The break of nuance. Sofia Coppola’s Marie Antoinette begins at Coppola’s strong suit of nuanced emotion. Similar in concept to her movie Lost in Translation. However at the midpoint of the film the powerful muted tones shift into something much more than
established. The emotion is brought forth in a confident manner. Brought upon by the music unfitting of the time playing throughout the crossing of the threshold. One song after another we are put into the mind of the titular Marie Antoinette. She is seemingly reborn into her new self, a braver self. She is however contrasted by the ways of the people around her remaining the same as they were before. In Kirsten Dunst’s stellar performance we see the change of her self identity before it begins to change those around her. The nuances and whispers of gossip turn to a collaboration of change and inspires happiness and togetherness.
The passion of new things carries from Marie’s self changing to her first child. It is intertwined in its purest form of a breath, touched by sunlight. In the sweetness of youth the happiest chapter is found. Youth of her first child, and youth of Marie’s mind and spirit. The youth of her spirit ages much quicker than the youth of her child. She finds herself back in the folds of nuance and normality, trapped between the fabric. She then, unsurprisingly, attempts to fold them anew. But the monarchy must tighten its fold as the people of France suffer.
Marie Antoinette finds herself back where she began, before her new self was born. She is no longer touched by sunshine but finds herself in the dim light of an opera house. She finds no want of her new self image. But a presupposition of who she should be cast upon her in the shadows of expectation. The cloud cover of noontime brings Marie to sorrow, at the loss of family, and the loss of herself.
The film, its story and emotion, could have been told entirely in the expressions of Kirsten
Dunst. Mirroring the character of Marie Antoinette, is to this film, what a candle is to a dark room. The provider of vision and insight, yet capable of burning it down.
