Marie Antoinette
Directed by Sophia Coppola
Reviewed by Michelle Groene
Sophia Coppola’s Marie Antoinette, based on Antonia Fraser’s biography of the teen queen, is decadent, colorful and relevant – all of which, unfortunately, doesn’t save it from being a bit lost in translation.
Like Coppola’s previous (and much more critically adored work), the film here centers on a young, wide-eyed girl in a foreign world, struggling to find her own identity. Only instead of telling this story with the subtle flair that Scarlett Johannson and Bill Murray employed in Lost in Translation, Marie Antoinette opts for grandiose opulence befitting of a queen.
Kirsten Dunst is Marie Antoinette, who is brought over from Austria at age 14 for an arranged marriage with Louis XVI (Jason Schwartzman) and quickly becomes a target for gossip amongst the royals for her unconsummated marriage. Whispers of Marie’s coldness and inability to bear children are shared at stately dinners, along with rumors that the heir to the throne actually prefers his hunting buddies to his well-dressed bride. And what ruthless gossip it all is – the modern-day paparazzi have nothing on these duchesses and ladies-in-waiting.
Dunst does her best to portray the queen as both unaffected by these tribulations, and yet she even takes part in the hoopla by talking about the king’s (Rip Torn) mistress, played by Asia Argento, and publicly snubbing her. Behind closed doors, Marie desperately tries to seduce her husband, as she’s constantly being reminded that her place at Versailles is not secure until she produces an heir. In reality, it took her seven years to do so, but luckily instead of focusing on this, Coppola passes the time by showing us the lavish parties, gambling and beautiful clothes the “Queen of Debt” preferred.
And what beautiful clothes they are! Designed by Milena Cannonero, the candy-colored gowns are perhaps the most breathtaking aspect of the film, especially when paired with the bouffant wigs and ornate heels. Kirsten Dunst showcases them beautifully, managing to stand out against the gorgeous palace backdrop and fit in with the pop/punk soundtrack (featuring Gang of Four and the Strokes, amongst others) all at the same time.
Though not necessarily historically accurate, this does not appear to be Coppola’s intent. Her point seems to be, rather, that Marie was a teenager with superficial desires who liked to have fun, like any other young person. Though the starving people of France at the time did not understand this, audiences now can certainly relate: we live beyond our means for the sake of fun all the time – we’ve got the credit card bills to prove it – but we certainly don’t get beheaded as a result.
The real fault in this film lies not in its inaccurate presentation or pop music anachronisms, as these are deliberate choices to create relevance for modern audiences, but rather that the story of the film itself is a lot like the cake Marie herself supposedly wanted everyone to eat – yummy to look at, even tasty to eat, but in the end you’re left with no nutritional or substantial satisfaction. We’re left with just as many questions about the historical figure as we probably had going into the film, as few things – i.e. her relationship with her husband and her children – are ever fully explored. Instead, the surface is barely scratched, and we’re only left with glimpses of what Marie Antoinette might have been like (like most women, she definitely comes across as very complex). Sophia Coppola’s like the baker in this case, who’s very good at making a beautiful-looking and decadent cake, but in the end, it’s still just dessert.
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