Farewell my queen!
| Movie | |
|---|---|
| German title | Farewell my queen! |
| Original title | Les Adieux à la reine |
| Country of production | France |
| original language | French |
| Publishing year | 2012 |
| length | 100 minutes |
| Age rating | FSK 6 |
| Rod | |
| Director | Benoît Jacquot |
| script |
Benoît Jacquot Gilles Taurand Chantal Thomas |
| production |
Jean-Pierre Guérin Kristina Larsen Thomas Saignes Pedro Uriol |
| music | Bruno Coulais |
| camera | Romain Winding |
| cut | Luc Barnier |
| occupation | |
| |
Farewell my queen! (Original title: Les Adieux à la reine ) is a French historical film from 2012, directed by Benoît Jacquot . The film tells the story of the French Revolution from 14 to 17 July 1789 from the perspective of the royal reader Sidonie Laborde, who was close to Queen Marie-Antoinette . It ran in the competition at the 62nd Berlinale and opened the festival on February 9, 2012 as a world premiere. The German theatrical release took place on May 31, 2012.
action
Sidonie Laborde, who secretly loves Queen Marie-Antoinette and largely stays out of the frivolous goings-on at court in Versailles , reads to the queen. She scratches the mosquito bites on her arm in order to attract the attention of the queen and to be touched by her when she treats the bites with rosewood oil. Sidonie also secretly embroidered a dahlia for the ruler ; she does not want to be used as an embroiderer because of her talent and thus lose access to what she desires. Marie Antoinette is moody and treats Sidonie like a friend at one point, and another time condescendingly and harshly. She does not have a good reputation at court because she gives her favor and privileges to Gabrielle de Polignac, whom she desires .
Meanwhile, news of the storming of the Bastille penetrates inside the Palace of Versailles and excites servants and courtiers. Many wealthier people flee the palace. The Queen would like to retire to the fortress of Metz and march from there to Paris. She has already packed, burns letters and documents, such as her list of expenses for the Polignac, and breaks the gemstones out of their settings together with a lady-in-waiting so that they can be taken away more easily. She confesses to Sidonie her affection for Gabrielle de Polignac and how much she captures the desire for her and reacts harshly when Sidonie cannot wake it up and bring it to her. Since King Louis XVI. Doesn't want to leave Versailles, the next day the departure is canceled and unpacked again.
Gabrielle de Polignac visits her queen, where both words caress and touch each other tenderly. Marie Antoinette begs her to go to safety. Thereupon de Polignac disguises himself as a maid and her husband as a coachman. Sidonie is called to the Queen, who orders her to put on the Polignac's dress and to pretend to be her in order to protect her life with her own. Even at this moment she obeys Marie Antoinette without contradiction. Eventually the Polignacs and Sidonie flee to Switzerland in a carriage. The disguised Sidonie waves to the peasants along the way as if she were a noblewoman. During a pass check she is recognized as Gabrielle de Polignac, but is allowed to continue. In the final shot you see the carriage disappearing further and further into the darkness of the night forest, while you hear Sidonie's voice, who confesses to have loved the queen and anticipates her own decline.
background
The film is an adaptation of the novel of the same name by Chantal Thomas . It was produced by GMT Productions and co-produced by Les Films du Lendemain , France 3 Cinéma and Morena Films . Benoît Jacquots was given permission to film directly in the Palace of Versailles . The shooting took place at night and on Mondays when there were no visitors in the castle. Christian Gasc designed the costumes .
Farewell my queen! ran in the competition at the 62nd Berlinale for the Golden Bear . The film opened the festival on February 9, 2012 as a world premiere.
Reviews
Verena Lueken reviewed the film for faz.net and saw it as a promising start to the competition. She emphasized that from Sidonie's perspective the view of the simple members of the court and their dissolute behavior emerged, and critically stated “that Jacquot gives it up for a while in the second part to follow Marie Antoinette after Gabrielle de Polignac ( Virginie Ledoyen ) languishing and falling into her arms during her last appearance in the courtyard. ”Lueken saw in Sidonie the contradiction that she belongs to the people who rise up and at the same time is devoted to the queen. She said with praise: "This is the constellation from which the inner tension arises, and Léa Seydoux plays it convincingly because she shows that her character is not even aware of this contradiction." She also refers to the breaks between the tight of Seydoux's permanent camera and shots that open into the long corridors.
For Zeit Online , Wenke Husmann placed the film in the context of the Arab Spring , with which the film found a special sounding board. She praised Diane Kruger's play following the conventional portrayal of Marie Antoinette as pleasure addict and spoiled only at the beginning. "And even in these few first scenes her pomp is less exalted than it was, for example, in Sofia Coppola's Marie Antoinette ," she said. Furthermore, Husmann highlighted the very lively camera work and Benoît Jacquot's precise depiction of the circumstances at that time.
Peter Uehling's criticism for the Berliner Zeitung was also positive. He summarized: “With Les adieux à la reine , a film of representative style, symbolic subtlety and staging originality is in the spotlight of the opening at the same time.” He praised the portrayal of Sidonie with the words: “ Les adieux à la rein would be unthinkable without an actress like Léa Seydoux, who wears the film as Sidonie. "
The Berlin Zitty criticized the uncritical attitude towards the nobility of the Ancien Régime and the long tracking shots that accompanied the protagonist on her way through the endless rooms of the castle, "while the intrusive music maintains tension". That is "dead boring and meaningless".
Awards
- 2012: Actor Award of the Cabourg Romantic Film Festival for Léa Seydoux (also for Winterdieb )
- 2012: Louis Delluc Prize for Best French Film
- 2013: César for the best camera, the best costumes and the best production design; seven other nominations (including Best Film, Best Director, Best Actress - Léa Seydoux)
literature
- Berlin International Film Festival (ed.): 62nd Berlin International Film Festival . Berlin 2012, ISSN 0724-7117
Web links
- Farewell my queen! in the Internet Movie Database (English)
- Articles in the Berlinale catalog (PDF; 114 kB)
- Interview and background on canalplus.fr, video.
Individual evidence
- ^ Certificate of Release for Goodbye, my Queen! Voluntary self-regulation of the film industry , April 2012 (PDF; test number: 132 632 K).
- ↑ Gerhard Midding: Interview on the Berlinale opening film - French Revolution in fast motion . berliner-zeitung.de, February 8, 2012, accessed on February 10, 2012
- ↑ Verena Lueken: Berlinale opening film - The revolution begins with a mosquito bite . faz.net, February 10, 2012, accessed February 10, 2012
- ^ Wenke Husmann: Opening of the Film Festival - Arabellion at the Berlinale . zeit.de, February 10, 2012, accessed on February 10, 2012
- ↑ Peter Uehling: Successful start to the Berlinale . berliner-zeitung.de, February 10, 2012, accessed on February 10, 2012
- ↑ Zitty , 12/2012, p. 56