Touches You

By the time the dramatic fireworks start popping off, each one feels earned.

The movie turns out to be a little better than the average. Starting from a romantic formula often seen in the cinema, it ends in the most predictable (and somewhat bland) way.

Actress is magnificent and exudes a hypnotic screen presence in this affecting drama.

If one is to portray a character on the screen in a way that passes muster with historians, one needs to be willing to set aside prejudices. Marie Antoinette is one of the truly despicable figures in all of history. She had little respect for the less fortunate and was pretty much devoted to herself. So she may have deserved her fate. How do you sustain some sort of sympathetic view of this person's for an hour and a half or more? How do you make her a somewhat tragic figure when you already know how this ends.? Norma Shearer plays the beautiful Marie to the hilt. There is a bit of the clueless in her. The severeness of her upbringing has led to this. But she should know that the people took no delight in her. Shearer's complex portrayal is outstanding. Great performances aren't always about the best we know--they sometimes portray those with feet of clay and we simply watch them destruct.

Norma Shearer was at her best during the silent era and the pre-code period between 1929 and 1934. Once the Hays Code rolled in, she was stuck with what have been described as "queenly roles" in rather stuffy period pictures like Romeo and Juliet (1936) and this film, Marie Antoinette (1938). Despite its reputation, this is not a bad movie, just a rather standard Hollywood biopic.Shearer does well as the queen and undergoes the transformation from innocent teenage bride to weary tragic queen beautifully. Tyrone Power is handsome and solid, but doesn't get to do much as the queen's lover. The rest of the cast is good, but not exceptional.The sets and costumes are breathtaking. It's a shame this was not filmed in Technicolor as was planned. The ornate settings beg for it.All in all, not bad, but nothing special.

The 1938 version of the story of the ill-fated queen of France boasts amazing aspects and not so good aspects as well. However,we must bear in mind that the film is loosely based on Stefan Zweig portrayal and that in 1938 every single reference that might be perceived as inappropriate had to be removed for the public decency. The good: -Norma Shearer as Marie Antoinette is simply perfect in every detail. It's a towering performance from one of the most talented actresses in old Hollywood, almost a tribute to Marie Antoinette. Without Shearer the film would have been almost unbearable to watch and we can clearly say that she carries on her shoulder the entire picture. - The film manages effortlessly to show the rise and fall of M.A. and the sudden change of her fortune from the opulent splendour of the court of Versailles to the frightening days of the French Revolution and how the revolutionaries were cruel with M.A.,depriving her of her only living son. That scene is one of the most moving scene ever put on a film. The not so good: - The script is somewhat full of holes. We never understand why and when M.A. changes from spoilt queen to devoted mother and courage woman. There's no explanation of her actions and many facts of her life are completely invented such as the issue of how the rivalry between M.A. and Du Barry turned, the supposed isolation decided by the King Louis XV and Du Barry for M.A. and the Douphin Louis, the decision of Louis XV to banish M.A. and abolish the marriage of M.A. and Louis because she mistreated his mistress, how the affair of the necklace began and evolved. Such are the most significant changes from the actual events. - The relationship between Fersen and M.A. is blown out of proportion, although for cinematic purpose. - The role of the Duke of Orleans is too forced since he never was in such intimacy with the Queen(for example in one beautiful scene they passionately kissed each other). The bad: - The dialogues are almost entirely inconceivable for the rigid etiquette of the french court and the hierarchy between the King and his relatives. Instead we see M.A. and Louis addressing to Louis XV with no reverence or submission. So is Du Barry who speaks to M.A. as she is nothing but a mere courtesan and with no tact and M.A. ,in the most awkward scene of the film, publicly speaks about her humble beginnings in front of the King and the court. - The supporting cast -exept Tyrone Power and John Barrymore- varies from useless to terribly miscast or perhaps bad conceived such as Robert Morley's King Louis XVI as a totally imbecile which is quite annoying.

Update review April 2014:I am an historian, most recently studying the French Revolution including Marie, Louis and later Napoleon Bonaparte.I feel that this movie portrayed Marie as intelligent and caring, not as the buffoonish idiot of many stereotypes. According to my professor, she never said, "Let them eat cake!" Marie was courageous and brave. She loved her children.Previously to the Revolution, France had been visited by several years of severely cold winters, perhaps worse than the Polar Vortices. This made for terrible wheat crops, hence severely high bread prices. The people could not pay their taxes. The royal treasury was broke. People could certainly not have "cake". Wait! There's more French financial devastation:Marie Antoinette gave money to the fledgling America, during our own Revolution of 1775-1783. It takes a lot of money to fight a war. France was the enemy of England, and wanted to see us get our freedom. This was courtesy of Marie's friend and ours, Dr. Benjamin Franklin, who was Ambassador to England during the American Revolution.The French Revolution began in 1789, over a decade later, ending in 1799. The French non-nobles decided that they wanted their freedom from all nobility as well as from the royal family. The Guillotine dispatched many aristocrats, including the king and queen.Tons of nobles and priests were killed in the murderous guillotine. The Catholic Church almost ceased to exist. Marriages could now be performed in a civil status, no longer only being allowed to occur in a Catholic Church. Atheists and agnostics increased their numbers decreased markedly. Some nobles managed to escape to other countries.Later, during the 20th Century, the U.S. returned the favor of assisting France. We sent troops to help them, during the onslaughts of World Wars I and II.I really liked Tyrone Power in this movie. He was of course dashing, handsome, etc., etc., etc. Looks-wise, he was all the things that Louis was not.The fancy dress costumes in this movie were breathtaking. They were just stunning. The costuming of Marie in her cell was quite a change from the royal gowns, however.10/10