the film, Kirsten Dunst, who has worked with the director before, makes a great Marie Antoinette. Her blonde good looks blend perfectly with our idea of what this tragic woman was like. Jason Schartzman, on the other hand, doesn't quite give us the impression he is either the Dauphin, or Louis XVI. Rip Torn plays the earthy Louis XV, the man who kept his mistress, the infamous Madame DuBarry, at the palace to satisfy his passion.
Some of the minor characters receive great readings from among others, Judy Davis, who is perfect as the Comtesse Noailles. Rose Byrne is Marie Antoinette's best friend, Asia Argento vamps as Madame DuBarry. Steve Coogan is a great Mercy. Marianne Faithful is seen as the Empress Marie Teresa and Danny Huston is Joseph, Marie Antoinette's brother.
"Marie Antoinette" is a great spectacle. It kept reminding this viewer of those large pictures in the Louvre by Jean-Louis David. Oh, and it case you hadn't noticed, Sofia Coppola clearly demonstrates she is a director to reckoned with.