Marie-Antoinette (1938)

Marie-Antoinette: Directed by W.S. Van Dyke, Julien Duvivier. With Norma Shearer, Tyrone Power, John Barrymore, Robert Morley. The tragic life of Marie Antoinette, who became queen of France in her late teens.

“Often said, and, for better or for worse, just as often true: u0026quot;Marie Antoinetteu0026quot; is one of THE definitive examples of an MGM prestige picture, 1930s style. Years in planning and preproduction, u0026quot;Marie Antoinetteu0026quot; was Norma Sheareru0026#39;s first film after Irving Thalbergu0026#39;s death: little expense was spared in making the u0026quot;First Lady of MGMu0026quot;u0026#39;s return to the screen a royal one in every sense.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eTechnically superb, the film suffers from erratic pacing and a patchwork script. But the supporting cast alone almost compensates for these deficiencies: Robert Morley side-stepping caricature to make Louis XVI touchingly human; John Barrymore and Gladys George contributing brilliant, razor-sharp vignettes as Louis XV and Madame du Barry (indeed, the confrontation between Marie Antoinette and du Barry is one of the filmu0026#39;s highlights); and Joseph Schildkraut redefining the term u0026quot;oilyu0026quot; as the scheming Duke of Orleans. Only Tyrone Power (borrowed from 20th Century-Fox) comes off less well; this, perhaps is due more to an ill-conceived role in the script than to a lack of acting ability as such.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eBut it is, first and foremost, Sheareru0026#39;s film and she is superb. From the young, light-hearted Austrian Archduchess to the fun-loving, lightheaded Queen to the prematurely aged but proud and defiant widow on her way to the guillotine, Shearer is in full command, giving a splendid display of her artistry (including, in the prison scenes, an outstanding example of silent film technique): it is her finest mature dramatic performance.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eCarps, quibbles, and differences of opinion? Yes, every film lover has them, if only out of love for the medium or a specific film. But after viewing a film such as u0026quot;Marie Antoinette,u0026quot; it can with utmost conviction be stated, u0026quot;They DONu0026#39;T make them that way anymore.u0026quot;”