26 April 2012

A dreamy muse: Marie Antoinette

Sofia Coppola's Marie Antoinette is more than eye candy. It's the equivalent of what I imagine eating a twelve-layer cake in an opium den while getting a pedicure would be like: decadent and deliriously beautiful. This film is concerned with one thing: pleasure. (Except for the last five minutes, when, you know, her impending appointment with the guillotine becomes apparent.)

I don't really care about any historical discrepancies that may or may not exist in its plot; the film is a visual masterpiece. The costumes, hair, makeup, and sets are lavish and stunning and make for a quick muse for a drab, uninspiring day. (If you're into history, see Caroline Weber's compelling piece about the possible political reasons for Antoinette's fashion.)

I'm sure a gazillion other people have used this movie as a source of stylistic inspiration, but it deserves a gazillion and one. 

xxx,
j

p.s. For more candy-colored, Versailles-inspired art, check out Honey Kennedy's post about a dazzling art installation that recreates of one of the rooms.



All image credits: Sofia Coppola
All image rights: Sony Pictures