Marie Antoinette (1938)

[eleni459]

My multiple attempts to watch Marie Antoinette have been documented. I almost had another "Oh fuck me!" story when the disk from Netflix froze about 45 minutes in. Luckily, I had my absolutely terrible commerical disk cleaning/repairing device and the day was saved.

Quick Impressions?

Comments

[autophanous]

yeah, power was kind of a waste, especially when you contrast him with shearer's performance -- once she matures into adulthood and her role really gets meaty, man, she NAILS it. with that combination of shearer and morley and schildkraut, you might as well just throw power out with the trash. poor guy's outmatched entirely.q

[autophanous]

-q

[eleni459]

I was almost unhappy that he's the last thing you see. But I suppose they couldn't leave off with Shearer's devastating last moments. And you're so right about her nailing it. I didn't quite know what to expect going in. But her moments of determination are strong but when she begins breaks (like when they come for her son) are so heartbreaking. Again, I didn't expect this from her but I completely appreciate it.

[autophanous]

ughhh yes from the time the revolution kicks into high gear until the end, she is pretty much flawless. absolutely stunning performance. I honestly didn't even recognise her when she was going to the guillotine.

(performances like this make me so mad her stuff is so hard to find. I love her, and I feel like the scarcity of her stuff on non-archive releases makes it hard to accurately judge her talents.)

[eleni459]

Indeed! Would people have expected that kind of non-glamour from someone who is so completely associated with it. A lot of her choices come off really brave here.

(It's always a bit bizarre when it comes to who can and can't be readily watched. Shearer was huge in the 30s and had an extensive silent career but you wouldn't believe that based on what's out there. Her reputation got a bit of a boost from the pre-code craze but the economy has killed the chance of any more of those coming out on non-Archive DVDs. Archive stuff is for people who both have the money to buy it and the knowledge that it's out there.)