Home
sign up| reviews / editor film review |
 content by: editor |
 marie antoinette
Lost in translation. Sofia Coppola, patron saint of Hollywood’s poor little rich girls, adds the cake-offering (or not, apparently) trophy teen queen of France to her collection in this audaciously unconventional biopic. Set to a New Wave soundtrack, Versailles’ fondant fancy-hued pomp is exposed (indulged?) and Kirsten Dunst’s Marie is more than just pretty in pink. Yet, since Coppola remains fixated on personal ennui over political vérité, the Revolution is most definitely not visualised; any genuine history lessons thus sadly lost in translation. Marie Antoinette, on selected release 20 October 06.
 comments
Read members' comments related to this film.
comment by cremmler
Oct 31, 2006
Hi Jodie,I completely agree. Coppola created a great film with Marie Antoinette, featuring a superb Kirsten Dunst, and an even more beautiful setting. By showing, as you had said, what Marie Antoinette saw, we got a glimpse of what MA was feeling personally. Just as Louis August said, they were to young to reign, but that was not what the movie was about. The movie shows, how a young girl has to cope with such a heavy situation. Precious nature shots, intertwined with great pop music made this film a very special experience - something you can think about. I read something about the movie that i thought was very interesting - a lot of Coppola's own experience growing up in the movie business is present in the movie. So, in other words, is this a very clever biography? And Sofia's critically bashed role in the godfather movies, was in a way her beheading? Well, this is a great film that should be seen by anyone, and if you liked Sofia Coppola's previous movies even more so.
comment by fatladywrestler
Oct 21, 2006
Hi there Jodie, to be honest I didn't really fancy seeing this film, but after reading the above I think I may give it a try, thanks for that flw xx
comment by JodieB1983
Oct 21, 2006
What a great film. Absolutely loved every second of it. Sofia Coppola is a breath of fresh air in an overly male-dominated industry, who generally tend to allow their love of SFX and big bangs cloud the bigger picture. Not Sofia. Every negative review I have read has lent itself to the idea that as the film is not historically accurate, it is therefore a self-indulgent teen flick masquerading as a serious period piece. How fickle is "journalism". Yes, there are pop songs, yes there is product placement (a flash of Converse sneakers in the background). But doesn't this all make it obvious that it's not simply a dry account of a woman who had her head chopped off? Amen to that. Those who want straight fact do well to remember childhoods of learning random dates and suffering stuffy classrooms. Coppola isn't interested in giving us a history lesson. She wants the view of life through the eyes of a fourteen year old Princess, struggling to bear an heir to her princely husband who refuses to dip his wick. Ah, the pressures of youth. So teenagers wanted to be young Mums even back then. Maybe what we're actually missing is the social irony of the situation. We are not witness to scenes of starving France or brooding political revolt, as the Queen herself was not. We are seeing the world through her eyes. We therefore hear snippets of conversation relating to poverty and discontent, intertwined with scenes of choosing dress fabric and eating lots and lots of cake. If the critics say the film is indulgent, perhaps they are actually getting the point.
|
 |
related info
 like this? try this...the lady and the duke
legally blonde  useful links
note: The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites.
film  film archive The best of cinema in the UK from 2002 to 2008. |
send to a friend
lost in translation
access 1000s of articles