Oct. 26, 2006

Coppola puts audience face to face with ‘Marie Antoinette’

BY PHILIP LEMASTER
pcl001@marietta.edu

MARIE ANTOINETTE

Directed by
Sofia Coppola

Starring
Kristen Dunst - Marie Antoinette
Marianne Faithfull - Maria Teresa
Steve Coogan - Ambsdr. Mercy
Judy Davis - Comtesse
Jason Schwartzman - Louis XVI
MPAA: Rated PG-13

Runtime: 123 min

Quite unsurprisingly, director Sofia Coppola has again stuck to her same formula for her third full-length film 'Marie Antoinette'. Like 'The Virgin Suicides' and 'Lost in Translation' before, 'Marie Antoinette' explores a young woman lost in her surroundings. However, this time around, Coppola has decided to tell the story of a woman who actually lived, the queen of France at the time of the French Revolution who was despised for her excessive spending and ambivalence toward her constituents. Coppola's 'Marie Antoinette' takes a new spin on the icon, and it is certainly a spectacle to behold.

When the film premiered at Cannes earlier this year, it polarized critics and audiences alike with its sympathetic take on the queen, its contemporary soundtrack, and its Americanization of French history. But, by incorporating these elements, Coppola has brought us face-to-face with Marie Antoinette instead of trapping her in a stuffy period piece. Although her actions did indeed produce dire consequences for her country, Coppola has led us to believe that she didn't know any better. Kirsten Dunst is perfect as the titular character, portraying a girl stripped of everything she knew to be used as a political pawn between France and Austria. Her only duty was to produce an heir to the French throne, but even then, her husband Louis XVI (Jason Schwartzman) wouldn't consummate their marriage for seven years. Coppola takes us deep into Marie Antoinette's anguish and frustration, showing a woman at the height of power with no control over herself, her environment, or her future.

With unprecedented access to Versailles for filming, 'Marie Antoinette' contains some breathtaking visuals of the palace and grounds, but the costuming takes center stage in the film. With the film's relatively large $40 million budget, it seems as if nearly all of it was used on lavish dresses and wigs for Kirsten Dunst. Even though Marie Antoinette never actually said, “Let them eat cake,” Coppola offers up a deliciously enjoyable treat for her audience.