Let’s pick back up 1954’s Royal Affairs in Versailles with part two of this episodic look at French history. This time, we go from Louis XV to Louis XVI, Marie-Antoinette, and the French Revolution, with a little bit as Versailles becomes a museum in the 19th-20th centuries. As I wrote last week when I reviewed part one:
I’ve wanted to watch 1954’s Royal Affairs in Versailles (Si Versailles M’était Conté) for years because it features so many key figures from French history. But it’s been impossible to find with subtitles (in English or French)! I’m visiting Paris so France is on the brain, and I decided to finally sit down and watch it, whether or not I understand the rapid-fire, super-nasal French (which, nope, about 90% is going right past me). This movie is a slog, y’all. Because like many of director Sacha Guitry‘s films, it’s not really a story so much as an episodic look at French history — this time, focused on the palace of Versailles. So I’m breaking this post up into two parts, both because mama needs a break from slogging through this history lesson, and because the film is LONG. Four people are credited as costume designers: Monique Dunan (If Paris Were Told to Us, Napoleon), Alex Papin (Napoleon), Maggy Rouff, and Jean Zay (Ruy Blas).
This second part was much more entertaining, and I’m not entirely sure why! Did I understand more of the dialogue? Am I always interested in portrayals of Marie-Antoinette? Do I have a crush on Louis XV? Yes, yes, and yes!
The film starts with Louis XV (Jean Marais) and his wife Marie Leczinska:
…but immediately transitions into him meeting and falling for Madame de Pompadour.
But first, a very young Brigitte Bardot shows up as “Mademoiselle de Rosille,” and here’s where I start to question whether they’ve actually updated the cut of the women’s gowns, or just restyled the faux-17th century gowns:
I mean, maybe they’re ALL wearing the puffy-sleeved styles occasionally worn by Madame de Pompadour and others in the 1740s-50s, but I doubt it.
Back to Pompadour:
She gets to flirt with Louis and quote poetry in this blue number:
And no, they’re not doing court styles, as these would have a more cone-shaped bust silhouette, wider hoops, and lace sleeves:
Luckily the menswear is harder to fuck up:
Eventually Louis tires of Pompadour, who has a weird moment with Queen Marie Leczinska, who apparently has gone full mourning, while Louis hangs with a bunch of children.
Then, instead of transitioning into Madame du Barry, the film shows a lot of masked courtiers flirting with each other. I’m always confused by this. I mean, yeah, if you don’t really know someone well, a half-mask could disguise them. But if you’re at all familiar, it’s generally pretty easy to figure it out?
And then we’re off to Marie-Antoinette (primarily, although her hubby Louis XVI shows up occasionally)!
When we first meet her, Marie-Antoinette is hanging at the Hameau (her faux village) in a chemise gown, but it’s a weirdly off-the-shoulder chemise gown. The focus is on the affair of the necklace, so that puts things in 1784-85, so a chemise gown tracks.
And then, despite the year we’ve established, through the rest of things the queen is shown wearing faux-court gowns, despite the fact that she would have taken every opportunity to dress informally in this period. Some ensembles are better than others:
They did a halfway-decent job with the back of Marie-Antoinette’s hair (the rest of the ladies, they half-assed):
The actor who played Louis XVI had a great look for the role, and I liked that he wasn’t bumbling or stupid.
Count Fersen shows up occasionally to be manly:
But as the focus is on the affair of the necklace, we see a LOT of Jeanne de la Motte, who according to this version spent a lot of time at court in very close proximity to the queen — which, no.
I liked that the same actress — Lana Marconi (If Paris Were Told to Us) — played Marie-Antoinette as well as the actress who impersonates her:
Eventually there’s a portentous meeting with a lawyer named Robespierre (i.e., the future revolutionary), who is a TALL HOT DRINK OF WATER:
In between, there’s some scenes with Benjamin Franklin, played by Orson Welles!
And then, the revolution happens! A lot of suspiciously clean peasants protest and sing, including Edith Piaf who does her Edith Piaf warble to “Ça ira”!
We BRIEFLY see Versailles turned into a museum under Napoleon, and finally, there’s a couple cute scenes of Edwardian and then 1950s tourists going through the palace.
And, fin!
