Farewell, My Queen

Aroview: Benoît Jacquot’s film goes behind the scenes of Louis XVI and — more specifically — Marie Antoinette’s court during the dark days of the revolution as the regime tottered and fell. We see these events from the point of view of Her Majesty’s book reader, a young servant played by Léa Seydoux. Initially besotted by the Queen (Diane Kruger), her faith is shaken by the revelations of corruption, waste and — intriguingly — Antoinette’s relationship with the duchesse de Polignac (Virginie Ledoyen).

A well-acted history lesson with glorious production design — much of the film was shot on location at the Palace of Versailles and surrounding chateaux — this is a film that responds well to a big screen as intimate relationships are played out on a grand stage. Based on Chantal Thomas’s best-selling novel, FAREWELL, MY QUEEN is rather more sympathetic to Antoinette than the mob were in 1793. ~ Dan Slevin

NZ International Film Festival 2012

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