2023.03.22
the party is over
``Can I leave out the politics? ``That's what Marie Antoinette wanted,'' I answered honestly.'' (Antonia Fraser)*2
Special permission has been granted for filming at the Palace of Veruisailles, only once a week on Mondays. Kirsten Dunst's hair and makeup takes two and a half hours a day. Although filming requires patience, the filming set for ``Marie Antoinette'' was so open-minded that extras even snacked on macaroons, making it feel like a party. On the final day of filming, Jarvis Cocker acts as the DJ and there is a party until dawn. The party is over. This episode is very suitable for this work.
The scene where Marie Antoinette spends time with her friends in her hideout, Petit Trianon, is memorable. Marie Antoinette is reliving her lost childhood at Trianon. I remember a beautiful scene on the border between Austria and France where she and two female friends formed a triangle and placed their foreheads on top of each other as if they were making some kind of vow. It is interesting that Marie Antoinette in this work is able to build close relationships with other women wherever she goes.
"Marie Antoinette" (c)Photofest / Getty Images
The Palace of Veruisailles, built by Louis XIV, was already suffering from high maintenance costs in the 18th century. Marie Antoinette and Louis XVI are tormented by the legacy of their past. The crazy party is over. Some have criticized the fact that Marie Antoinette's execution is not depicted in this film, but it is also worth noting that by omitting politics, it is conversely made visible. What ended the party? Marie Antoinette makes a silent, dance-like bow to the mob gathered in front of the Palace of Veruisailles. The production of the Palace of Veruisailles, which takes on the shadows of a horror movie, shows the filmmaker's skill in every shot.
Sofia Coppola relives her youth by overlapping her own youth with Marie Antoinette. This work depicts the end of a once-in-a-lifetime party. Marie Antoinette realizes the limits of her potential. What did she say goodbye to when she left Versailles? When I think about that, I feel an unbearable pain in my chest.
*1 Suzanne Ferris “The Cinema of Sofia Coppola: Fashion, Culture, Celebrity”
*2 Vanity Fair [ Sofia's Choice ]
*3 Vogue [ 'It Was Like Hosting the Ultimate Party': An Oral History of Sofia Coppola's Marie Antoinette ]
*4 Hannah Strong “Sofia Coppola: Forever Young”
Text: Daiji Miyashiro (maplecat-eve)
Movie criticism. Contributed reviews to ``Leos Carax: Movie Wanderer'', Eureka's ``Wes Anderson Special'', Real Sound, Soen, otocoto, Toshio Matsumoto Special Pamphlet, etc.
(c) Photofest / Getty Images
Follow official SNS
