Marie Antoinette (2006)
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A stylized portrait of the life of Marie Antoinette in the years leading up to the French Revolution.
The story
Fourteen-year-old Archduchess Marie Antoinette, the daughter of Holy Roman Empress Maria Theresa of Austria, travels to France in 1770 to marry Louis-Auguste, the Dauphin of France. Upon arriving, she must navigate the complexities of the French court, where she faces pressure to produce an heir and faces scrutiny from courtiers who view her as a foreigner. As she struggles with strict protocol and the isolation of her position, she finds solace in luxury, gambling, and the company of close friends, all while the political atmosphere of France begins to shift.
Full plot (contains spoilers)
Fourteen-year-old Archduchess Marie Antoinette travels to France in 1770 to marry the Dauphin, Louis-Auguste. After a wedding where they fail to produce an heir immediately, she faces criticism from the court. She finds solace in luxury and friendship while her mother, Maria Theresa, advises her on the marriage. Following the death of King Louis XV, Louis-Auguste becomes Louis XVI, and Marie Antoinette becomes queen. Her brother, Joseph II, visits and helps the couple conceive their first child in 1778. As she grows older, she spends time at the Petit Trianon and begins an affair with Count Axel von Fersen. Amidst a national financial crisis and food shortages, she is labeled 'Madame Deficit.' When the French Revolution begins with the storming of the Bastille, the royal family remains at Versailles before being forced to move to the Tuileries Palace. The film ends with a shot of her bedroom at Versailles destroyed by rioters.
- First release year
- 2006
- Runtime (minutes)
- 123
- Production countries
- France; United States; Japan
- Original languages
- English
- Cast and characters
- Kirsten Dunst · Marie Antoinette; Jason Schwartzman · Louis-Auguste; Judy Davis · Madame du Barry; Rip Torn · Joseph II; Rose Byrne · Princess de Lamballe; Asia Argento · Duchess of Polignac; Molly Shannon · unknown; Shirley Henderson · unknown; Danny Huston · unknown; Steve Coogan · unknown; Jamie Dornan · unknown
- Genres
- historical drama; biographical drama
- Themes
- isolation; luxury; tradition vs. rebellion
- Tone and mood
- stylized; modern; sensory
- Premise and plot tags
- historical; biographical; royal; period piece
- Source material / true-story basis
- Marie Antoinette: The Journey by Antonia Fraser
- Reception
- The film received polarizing reviews from critics and did moderately well at the box office, grossing approximately $60.9 million against its $40 million budget.
- Reported review scores
- Rotten Tomatoes · score: 58% · scale: percentage · review count: 219; Metacritic · score: 65 · scale: 100 · review count: 37; AlloCiné · score: 4 · scale: 5 · review count: 21
- Awards and nominations
- Best Costume Design · Academy Awards · Win
- Production trivia
- The film's soundtrack features a mix of new wave, post-punk, and period music.; The production was granted unprecedented access to the Palace of Versailles.; Ladurée made the pastries for the film.
Film metadata comes from the open sources listed in Credits & Contact. Catalogue details may be incomplete.
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