Marie Antoinette (2006)

Director:

Sofia Coppola

Writer (WGA):

Sofia Coppola (written by)

Release Date:

20 October 2006 (USA)

Genre:

Biography | Drama | History

Tagline:

Let Them Eat Cake

Plot:

The retelling of France's iconic but ill-fated queen, Marie Antoinette. From her betrothal and marriage to Louis XVI at 15 to her reign as queen at 19 and to the end of her reign as queen and ultimately the fall of Versailles.

Plot Keywords:

Marie Antoinette | Queen | France | Versailles | Austria

Awards:

Won Oscar. Another 6 wins & 9 nominations

Cast

Kirsten Dunst	...	Marie Antoinette
Jason Schwartzman	...	Louis XVI
Judy Davis	...	Comtesse de Noailles
Rip Torn	...	Louis XV
Rose Byrne	...	Duchesse de Polignac
Asia Argento	...	Comtesse du Barry
Molly Shannon	...	Aunt Victoire
Shirley Henderson	...	Aunt Sophie
Danny Huston	...	Emperor Joseph
Marianne Faithfull	...	Maria Teresa
Mary Nighy	...	Princesse Lamballe
Sebastian Armesto	...	Comte de Provence
Jamie Dornan	...	Count Fersen
Aurore Clément	...	Duchesse de Char
Guillaume Gallienne	...	Vergennes

Also Known As:

Marie Antoinette (France)

MPAA:

Rated PG-13 for sexual content, partial nudity and innuendo.

Runtime:

123 min

Country:

USA | France | Japan

Language:

French | English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

DTS | SDDS | Dolby Digital

Certification:

Netherlands:AL | Switzerland:10 (canton of Geneva) | Switzerland:10 (canton of Vaud) | USA:PG-13 | Ireland:12A | Finland:S | UK:12A | France:U | Canada:G (Québec) | Canada:PG (British Columbia/Ontario) | Germany:o.Al. | Italy:T | Philippines:R-13 | Sweden:Btl | Hong Kong:IIA | Portugal:M/12 | Argentina:Atp | Brazil:14 | Singapore:PG | Australia:PG | South Korea:15 | Taiwan:PG-12 | Peru:PT

Filming Locations:

Basildon Park, Lower Basildon, Berkshire, England, UK

Company:

Columbia Pictures Corporation

Trivia:

As is shown in the movie, Marie Antoinette was not allowed to keep her pug, Mops, when she entered France. However, later on Count Mercy arranged for the pug to be sent to her after her marriage.

Goofs:

Continuity: Marie's head as she talks to her brother over tea.

Quotes:

Marie-Antoinette: [her dog, Mops, is taken away] Mops!
Comtesse de Noailles: You may have as many French dogs as you like.

Movie Connections:

Featured in The Making of 'Marie Antoinette' (2007) (V)

Soundtrack:

Ou Boivent Les Loups

The guillotine was invented for films like this

This is the kind of film you're allowed to make if your last name is Coppola. If your name is say, Smith or Jones, the studio would laugh in your face. Roger Ebert, whose judgment I usually respect, gave MARIE ANTOINETTE four stars. Maybe he was entranced by the C-name, too.

What a misbegotten mess this is! Here was a chance for a truly talented screenwriter to create an exciting, funny, dramatic script about one of the most tragic eras in history. Instead, we get Coppola's Cliff-notes version of French history, accompanied by an anachronistic soundtrack that keeps reminding the viewer that an immature hack is behind this "entertainment." And the casting! Dunst has a face like a pancake (crepe?) and about as much emotional range. Schwartzmann looks nothing like Louis XVI and is more boring than Louis possibly could have been. And what are we to think about seeing Rip Torn, Molly Shannon, and Steve Coogan in fairly significant parts? Why not Adam Sandler or David Spade? I'm sure they'd look good in powdered wigs, too.

People who hate historical dramas love this film because this is the kind of glitzy sugar-coating they wish ALL history books and films had. It's all about CLOTHES! And SHOES! And HAIR! And BOYS! And...oh yes, occasionally we hear about an invasion, or peasants revolting. But then back to the CLOTHES!

I give this movie 3 out of 10 for:

1. The costumes. As long as it's a movie about clothes, they might as well be great-looking, and they are. The large crowd scenes are visually overwhelming.

2. The sense of court protocol. We do get a glimpse of how fanatical the courtiers were about rank, etiquette, and procedure. Scenes in the queen's bedroom or the dinner table are excruciatingly rule-bound, which does give us a glimpse into Marie's attitude.

3. The locations. Interiors and exteriors are breathtaking. Imagine being given free rein to film all over Versailles. Let's hope this movie doesn't sour the French government on allowing a REAL filmmaker to try this again sometime with better results.