Series: A Celebration of Films By Women - "Marie Antoinette" (2006)
Day 25
Film: “Marie Antoinette” (2006)
Director: Sofia Coppola
Writer: Sofia Coppola
Stars: Kirsten Dunst, Jason Schwartzman, Judy David, Rip Torn, Rose Byrne, Asia Argento, Molly Shannon, Shirley Henderson, Danny Huston, Steve Coogan
Synopsis: Marie Antoinette (Kirsten Dunst) is married off to Louis XVI (Jason Schwartzman) the future king of France. But even with her life of luxury at the palace of Versailles, Marie Antoinette cannot escape the ennui and consequences of humanhood.
Why I Love This Film So Much: It is still amusing to me that this film was booed at Cannes. Sure, Sofia Coppola used modern music in a film about 18th century French monarchs, but y’all love it when Quentin Tarantino does it in his films soooo… I think that’s what makes Coppola’s film so wonderful, is that regardless of era, they always feel timeless and relevant.
Coppola has made a career about examining privilege and how privilege does not help you escape human experiences. Granted, you may never experience the ripple effects of poverty but you still feel lonely. You still feel isolated. You still yearn for meaning. You are still concerned over your finite life. No matter how much money you have, you can never escape those. And that’s why using a historical figure like Marie Antoinette is so brilliant. She has been famously quoted as saying, “Let them eat cake,” when poor French citizens were outside begging. In reality, she never said those words exactly.
The history of Marie Antoinette and King Louis XVI also demonstrates the privilege given to people not mature enough to handle it. In reality, Louis XVI was 20 years old when he became king. Think back to your 20 year old self. Were you making endlessly wise decisions? Were you absolutely a budgeter at that age? Were you cautious in the recreational tasks you partook in? Likely, there was some young adult foolishness in your early 20’s, much like what Louis and Marie would have been like. And so with that timeless quality, Coppola makes the comparison that Marie and Louis are much like the rich, privileged people of the 21st Century. They are afforded all of this money, all of this attention, all of this power, but are young and naïve. It does not matter if you monarch from the 1700’s or a reality TV star whose dad was a famous lawyer. Regardless of your wealth, you will feel the loneliness, the meaninglessness, and fear of being human like every Joe Schmo out there.
“Marie Antoinette” is a rich film, full of existential angst, an exploration of privilege, and understanding the consequences of our complacency. A short overview of this film does not do it justice as Coppola weaves in so many of the arching tones and themes of her previous work. Sofia Coppola has never directed a bad film, but “Marie Antoinette” certainly has been considered her most divisive. But looking at her career post-”Marie Antoinette,” it is easy to understand the film’s impact and exactly what Coppola was saying. It’s just a shame we weren't in tune in 2006 to appreciate it then.
Where This Film Can Be Found: PlutoTV