Tea at Trianon: More Photos from the New Flick

John Wilson Croker on Marie-Antoinette

"We have followed the history of Marie Antoinette with the greatest diligence and scrupulosity. We have lived in those times. We have talked with some of her friends and some of her enemies; we have read, certainly not all, but hundreds of the libels written against her; and we have, in short, examined her life with– if we may be allowed to say so of ourselves– something of the accuracy of contemporaries, the diligence of inquirers, and the impartiality of historians, all combined; and we feel it our duty to declare, in as a solemn a manner as literature admits of, our well-matured opinion that every reproach against the morals of the queen was a gross calumny– that she was, as we have said, one of the purest of human beings."

~from History of the Guillotine by John Wilson Croker, 1844

Edmund Burke on Marie-Antoinette

"It is now sixteen or seventeen years since I saw the queen of France, then dauphiness, at Versailles; and surely there never lighted on this orb, which she hardly seemed to touch, a more delightful vision. I saw her just above the horizon, decorating and cheering the elevated sphere she had just begun to move in, glittering like a morning star full of life and splendor and joy. Oh, what a revolution....Little did I dream that I should have lived to see such disasters fall upon her, in a nation of gallant men, in a nation of men of honor and of cavaliers! I thought ten thousand swords must have leaped from their scabbards, to avenge even a look which threatened her with insult. But the age of chivalry is gone; that of sophisters, economists, and calculators has succeeded...."

~Edmund Burke, October 1790

Les Adieux de la Reine is premiering in Europe on February 9 at the Berlin Film Festival. I do think Diane Kruger is well-cast as Marie-Antoinette, although I wonder about the production in general. The book itself is a bit slow and not the book about Marie-Antoinette that I would have chosen to make a film out of (naturally.)

The picture is one we've been keeping an eye on for a while now. An adaptation of Chantal Thomas’ novel, the film sees Diane Kruger taking on the role Marie Antoinette with the beauitful Lea Seydoux (recently spied in "Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol") as Sidonie Laborde, a reader to her royal majesty, in the story that is set during the final days of the French Revolution. The cast is rounded out by Virginie Ledoyen who stars as Marie's BFF, the Duchesse de Polignac. Last summer, some behind the scenes video gave us a first glimpse of the cast, but Belgian distributor Lumiere have the first official stills. And as you might expect, this looks promisingly sumptuous. (Read more.)

Alexandriaweb said...: Oooh so much hair inspiration :D; January 7, 2012 at 11:30:00 AM EST
May said...: Hmm...I wonder...somehow they make the Queen look hard.; January 7, 2012 at 3:15:00 PM EST
Violet said...: I don`t think Diane Kriger will be a good Marie Antoinette.
She really isn`t the best actress out there, and I doub`ts she will be able to portray MA; January 8, 2012 at 5:28:00 AM EST
Orchard Ville said...: Hmmm... I don't know if I like their choice of the actor to play Marie Antoinette but maybe because I like Marie Antoinette so much that I don't think any actor is fit to play as Marie Antoinette (except for Ute Lemper --- the one who played Marie Antoinette in L'Autrichienne). It's nice, though, that there are producers and directors who are interested in the story of Marie Antoinette. She will always be in the hearts of the people.; January 8, 2012 at 12:46:00 PM EST