Marie Antoinette
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Movie Reviews of Marie Antoinette
Movie Review: An Ill-Fated Woman Who Rose to Meet Each Challenge
Summary: 4 Stars
NOTE: This review was written in reaction against the recent Kirsten Dunst film]
The interesting thing about Marie-Antoinette is that she was a rather ordinary woman of her class who, through motherhood & unbelievably bad luck (like a revolution), nonetheless matured as an individual & discovered the courage to face the terrors life had in store for her. In many ways her story parallels that of Princess Diana. The royal marriage that was supposed to be something out of a fairy tale, turns out to be more a deadly nightmare instead. Both had husbands who were really not interested in them; Diana's because of adultery, and Marie-Antoinette's due to her husband's physical impediment. They both fiercely loved their children--and, of course, both died tragically.
Marie-Antoinette also pre-shadowed Diana's hounding by the paparazzi. She was the first monarch to fall victim to the (printing) press. The hated Austrian Queen of France was subject to an unrelenting & savgage attack in slanderous articles, broadsides & vicious cartoons. All the problems in France at that time were said to be instigated by her. She was accused of every crime & sin in the book. We won't go into that, but the point is that there was such more to the real story of this ill-fated woman.
An early Hollywood B&W film "Marie-Antoinette" even with all its historic inaccuracies & romanticisms hit truer to the mark than Coppola's nonsense. Actress Norma Shearer is very good in the role, ranging from fifteen to thirty-seven. Of course she never really appears to physically age in the film until the final scenes (that would have been a box office no-no), but she conveyed the age progression through her art. In one scene a timeless moment of acting brilliance is captured in the picture. It is the scene following the King's execution. Marie-Antoinette, who by this time had developed a solid marriage & deep friendship with Louis, is alone in a dingy cell with her son & daughter. The revolutionists barge in with an order to permanently remove the boy from his mother's care. As they go to take him, Norma Shearer lunges at them screaming, almost snarling, "You're not going to take my son!"
The authenticity of the performance, in that one moment, is a revelation of real acting talent.
That one B&W scene from a typical 1930's Hollywood costume drama rose to a level of artistic achievement that leaves the Kirsten Dunst "Marie-Antoinette" in the dust.
Marie Antoinette
Marie Antoinette: A Film by David Grubin
Marie Antoinette: Scapegoat Queen
The Duchess
Marie Antoinette: The Journey
A Tale of Two Cities
A Tale of Two Cities (1935)
Tale of Two Cities: Literary Masterpieces [VHS]
A Tale of Two Cities (Penguin Classics)
Movie Review: For Starters: Wonderfully Produced
Summary: 4 Stars
Opulent, I think is the word to describe this film. Beautifully filmed, gorgeous sets, and breathtaking costumes - although they must have been uncomfortable to wear! Unlike some people here, I don't mind the fact that is filmed in black and white, and I would be firmly against colourization.
A good performance by Robert Morley as Louis XVI, although I doubt that the poor guy was quite that thick! But, he was extremely socially inept to say the least, and his arranged marriage to Marie Antoinette was a big mismatch to say the least - although they did manage a working relationship of sorts later on.
The snarky exchange between MA and Madame du Barry was extremely funny, and dare I say it, catty. I was caught between laughing and going "ouch!" when that was going on. Ironically both MA and du Barry would die exactly the same way during the Terror.
Now to the historical accuracy. With this film, it was more a case of what was left out, than what they got wrong. Some of this was a product of the 1930s. Louis XVI's sexual disfunction and his failure to sleep with MA and father an heir is merely hinted at. This sort of thing was definitely not discussed in the 1930s. Neither was child abuse, particularly the sort that MA was accused of during her trial. People have enough trouble in this day and age wrapping their heads around the idea of women sexually abusing their kids. In the 1930s, it would have been totally unthinkable. Nor did the film mention the fact that MA was probably already near death when she was executed. She had been bleeding heavily for several months, probably from uterine cancer. Again, this is not something was openly discussed at the time the film was made. They could have perhaps slipped in a reference to MA being "ill" or "unwell" though.
The causes of the Revolution were perhaps passed over too lightly. Things were not chugging along nicely one day, and then all hell breaking loose the next. All that rage and anger that led to the horrors of the Revolution must have come from somewhere. In all fairness, though, MA was perhaps unfairly scapegoated. And she was by no means the first or last queen to take the blame for a country's ills. Henrietta Marie, wife of Charles I, was blamed for her husband's downfall. More than a century after the French Revolution, another queen, Alexandra, wife of Tsar Nicholas II of Russia, was loathed by the Russian people, and blamed for Russia's troubles. And like MA and Louis XVI, Alexandra and Nicholas would die violently at the hands of revolutionaries.
The end seemed to be fairly accurate [aside from Count Fersen visiting MA in her death cell]. MA looked haggard and aged beyond her years [as I said earlier she was probably dying anyway], and much like the infamous sketch that French Revolutionay artist, David drew of her.
Movie Review: "Ma-MA, I am to be queen of FRAHNCE!"
Summary: 4 Stars
Given the huge success MGM had with spectacle during the Great Depression--and particularly with THE GREAT ZIEGFELD in 1936--it was practically inevitable they would choose to mount a huge production of the life of Marie Antoinette, just so they could get Adrian to do the costumes. The French queen's life story was especially attractive for them to showcase their #1 stockholder, the recently widowed Norma Shearer, who favored playing the great romantic roles (such as Elizabeth Barrett and Juliet Capulet) after her marriage to the MGM chief of production Irving Thalberg ensured she'd get them. To be fair to Shearer, she was one of the biggest stars of the period even without her marriage to Thalberg, although she was much more fun in her sizzling sinner roles in contemporary films of the early Thirties (like RIPTIDE and A FREE SOUL) than in these noble romantic roles she played later. She does work hard, though, and if she gets to shout "Silence!" imperiously to her courtiers a few too many times (when she's not gurgling at them in coy delight), she's still quite likable in her early scenes where she manages to pull off her attempts at girlish coltishness quite convincingly. Her best scenes are with Robert Morley, who continues to impress (decades after the film was made) as Louis XVI, who is here suggested to be mentally limited: something about Morley seems to pull Shearer up to a higher level, and the two seem genuinely fond of one another.
John Barrymore is the corrupt old Louis XV; as Madame du Barry, Gladys George has a grand old time wearing great gowns and trading catty barbs with Shearer; Joseph Schildkraut gets to wear a heart-shaped beauty mark over his whitened face as the Duc d'Orleans to indicate he's the most thorough rotter in the whole piece. The sets are absolutely spectacular (some scenes were even shot at Versailles, a first for Hollywood), and the costumes even better; they make the whole film worth seeing even if the film does go on for too long. W. S. Van Dyke sometimes goes in for very conventional direction, but at other times genuinely surprises you with his intelligence and sensitivity--as when he engineers a great crane shot at Marie's grand ball which starts at the level of the hall where the aristocrats are dancing and then pulls up to a gallery far above where Morley, as the lonely and awkward Dauphin, watches his wife.
Movie Review: "I cannot wear my crown upon my heart."
Summary: 4 Stars
Marie Antoinette of Austria (Norma Shearer) is to marry. Her King will be Louis XVI (Robert Morley) of France. Her excitement soon turns to dispair when she realizes that her new husband is the joke of the family with the inability to produce an heir. After years of solitude, she begins to enjoy her wealth by attending parties and galavanting with the royal family. Unfortunately, she puts her trust into the wrong people including those with a thirst for her power. Slowly, the people of France begin to act on their unrest and soon Marie Antoinette is void of a throne and in fear for her life.
Shearer seemed destined to play this role, and it is one of the films she is best remembered for. There is no doubt that her connections with studio head Irving Thalberg who was also her husband held some sway over her getting the part, but no one can say she was not talented enough to play it. She is radiant in the beginning of the film when the idea of being a queen is exciting and romantic. She changes over the course of two and a half hours as she learns just what it means to be royalty until she is a shadow of her former self, withered and broken. All of the other cast members pale in comparison to her including the highly praised John Barrymore who plays Louis XV.
Historically, this film is not quite accurate, although Morley's simple performance is somewhat true to Louis XVI. By this time, the artistocracy had been intermarrying for quite some time, so Louis XVI's genes showed the effects of inbreeding, including impotence. In truth, Marie Antoinette was a bit of a half-wit herself who had no sense of responsibility to her people and who spent her days playing peasant in a reconstructed village. Brought to film, these two would not make a respectable pair, so the facts were embellished for the sake of entertainment.
Movie Review: A wonderful classic
Summary: 4 Stars
Ever since I saw the dreadful adaptation of Marie Antoinette's life as a gueen by Sophia Coppola, I have been fascinated by Marie Antoinette and have been trying to learn as much as I can about the former queen of France. I just finished viewing the 1938 black and white classic "Marie Antoinette" starring Norma Shearer, Tyrone Power, John Barrymore, and Robert Morley. Just like Sophia Coppola's film, this 1938 film focuses on Marie Antoinette's life as the dauphine/Queen of France.
I have to say that I enjoyed this film much more than the modern telling of Marie Antoinette's life as a queen. Norma Shearer was absolutely gorgeous as the queen. Her performance was riveting. I had my doubts that she would be able to pass herself off as a teenage Marie Antoinette but she did with ease. Her final scenes in the film were emotionally moving. I especially loved her final scenes with Robert Morley as Louis. Robert Morley was excellent as Louis XVI. He was everything that Louis XVI was described to be in the biography by Antonia Fraser. Everyone in the film gave excellent performances.
There were a few minor quibbles I took issues with in the story but for the most part I found the film accurate for the most part. I found this film vastly superior over Sophia Coppola's film.