L'Autrichienne

The last days of queen Marie Antoinette stunningly portrayed by a director who's clearly done a massive historical research. Andre Castelot, author of one of the best queen's biographies, penned such a beautiful, accurate screenplay based on the trial papers. Ute Lemper is simply perfect as Antoinette (the actress' mother language is German, just like the queen's, and that adds something special when you hear her musical French). Terrific production, lighting and costumes make this a beautiful visual experience. Historical accurancy at its best in a very passional and moving rendering. The DVD is being released in France in May 2004, don't miss it!

The people of France hated Marie -Antoinette, "l'Autrichienne" (that Austrian woman).There were lots of books and movies about her ,more than about her husband Louis the Sixteenth).This one focuses on the last days of the queen ,her iniquitous trial -evidences were found in Vienna archives ,but at the time,there was none- and her death on the guillotine.

André Castelot is a celebrated French historian :his books about the queen are authoritative.However,there was no general agreement about the movie:some people complain about the view of the queen the scenarists gave .They said that her portrait was not neutral,that the queen was then a pitiful sick desperate woman and that her past was almost completely forgotten.

But the main asset of the movie is a use of a German actress as the lead.Neither Michèle Morgan nor Jane Seymour or Norma Shearer was that much credible as Austrian women.

NB "L'Autrichienne" belongs to the spate of movies which were made to commemorate the bicentennial of the French revolution.