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| Directed by Benoît Jacquot (2012) |
By Morris Dean
How did you like the film Farewell, My Queen?
The French Revolution, set in Versailles....
Loved it! Three days as seen by Sidonie,
Marie Antoinette's reader—through her eyes.
She's there at court with the aristocrats,
Helps Marie with her girl-love Gabrielle....
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| Virginie Ledoyen as La duchesse Gabrielle de Polignac, Diane Kruger as Marie Antoinette (Click to enlarge photos) |
While the film's French—Les adieux à la reine,
Their love unsettles the aristocrats.
Condemning words are whispered in Versailles—
All this heard and seen through the questing eyes
Of a young girl with a crush: Sidonie.
How does she become involved, Sidonie ?
The day after "Bastille Day," Gabrielle's
Name appears, we learn through the girl's eyes,
Right below the name of Marie the queen,
And above many more names at Versailles—
King Louis' and hated aristocrats'.
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| Léa Seydoux as Sidonie Laborde |
Their names are all spelled out, learns Sidonie:
Two hundred eighty-six heads at Versailles
Will be cut off, including Gabrielle's
And Marie Antionette's—Louis' young queen.
This alarming news opens wide their eyes.
What are we seeing through Marie's eyes?
Marie's impatient with aristocrats.
After all, it's in the heart of a queen
Affection grows for comely Sidonie
And is set longingly on Gabrielle—
Who cares what others think around Versailles?
So how does it turn out there at Versailles?
Anyone can see who uses her eyes
That they're afraid, Marie for Gabrielle
And, for themselves, guards and aristocrats,
Who're deserting in droves. And Sidonie
Fears what will become of Marie her queen.
Coaches leave Versailles with aristocrats.
Our eyes see Sidonie leave disguised as
Gabrielle, who escapes. The Queen does not.
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Copyright © 2013 by Morris Dean
| Please comment |
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ReplyDeleteAlso, I've shared your site in my social networks!
Awesome sestina! As a movie review it is not quite so awesome because it seems to gradually give away the story (Marie-Ant.'s intimacies, Sidonie's privileged knowledge and rescue role, M-A's fate) without really revealing what the reviewer thought about the movie, except that you felt strongly enough about it to write the sestina!
ReplyDeleteThanks! Yes, mostly it's a plot description, sort of. Not that I ever refrain from including spoilers--and without an alert--but there didn't seem to be much latitude in a sestina to distort the information as I usually manage to do. Of course, I wrote the sestina fairly quickly, so maybe if I'd spent another hour on it....
DeleteAnyway, yes, I was quite impressed by the film-makers' way of telling about the storming of the Bastille and the looming beheading from the point of view of royal retainers no longer so safely housed in Versailles.