Are you a fan of the Marie Antoinette (2006) movie starring Kirsten Dunst? Or are you a HUGE history buff and know a lot about the Queen of Versailles and 18th Century France? Then find out below what the movie got historically accurate and what it had to change slightly for safety, dramatic impact or other reasons. We bet you know some already!
Left foot, right foot!
In the Marie Antoinette (2006) movie, Kirsten Dunst who plays Marie Antoinette is shown putting on left and right shoes, but left and right forms were not made for another 50 years after her time. But still, what beautiful shoes she wears in the movie!
Versailles – but not as Marie knew it…
The Palace of Versailles looked quite different during Marie Antoinette’s reign. The facades (fronts of buildings) you see in this photo were added after her death, when the palace then became a museum for French Royal heritage. In the movie, because it was shot on location, the facades are visible when she arrives in France. Lots of restoration and change was needed to get the palace suitable for visitors as during the French Revolution, much of it was looted and destroyed. The Palace and Park of Versailles became a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1979.
Less is more, darling!
Marie Antoinette is shown in the movie has having a minimal makeup look when in reality, she wore very heavy white face makeup, rouge and Kohl liner. Marie Antoinette had a beauty regime that included cleansing, toning and moisturising which was very influential at the time. Makeup was a symbol of wealth in the Rococo period, so the heavier you wore it, the more rich you appeared!
Candle, candle, burning bright
The movie shows chandeliers with electric bulbs, which were not invented until 18th century. This is because using real candles on movie sets is a huge health and safety hazard and could burn the whole thing down! So, understandable that electric bulbs were used!
The higher the wig, the closer to God
To use a slightly amended quote of Dolly Parton (replace ‘wig’ with ‘hair’), the wigs used in the movie were nowhere near as high as Marie Antoinette wore in reality. She is shown in one scene wearing a ship atop of her wig, which is accurate, but she was known for super high wigs, so much so, she was mocked in the press for them (amongst other things). Still, we can appreciate the great wigs in the movie regardless, as pictured above!
Darker history
The movie is a beautiful, dreamy interpretation of Marie Antoinette’s life and filmed entirely from her perspective. It leaves out many of the darker elements of the rising tensions in French politics that led to the French revolution, as well as her execution. However, the movie is pretty historically accurate otherwise and so worth watching. Enjoy!
