Marie Antoinette - directed by Sophia Coppola

 

    Sofia Coppola's auteurist style in the film Marie Antoinette provides the audience with a specific visual experience that is alternative to most other auteurs. It has an independent vibe, but in a way that kept me interested in what the film was going to throw at us next. Coppola obviously decided to take a different route to portray Marie Antoinette, although she used common themes like feminism, royal power, and morality. All of these themes were used as the plot developed to show a side of Marie Antoinette that a different auteur probably would not have shown. 

    Coppola portrays Marie Antoinette as a young girl of royal descent who is forced into the court of Versailles by marriage and is handed into a completely different lifestyle in every aspect. She is tasked with coming to terms with a forced marriage with someone who seems to not have much physical attraction toward her, while also taking on the weight of political responsibility and adhering to new theatrical social norms. Toward the end of the film, Coppola depicts her downfall once settling into her new life. Marie struggled with gambling and excessive partying and did not spend much time with her family. Coppola highlighted maries reckless behavior for a reason. I think that this served the purpose of showing Maries coping mechanisms that resulted from her feeling of lack of control.  This point touches on the theme of royalty and femininity by showing that women of royalty might not have as much true power as outsiders may think. The film closes with Marie and her royal family seeking refuge due to riots breaking out during the French Revolution.

    Coppola's mise-en-scène can be seen in the scene where Marie Antoinette is shown walking in the garden of Versailles, while this scene is developing there is a modern alternative pop song lai overtop. This shows Coppola's intent to portray Marie Antoinette as a relatable character we can sympathize with, and not just another royal woman in a history book. There were many scenes where modern alternative music was used by Coppola solidified the feeling that Maries experience is relevant to our lives. 

    Coppola intentionally added relevant themes of cultural awareness by making each scene accurately detailed from the background to the clothes to show the cultural and social norms in this time period. She honed in on details of fashion, nonverbal social cues, language, and tone that reflected this time in history. This element of cultural awareness showed us how different life was in the past. Coppola opposed this theme by also showing Marie Antoinette’s rebellious tendencies while she is constantly struggling with the confined feeling of her status.

Citations:

Ferris, Suzanne, and Mallory Young. "Marie Antoinette: fashion, third-wave feminism, and chick culture." Literature-Film Quarterly, vol. 38, no. 2, Apr. 2010, pp. 98+. Gale Academic OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A227974266/AONE?u=anon~c674bc4c&sid=googleScholar&xid=b41907c9. Accessed 6 Mar. 2023.

Usuda, Kohei. "The voice of Marianne faithfull; On Sofia Coppola's Marie Antoinette." CineAction, no. 75, winter 2008, pp. 54+. Gale Academic OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A184147633/AONE?u=anon~61d798d5&sid=googleScholar&xid=9206bf7b. Accessed 6 Mar. 2023.