Film: Sofia Coppola's "Marie Antoinette"

Paper Summary:

This paper explains that Sofia Coppola in her film "Marie Antoinette" is successful in capturing the child-like play of the Queen's lighthearted personality. Coppola has been criticized as presenting the character as a modern day teenage mall-rat rather than a royal princess. However, the writer feels that this film is an accurate portrayal in that Marie was a child, fascinated by sparkling and beautiful clothes, shoes and furnishings. The paper stresses that, consistent with historic portrayals, Coppola's film is a commitment to showing the character and personality of the Queen not the stories and rumors the debates about conspiracies.

From the Paper:

"In the film, Coppola shows that there was a maturing in the relationship between Marie and Louis, but that that relationship was one of friendship, two young children having been thrown together, who grew together, as friends. Louis is not depicted as a jealous or over doting husband, in fact, it shows Louis as more interested in affairs of state, though it does not depict him as being in touch with his subjects by being out amongst them. The film is careful to emphasize that two young children, teenagers, were put together and became, still as teens, rulers of a country."

Sample of Sources Used:

• Coppola, S., (dir.), 2006, Marie Antoinette, Motion Picture, Columbia Pictures Corporation, USA.
• Grubin, D., (dir), 2006, PBS, Marie Antoinette, Documentary Film, David Grubin Productions, USA/France.
• "The Birth of Marie Antoinette: November 2nd, 1755." History Today Nov. 2005: 60+. Questia. 9 Dec. 2007 <http://www.questia.com/PM.qst?a=o&d=5012021391>.
• ""Let Them Eat Cake!" a New PBS Documentary Examines the Many Myths Surrounding Marie Antoinette, the Last Queen of France Who Met Her End on the Blade of the Guillotine." USA Today (Society for the Advancement of Education) Sept. 2006: 46+. Questia. 9 Dec. 2007 <http://www.questia.com/PM.qst?a=o&d=5018836149>.
• Whitlock, Brand. La Fayette. Vol. 1. New York: D. Appleton, 1929. Questia. 9 Dec. 2007 <http://www.questia.com/PM.qst?a=o&d=77326610>.

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