Analysis Of Marie Antoinette

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Marie Antoinette, a name synonymous with extravagance and luxury, yet also with massive debt. The former Princess of Austria become Queen of France, was famously known to her subjects as Madame Deficit for her lavish lifestyle and wasteful spending. Her depiction in the movie Marie Antoinette is one of many varying portrayals of The Queen of France and analyzed through the overall summary of the film, the setting, and the accuracy of the information.

To begin, the overall summary of Marie Antoinette is that the film is mainly focused on the relationships and development of Marie Antoinette rather than the historical milestones that were taking place during this time. The film opens with 13 year old Marie Antoinette in 1768 Vienna preparing
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In the film, everyone in Versailles is shown in a new piece of clothing every time they are on screen, and when the King and Queen are eating the table is covered in different types of foods and drinks. However, in the film there were more wrong doings to the history of the French revolution and Marie Antoinette than tributes. For example, when Marie Antoinette first arrived in France the people grew quite fond of her due to her charity work and the newness she represented. None of this was explored in the movie except for one sight mention of Marie Antoinette asking Louis to personally fund a charity she was running. There is also the fact that the film neglected to show to build up to the French revolution besides a few meetings discussing matters like raising taxes and helping the Americans in their revolution. This lack of historical fact leaves huge blanks in Frances finances, as the movie would lead to the assumption that the only factors causing the French Revolution were the unsustainable increase in taxes to fund the aid and Marie Antoinette’s massive spending. It gives the impression that Marie Antoinette caused some of this massive debt, when in reality it was not just the Queen of Debt who had a part in the debt, but the aristocrats as well as the church who played little tax while there was heavy taxation on the peasants that could not sustain the country. There was also a bad harvest in 1788 which gave way to starvation for the peasants who still bore the heaviest taxes. Also, the lack of important events that happened during the French Revolution, like the storming of the Bastille or the women’s march of Versailles were mentioned once if at all throughout the entirety of the film. Leaving out such events led to plots holes and oversimplification along with uneducated jumps to a conclusion that the people were rioting and attempting to take over the palace with no build up or warning. This

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