“Let them eat cake,” one of the most famous lines by Marie Antoinette, was not even uttered by the woman herself. Marie was the last queen of France before the French Revolution. Her original role was to participate in the marriage between herself and Louis XVI to form an alliance between Austria and France. Marie was soon viewed as a symbol of the excess that the monarchy had because of her lavish spending on fashion and luxuries, along with her gambling problem (“Marie Antoinette…”). In 2006, the film Marie Antoinette, directed by Sofia Coppola, reached theaters and was met with mixed reviews over the historical accuracy of the film. While some said that the film was fantastic, others stated that there were too many historical inaccuracies for the movie to be any good.
Throughout the movie, the viewer follows a fourteen year old …show more content…
She said that she wanted the story to be believable but that she would “rather pick a heel that is more appealing to me that maybe was invented 50 years later” (Hohenadel). She wanted her movie to focus on the emotional struggles of the young queen, unlike many other biographies and dramas focused on Marie. Coppola’s film is clearly centered on humanizing the historic figures of pre-revolution France, giving them traits and surrounding them with familiar imagery that modern viewers can identify with.
The converse shoes is an extension of this concept. Not only do they help the viewer relate to Marie in a personal way, they remind us that while Marie Antoinette has privilege and power that most grown adults could only dream of, she is still just a teenager in a situation beyond her control. The placement of the modern shoes, while at first seeming careless, actually carries a deeper connotation when it is viewed in this light. They symbolize a growing rebellion against society’s expectations in Marie. This is also expressed through her excessive
Throughout the movie, the viewer follows a fourteen year old …show more content…
She said that she wanted the story to be believable but that she would “rather pick a heel that is more appealing to me that maybe was invented 50 years later” (Hohenadel). She wanted her movie to focus on the emotional struggles of the young queen, unlike many other biographies and dramas focused on Marie. Coppola’s film is clearly centered on humanizing the historic figures of pre-revolution France, giving them traits and surrounding them with familiar imagery that modern viewers can identify with.
The converse shoes is an extension of this concept. Not only do they help the viewer relate to Marie in a personal way, they remind us that while Marie Antoinette has privilege and power that most grown adults could only dream of, she is still just a teenager in a situation beyond her control. The placement of the modern shoes, while at first seeming careless, actually carries a deeper connotation when it is viewed in this light. They symbolize a growing rebellion against society’s expectations in Marie. This is also expressed through her excessive