Farewell, My Queen

Synopsis: It is July 1789 and the French Revolution is heating up. Versailles feels calm from within the Palace walls despite the chaos outside, but when the Bastille is stormed, threats of executions are rife and the atmosphere quickly changes to one of panic and uncertainty. Marie Antoinette (Diane Kruger), as history has told us, is headed for the guillotine; her personal reader, Sidonie Laborde (Léa Seydoux), naïve and infatuated with the Queen, will do anything to please Her Majesty in her last days.

Based on Chantal Thomas’s novel of the same title, Farewell My Queen looks at Marie Antoinette during the social upheaval leading up to her political and personal demise as told from the perspective of her devoted servant, Sidonie.

The film runs on a theme of infatuation. A scandalous affair is suggested between the Queen and her close friend, Duchess Gabrielle de Polignac (Virginie Ledoyen). The relationship has a strong sexual undercurrent, one that has been contested by historians but which is provocatively explored here. The Queen is hopelessly attracted to Gabrielle whom she appears to privilege over her children and her husband, King Louis XVI. Shots of the pair are often filmed with a hand-held camera; the informal technique bringing a voyeuristic quality to scenes of the forbidden affair. On the other hand Sidonie is enraptured by the Queen and revels in the time she spends reading to her. Her feelings, though confused, verge on the obsessive and despite her low social origins she excuses Her Maj’s infamous disregard for the French people whilst her envy of Gabrielle is unmistakable.

As the Revolution gains momentum symptoms of social decay gradually penetrate the Palace walls, making their way closer to the Royal family as a sense of impending doom grows. When, finally, notice of the imminent executions comes through, the Queen, at first playful and frivolous, becomes fearful and desperate and there is a considerable change in mood, seamlessly handled by director Jacquot who manages to create a sense of nervous anticipation as events grow ever bleaker.

Farewell, My Queen is an unusual but interesting film. It is a historical drama, rich in style and beautifully embellished with period set design, its classic ‘Upstairs/Downstairs’ structure contrasting the opulent lifestyle of Royalty with that of the lower orders. But it also has a modern edge, hypothesising the sex lives of its characters rather than presenting historical description. Despite its sidelining of social issues, the always gripping film is both visually sumptuous and narratively rivetting. Diane Kruger breathes life into her character, giving depth to the much-scrutinized Queen whilst the film gives us a fresh perspective on the enigmatic Marie Antoinette.

 

 

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