TBT: Marie Antoinette (1975) ep. 1

My 18th Century Quest combined with my interest in French queen Marie-Antoinette made me decide to watch and recap the 1975 French TV series, Marie-Antoinette, when I discovered it was available for streaming on French streaming site Madalen, which seems to have a lot of older French TV stuff. The only problem is there’s no subtitles available, even in French, and that meant that I missed about half of the dialogue; it’s bad 1970s videography; and the pacing is Very Slow. So after about 20 minutes of attempting, I decided screw it, I’m just going to recap the costumes in all their poly-baroque-satin, princess-seamed glory. Stay tuned for future episodes on forthcoming Thursdays!

Those costumes were designed by Claude Catulle, who designed a whole lot of French TV shows, including many historical, from the late 1950s through the 1980s. Pascale Christophe plays the young Marie-Antoinette in this episode that begins with the planning of her marriage in Austria and ends with the death of Louis XV.

In about 1768, Marie-Antoinette is an uninspired harpsichord? student of composer Christoph Gluck. She’s summoned by her mother, Empress Maria Theresa, to learn that she’s going to marry the heir to the French throne.

Yes, COURT gowns did lace in back in the 18th century (and were the only women’s dress to do so), but they had a hidden placket and the gown should have a long overskirt/train combo:

A whole lot of randos try to make Marie-Antoinette French enough.

Including lectures by mom:

And the Abbé Vermond, her new French tutor:

Mom stresses:

And lectures her daughter:

Marie-Antoinette is headed to Austria, I think with Madame de Noailles, who will oversee her French household and nitpick about etiquette.

She meets the king, Louis XV, and her future husband:

Marie-Antoinette hangs out at court and learns about Madame du Barry, the mistress of the king:

The wedding happens:

On the wedding night, courtiers legit throw down in an attempt to get into the room where Marie-Antoinette and her husband, the dauphin, are being “put to bed.”

Nothing happens:

Marie-Antoinette is grumpy:

She meets the Aunts, the daughters of Louis XV and sisters of her husband, and they talk shit about Madame du Barry:

In the Versailles gardens, Marie-Antoinette snubs Madame du Barry:

People talk about stuff:

Du Barry is upset about the Great Snubbing:

At a formal reception, Marie-Antoinette allllmmmoooossstt snubs du Barry but at the last moment speaks to her:

Marie-Antoinette plays some music and talks about stuff:

Marie-Antoinette helps her husband out of some kind of scrape that involves him being covered in dust or soot; it seems like they’re at least starting to get along:

At a masked ball, Marie-Antoinette meets future chivalric love interest Count Fersen:

Marie-Antoinette and the dauphin go riding:

They go to the theater, where the dauphin falls asleep:

Marie-Antoinette talks to some randos:

King Louis XV is very sick:

Louis XV is dead; Louis XVI, Marie-Antoinette’s husband, is king:

 

Stay tuned next Thursday for more sartorial shenanigans!