Written
and directed by Benoît Jacquot and based
on the novel by Chantal Thomas, Farewell, My
Queen explores the death throes of the French
monarchy over a period of three days in July,
1789. Set in the Palace of Versailles at the
beginning of the French Revolution, Sidonie (Lea
Seydoux), known as the reader for Queen
Marie-Antoinette (Diane Kruger), is responsible
for selecting books and reading them aloud to
the queen. Because of her closeness to the
monarch, she is able to act as a spy, securing
information about events taking place inside and
outside the palace, pressing selected servants
for information, and eavesdropping on
conversations to gather the most up-to-date
gossip to pass along to Marie.
The film is seen from Sidonie's point of view, a
vantage point that illuminates the sharp social
divisions inside the palace with the servants
living in crowded rat-infested quarters, and the
royals dwelling in opulent accommodations. Lea
Seydoux delivers a powerful performance as the
devoted servant of the queen, conveying an air
of mystery about who she really is in a way that
adds to her allure. Kruger portrays
Marie-Antoinette as sensual and hedonistic and
there is a hint of more than Platonism in the
way she interacts with both Sidonie and the
Duchess de Polignac (Virginie Ledoyen), a
relationship that tests Sidonie's loyalty.
On the morning of July 15th, news spreads
rapidly that the king had been awakened at two
in the morning. No one knows the reason, but
fear spreads throughout the court. If the king
is ill, who will protect those totally dependent
on the nobles who control their lives? It is
soon revealed, however, that the king is not
ill, but that a mob has stormed the Bastille and
a revolt has begun against the aristocracy.
Little information is available. Rumors abound
based only on conversations whispered in the
hallways and the servant's quarters. When the
King travels to Paris and the Queen decides
against an escape to Metz, an aura of inevitably
descends on the Palace and the nobles begin to
abandon ship, competing for places on the
coaches seeking a safe haven.
Antoinette makes every effort to continue with
business as usual, looking at magazines to
admire new styles and colors for the coming
season, paying scant attention to the fact that
her name is number one in a list of 300 targets
for the guillotine. Fearful of losing her only
connection to the world, Sidonie is willing to
risk the ultimate sacrifice if it is in the
queen's best interest. Even though Farewell, My
Queen is historically questionable and may hold
us at arms length emotionally, it provides a
fresh view of events that we know about only
from history books or stuffy costume dramas.
Jacquot captures the authenticity of time and
place and also the human side of the power
struggle. Unfortunately, the film pays little
attention to the issues that led to the revolt,
never mentioning the abuse of power by the
monarchy. Indeed, the Revolution serves only as
a backdrop for the story which is more about
seduction, loyalty, and betrayal than social
upheaval. Rather than making a statement that is
relevant for our times, the intricacies of
sexual intrigue and love triangles dominate the
film, titillating rather than persuading, and
making the goings on difficult to care about.
