While Sofia Coppola has been criticized for her impressionistic approach to her famous subject, I would argue that this is a surprisingly effective way of peeling away the layers of gossip, intrigue, and historical analysis that have swirled around Marie Antoinette for decades. Coppola takes pains to show the world of Versailles through her protagonist’s eyes (Antoinette’s entrance into the palace is framed specifically from her point of view), showing an unusual preoccupation with the woman buried underneath the wigs and corsets. As a result, she has been criticized for her apolitical rendering of the years leading up to the French Revolution, but in my mind, that’s another picture entirely; Coppola, as in her previous films, is concerned here with privileged women stifled by their surroundings and circumstance. Of course, Antoinette’s manner of coping with this is radically different than that of the Lisbon girls or of Lost in Translation’s Charlotte, but the outcome is no less tragic.
by Beth Gilligan | Source: Columbia Pictures 35mm print
15 Nov 2006 10:30 AM | Comments (1)
I’d argue that Coppola’s overreliance on Antionette’s use of point of view is the movie’s chief flaw. The film’s thesis seems to be “Life in the palace is incredibly boring and full of useless ceremony, so we throw parties to escape the boredom.” Sadly, the movie itself reads that way to the viewer: slow boredom and ornate sets, punctuated by exhilirating moments of directorial enthusiasm.
dave
16 November 2006
7:28 AM
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