Farewell My Queen is Jacques Benoit's film version of the novel about Marie Antoinette's days in the Chateau de Versailles written by Chantal Thomas. In the dvd that I watched the director explains how he came to film this vapid story of the response to the storming of the Bastille,which is viewed as the beginning of the end to the Royal Family and the Monarchy in France during the 18th century.
I will begin this review with my own response to this film as I have seen it twice now, and I do see that some editing has taken place on the film from the first time that I saw it in a local theatre most likely. I picked this up at the library to see the film again as I know that much is missed in first time viewings of any film. I am opposed to the idea that this film suggests, that Antoinette was what her enemies claimed, a frustrated and pent up frivolous queen who lusted after women. Her enemies have made many cartoons making her the "whore" of the Chateau, having her having been promiscuous with both men and women, including the Marquis de Lafayette, but in truth, none of these libelous statements about her have any foundation in fact at all. It is most probable that while she was sensationally extravagant and frivolous as a child, she changed in her mature years having come into motherhood. She is much maligned during her reign as queen but none of these accusations ever deserves much merit so it is rather disappointing to see that this film capitalizes on these charges to make it appear that she was a woman who sought happiness with other women. I frankly do not believe any of those charges since she had been raised so fiercely and determinedly in the Christian faith.
The movie begins with the young reader who seeks to entertain the frustrated Queen with story telling that satisfies her need for frivolity and escape from the dreary world of the boring court etiquette.
There is an attempt to make a strong contrast between the impoverished peasantry and the overly excessively grand and opulent court. There is little doubt that a kind of callous lack of concern for the welfare of the poor makes the excesses of the rich and powerful court a mockery in good taste and common sense.
Marie Antoinette is portrayed by Diane Kruger, a beautiful woman who frankly does not seem a bit like the real Antoinette to me. In my mind, the right kind of actress is necessary to portray this extravagant and haughty queen, and Diane Kruger fails totally as did Kirsten Dunst. I do not see any real resemblance to the version of Antoinette that I have gleaned over time in either of these actresses. Both are far too glamorous to ever approach the awesome image that Antoinette herself inspired in her friends and foe alike.
In an interview with the director whose commentary I did enjoy, he does explain that the two actresses are often compared a lot and that the movies are also compared. Neither does justice to the French court in my opinion, but they do expose a kind of parody of the court itself.
In this film, the reader is the main character upon whom the movie rests. She is very loyal to her Queen, and dotes on her, to the point that she even goes against her own desires by embroidering a special dahlia for the queen's inspection to place on a dress. Because she is very close to the Queen, she comes to learn some of her secret desires regarding her fashion sense and her fantasies in reading and drama.
During this time, the Bastille has been stormed, threats against the Chateau and its occupants become known to the court, and the King and Queen try to devise a means of escape despite the fact that the King himself seems not to believe himself in serious danger. Antoinette had thought that she would be able to escape but is thwarted by her husband's intentions so that all that she can do is to encourage her closest friends to escape in disguise. Since I saw the original film years ago, I notice now that some of that films scenes are not a part of this dvd. Several of Antoinette's choice scenes are eliminated but a few remain to remind me that Antoinette had had a special regard for the young reader. The reader is used by the Queen to help her friend Gabrielle escape with her valet and friends. The reader becomes the foil to delude the inspectors.
A great emphasis is made that the Queen loves Gabrielle in a lustful sense, so that the young reader eventually is pushed to try to rouse a sleeping Gabrielle to come to the Queen but she is out due to having taken drugs to sleep. There is no reference to any love between the Queen and her husband at all, nor does one even realize that she has children except briefly. The entire focus is upon her need for escape through story telling devices and fantasy, and her obsession with fashion and style. In fact, this movie only supports the libelous and slanderous cartoons that were distributed through Paris about her. It does not show her in a kindly light at all.
For that reason alone, I think that it is a piece of trash, and worth very little. Its only value is in the set designs and the costumes, none of which are very elaborate or outstanding. Much is made about a green dress, discussing the meaning of green to point out that envy can only rise to a ceiling level. It is a pointless bit of dialogue but being so near to St. Patrick's day, this wearing of the green only reminds me of a costume made for me by one of my students for my English lit class at GHS. But that was for the English crown, not the French crown. Interesting that it was made by an Irish lassie, by the name of O'Brien.
Jacques Benoit took me back to my first year in California with this movie when he discussed the two lead actresses in the film. I have to like him for that since he says something in this film that a gentleman I met at a bar in Los Angeles said to me. I am still wondering about this bit of trivia that I found in the features section.
Americans who visited the Chateau de Versailles during the American Revolution to obtain funds from the French King did defend the French Queen. One in particular from Pennsylvania commented that he did not like the attacks against the woman. The French hated the Queen during those visits, and many Americans did defend her. Her reputation was so severe that many were repulsed by the expressions of antipathy against her. It seems odd that the King did suffer a certain kind of disdain but he never quite endured the hatred that the Queen had suffered. So it is interesting to see how modern day Frenchman view her.
This film should never been seen as anything but a piece of slander with little merit at all. In fact, the authoress of the original story of this time period makes it quite clear that Antoinette's friendship was based upon affection, not lust. I have not read this book to be honest, so I am only quoting from others about the book.
For the purpose of this review, I will say that I believe that Marie Antoinette was a loving mother, a kind friend to many, but she was frivolous, rude and thoughtless about the court's etiquette, about the older generation of women who maintained the French habits and customs, and was frankly a pain in the neck to those who were her guides and counselors. She made too many enemies when she was young so that she had few defenders when she truly needed them during her many trials and tribulations. Yet, some few were loyal to her, but most likely, were loyal to her position as Queen and its place in the court. Rigid as it is, the belief in the Monarchy made many remain loyal to the old customs despite the revolutionary spirit of the times.
Thus, I found this movie totally lacking. I would love to see a real in depth look at Antoinette. I guess the script needs to be written. Farewell My Queen does not do any of the actors or actresses any favors. Kruger fared better in Achilles as Helen of Troy.
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