Oscar® winner Sofia Coppola brings to the screen a fresh interpretation of the
life of France’s legendary teenage queen MARIE ANTOINETTE. Betrothed to
King Louis XVI (Jason Schwartzman), the naïve Marie Antoinette (Kirsten Dunst)
at the age of 14, she is thrown into the opulent French court which is steeped in
conspiracy and scandal. Alone, without guidance, and adrift in a dangerous
world, the young Marie Antoinette rebels against the isolated atmosphere at
Versailles and, in the process, becomes France’s most misunderstood monarch.
Kirsten Dunst stars as the youthful princess whose fateful life became the stuff of
myth and legend. The story begins when 14-year-old Marie Antoinette is whisked
away from her family and friends in Vienna, stripped of all her possessions and
deposited in the sophisticated and decadent world of Versailles, the lavish royal
court near Paris.
Marie Antoinette is merely a pawn in an arranged marriage meant to solidify the
harmony between two nations. Her teenage husband, the Dauphin Louis (Jason
Schwartzman), is heir to the French throne. But Marie Antoinette is ill prepared to
be the kind of ruler for whom the French populace yearns. Beneath her finery,
she’s a sheltered, frightened and confused young woman, surrounded by vicious
detractors, insincere flatterers, puppet masters and gossips. Trapped by the
conventions of her station in life, Marie Antoinette must find a way to fit into the
complex and treacherous world of Versailles.
Adding to her woes is the indifference of her new husband, Louis. Their marriage
goes unconsummated for an astonishing seven years. The awkward future king
proves to be a disaster as a lover, sparking grave concerns (and relentless
gossip) that Marie Antoinette will never produce an heir.
Overwhelmed and distraught, Marie Antoinette seeks refuge in the decadence of
the French aristocracy and in a secret love affair with the alluring Swedish Count
Fersen (Jamie Dornan). Her indiscretions are soon the talk of France.
Whether she is being idealized for her impeccable style or vilified for being
unforgivably out of touch with her subjects, reaction to Marie Antoinette is always
extreme. Yet, slowly, as she matures, she begins to find her way as a wife,
mother and Queen — only to be tragically swept up in a bloody revolution that
alters France forever.
Columbia Pictures Presents in Association with Pricel and Tohokushinsha An
American Zoetrope Production MARIE ANTOINETTE starring Kirsten Dunst,
Jason Schwartzman, Judy Davis, Rip Torn, Rose Byrne, Asia Argento, Molly
Shannon, Shirley Henderson, Danny Huston and Steve Coogan. The film is
directed by Sofia Coppola, from a screenplay by Sofia Coppola based on the
book Marie Antoinette: The Journey by Antonia Fraser. The producers are Ross
Katz and Sofia Coppola. The executive producers are Fred Roos and Francis
Ford Coppola. The co-producer is Callum Greene. The director of photography is
Lance Acord, ASC. The production designer is KK Barrett. The editor is Sarah
Flack. The costume designer is Milena Canonero. The music producer is Brian
Reitzell.
©2006
Columbia Pictures. All rights reserved.
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