"Kirsten-Antoinette"

The main movie of the open air cinema evening was Sofia Coppola's "Marie-Antoinette" which (blush) VDP had never seen. It had been years since VDP has watched a dubbed film, that was strange! VDP adored it, which is surprising considering that she usually dislikes movies that have little historical substance. Part of VDP agrees with Jean-Luc Douin who in Le Monde described 'Marie-Antoinette' as a ‘kitsch and roc(k)oco’ film which ‘deliberately displays its anachronisms’, and additionally as a ‘sensory film’ that was ‘dreamt by a Miss California’ and ‘orchestrated around the Du Barry or Madame de Polignac playground gossip’. Part of VDP scrambled to search for the history of macarons, which did NOT exist in the ‘Ladurée’ form seen here until the XIXth century, though of course the delightful little things certainly owe this movie a great deal, having since rocketed to stardom and must-have status all over the world. Part of VDP is happy that the great masses should now know (with certainty because Kirsten Dunst herself said it!) that the queen most probably never actually uttered the words ‘let them eat cake’ (so please, at least when commenting on this blog, stop saying that she did, you will earn VDP's eternal gratitude!). While VDP believes that the film gives a tiny insight into the hornet’s nest that was the French royal court, the ‘sweet tooth depravity’ shown here is miles from who Marie-Antoinette probably was in reality, a woman who was likely far less stupid and frivolous than usually portrayed. Marie-Antoinette is a very touchy subject in this country, where she is still widely hated (despite the fact that it is mainly the support of the American war of Independence that ruined France, not her follies that merely constituted contributing factors. What's more, such follies weren't unusual -probably even standard- in a world of monarchies which we judge with post-revolutionary, XXIst century eyes)…

And yet VDP loved it! The explosion of colours, the lavish costumes (full of anachronisms too but hell…), the ‘Converse All Stars’ feet scene, the soundtrack (ahhhh Adam and the Ants during the love scene with count de Fersen – oops pity she probably never did actually have sex with Fersen back then)… She loved seeing Versailles and the no less beautiful château of Vaux Le Vicomte –the castle without which there might not have been Versailles- where some scenes were shot. VDP thoroughly enjoyed herself but wishes that people who visit Versailles and dream of Kirsten Dunst wouldn’t believe that this is an accurate portrayal of Maria Antonia Josepha Johanna, archduchess of Austria and queen of France (and trust VDP, a lot do, the conversations you sometimes overhear when at the palace are too funny). Okay, before you ask, no VDP isn’t a monarchist and sorry for the long post…

Le film projeté à la séance inaugurale des Yvelines font leur cinéma cette année, c'était Marie-Antoinette de Sofia Coppola que VDP n'avait encore jamais vu. VDP a beaucoup aimé le côté décalé du film (la scène des Converse All Star l'a éclatée) ce qui est étonnant puisqu'elle aime bien, en général, les films qui collent plus à la réalité historique et trouve dommage que tant de touristes qui se pressent à Versailles pensent désormais que Maria Antonia Josepha Johanna, archiduchesse d'Autriche et reine de France était Kirsten Dunst... Ah là là, les conversations que l'on surprend parfois en traînant au château !