Film Review
‘Marie Antoinette’: Interminable
Game of Dress-Up

By Anna Duning (October 24, 2006)

Perhaps my expectations upon seeing this movie were too high, but what could be better than an entire movie devoted to fulfilling decadent pleasures of teenage royalty? Well, how about a plot?

There is no question that “Marie Antoinette,” directed by Sophia Coppola, is, on an aesthetic level, an impeccably made film. The grand images of Versailles, inside and out, the elaborate clothing and the colorful parties, all woven in with cotemporary music and a few anachronisms captivated me for the first hour. But I soon found myself asking whether or not anything would actually happen. And when no plot twists, climatic events or dramatic character development took place, I grew tired of the visuals. Coppola, as witnessed in her other ventures including “The Virgin Suicides” and “Lost in Translation,” was successful in creating an atypical sort of film. However, this time around, the story became too monotonous to hold the viewer’s attention.

The movie chronicles the infamous Marie Antoinette, queen of the disastrous reign of Louis XVI, as she leaves her home in Austria to marry the current king’s grandson. Kirsten Dunst plays Marie Antoinette with charm and innocence, as the young girl is only 17 when she is made queen. In a divergence from the traditional portrayal, the film examines the Marie Antoinette as first isolated and lonesome, attempting to draw some sympathy from the audience. However, she soon takes to the lavish lifestyle, driving the country into deficit. She stages operas starring herself, commissions 3-foot wigs complete with toy-ships and stuffed-birds and imports a private menagerie of farm animals to frolic around her “petite” summer estate.

Aside from the absence of action, the movie’s centerpiece, Marie Antoinette, is also rather lackluster. Sure, Dunst’s constant alluring grin is charming, but she does not prove there is much else behind it. Her lines are few and uninspired. Furthermore, her performance is not remedied by any other standout characters, such as the lifeless Louis XVI, played by Jason Schwartzman.

So, if you are inclined to see this movie, see it only to indulge in a visual spectacle and once you’ve had your fill of French pastries, champagne, gardens, tapestries and a few accents, you can leave. 

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