Farewell, My Queen

Filmmaker Benoit Jacquot's period drama explores the impact that the fall of the Bastille on July 14, 1789 had on the French royal court over the following four days. Filmed at the sumptuous palace of Versailles—where the doomed King Louis XVI (Xavier Beauvois) lived with his family and a huge entourage—much of Farewell, My Queen is shot in small chambers and cramped hallways, lending a suitably claustrophobic impression that underscores the reality of a world irrevocably closing in on a doomed ruling class. The story is told from the limited perspective of Sidonie (Léa Seydoux), whose job is to read books aloud to Queen Marie Antoinette (Diane Kruger). Sidonie observes the royal family's confused reaction to the unfolding events, as well as Marie's infatuation with a beautiful duchess (Virginie Ledoyen) whose life Marie is determined to save. Although the script is largely speculative, this film will be of special interest to history buffs, who will appreciate both the authentic locations and the behind-the-scenes narrative approach. As drama, it's a fascinating portrait of the Ancien Régime decaying in the face of rising Enlightenment thinking, deftly illustrating how events clumsily moved toward what might seem a foreordained outcome, but was actually contingent on several factors, many intensely personal rather than ideological. Recommended. (F. Swietek)