Marie Antoinette (2006), Starring Kirsten Dunst, Jamie

Marie Antoinette (2006), starring Kirsten Dunst, Jamie Dornan and Jason Schwartzman, is a fictional movie biopic based on the life of famous French queen and one of the last monarchs before the French Revolution, Marie Antoinette, wife of King Louis XVI. The film’s director, Sofia Coppola, has revealed that she stylized the historical figures in such a way as to make them seem more humanised, and allow viewers to connect with the events, as well as admitting that she did not wish for the film to simply focus on historical fact, stating that â€Å"It is not a lesson of history. It is an interpretation documented, but carried by my desire for covering the subject differently.† Several critics have praised the film as being more of a satire than a†¦show more content†¦The following is an excerpt of Marie Antoinette’s letter to her mother after her wedding, which clearly states Marie’s happiness with France and her love for her husband: â€Å"What wa s really affecting was the tenderness and earnestness of the poor people, who, in spite of the taxes with which they are overwhelmed, were transported with joy at seeing us†¦ Before we withdrew we [Marie and Louis] kissed our hands to the people, which gave them great pleasure.† These letters also describe how Marie felt about the lower class peasants of France, who had treated her with welcome and kindness, before they had shown signs of eventually turning on her after she pushed the country further in debt. Overall, the inclusion of these letters in Marie Antoinette is an accurate representation of Marie’s feelings. Marie Antoinette continued to incur the ire of the French by her lavish lifestyle, which highlighted that the monarchy little understood the needs of their people. Whilst the peasants paid high taxes, Marie Antoinette threw extravagant parties, ordered a constant supply of expensive clothing and often gambled the French’s money away unsuccessfully. In the film, several montage scenes of Marie and other members of nobility accurately depict her attending parties, gambling and behaving in an inappropriate manner. This is an entirely accurate depiction of Marie’s lifestyle. The film also accurately represents that Marie Antoinette having a model farm built - Hameau de la