Marie Antoinette

Let them eat cake!

Source: pinterest

 Starring: Kirsten Dunst, Jason Schwartzman, Rip Torn, Judy Davis
Year: 2006
Running Time: 127 minutes

Written and directed by Sofia Coppola, Marie Antoinette is a visually spectacular examination of one of history's most infamous queens. Kirsten Dunst does an excellent job of capturing Marie Antoinette's initial innocence and steady dissatisfaction with the stifling routine of royal life. As an escape from the monotony of her life and an apathetic husband, she leads a lavish lifestyle dominated by self-indulgence and decadence. The beautiful period costumes are juxtaposed with a contemporary soundtrack that compliments the Queen's rock star lifestyle featuring Siouxsie and the Banshees, Bow Wow Wow, New Order, Adam Ant and The Cure. And of course, the opulence of the Palace of Versailles creates an awe-inspiring setting for the film.

The film starts in Austria in 1768 when a young princess is married to the Dauphin of France, who would later become King Louis XVI, to cement the alliance between Austria and France. However, the Dauphin seems less than enthusiastic to meet his new bride and greets her with a passionless hug that preempts the lack of any spark in their marriage. The wedding ceremony is a glamorous affair with Marie Antoinette wearing a stunning off-white dome-shaped gown with decorative eschelles and a lot of ruffles. Glamour magazine named it one of the 50 Most Memorable & Stylish Movie Costumes Ever. The Dauphin does not seem particularly wowed by Marie's appearance and seals the deal with a friendly peck on the cheek. While the figurative fireworks between the bride and groom may be lacking, there is a dazzling display of fireworks outside the palace to celebrate the wedding.

Source: spxfashion.wordpress.com

Marie is warned by her mother that she needs to "inspire sexual passion" in her husband - a tall order considering one of the Dauphin's hobbies is making keys - and must produce an heir to secure the Franco-Austrian alliance. No pressure, mom. In the meantime, Marie's daily routine consists of being dressed by a team of female attendants, attending church, eating meals beside her taciturn husband and walking around the palace grounds in voluminous gowns.

Marie briefly joins the Mean Girls of Versailles who snub the King's mistress, Madame du Barry, a tactless woman who they say can't walk past a mirror without seducing it. However, Marie can't afford to fall out of favour with the King, who insists that she speak to his lover. Marie complies by telling Madame du Barry that "there're a lot of people at Versailles today" and declares those will be her last words to "that woman". The letters from her mother, filled with disappointment, continue to leave Marie feeling quite hopeless about her situation.

As a result, she finds comfort in an increasingly hedonistic lifestlye of champagne, shoes, gambling and sweet treats, in a montage excellently paired with I Want Candy by Bow Wow Wow. Since she is unable to find any thrills in her marriage bed, she will find them through various vices. "It's not too much, is it?" she asks a stylist while wearing a towering buffant of curls adorned with feathers and flowers. She also sneaks out to a masked ball, though her simple black mask doesn't offer much of a disguise, and in a fabulous party scene set to Siouxsie and the Banshees' Hong Kong Garden, she is able to have fun, free from the demands of Versailles. This is also where she meets a hot Swiss soldier (played by Jamie Dornan) who lights a fire in her loins.

Source: pinterest

The King dies from smallpox so Louis is officially crowned King, making Marie Queen of France. Life rushes by in a blur of lavish parties and excessive spending. Eventually Louis is able to perform is royal duty and Marie gives birth to a girl. She enters a new era of motherhood and escapes to the country, "an escape from protocol", where she is surrounded by fauna and flora that bring her comfort and peace. When she is reunited with the hot soldier, she enjoys a passionate love affair but when he leaves, the absence of...er...stimulation sends her back into a melancholy and a desire to seize the day by spending as much as possible.

But the people of France have had it with the Queen. Officially. They are starving and suffering while she lives a life of extravagance. The disillusionment of the peasants with the wasteful monarchy culminates with the storming of the Bastille and a mob of angry citizens marching to the Palace of Versailles, armed with pitchforks and torches, effectively driving the royal family out of the Palace and putting and end to Marie's life of luxury.