It has been 20 years since Sofia Coppola's Marie Antoinette was booed at its Cannes debut, before becoming an instant cult classic in its commercial release. I remember the splashy marketing, the contrast of a lavishly produced period picture with contemporary indie rock soundtrack, and an absolutely alive camera capturing the immaturity and glee of the young future Queen of France. It was as if the pitch for the film was Barry Lyndon by way of Jim Jarmusch.
Little did we know that Sofia's mother, Eleanor, would give the film the Hearts of Darkness prestige-boutique behind-the-scenes documentary two decades later.
But here we are, and the key-art marketing for the documentary is perfect. Using the jaunty stencil typography from the film, along with one of the films most iconic shots, only reverse-framed to have the film crew, and director snapping a still in between takes the focus here.
There is something here about the modernity and the period, the disparity and rhymes therein, which is beautifully in sync with the original film. A film that foregrounded food and fashion as it did the rhythms of court, the difference between creamy silk and wool and gauze, and a red t-shirt and bluejean-skirt is as striking as the film it documents.
Friday One Sheet: MAKING MARIE ANTOINETTE