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Femslash February Challenge: Day 3
Feb. 3rd, 2021 10:02 amDay 3 of female-centered stories with canon wlws!
Farewell, my queen (in English) / Les adieux à la reine (en français) by Benoît Jacquot
Length: One movie, 1h40
Happy ending or not? Given the historical context, no, of course (we don't see any death though)
Who is the wlw? Sidonie has a crush on queen Marie-Antoinette, who has an affair with her best friend Gabrielle de Polignac.
Is there other representation? Not really. Though working-class representation in a movie about the royal court is rare enough.
Warnings? Nudity, unhealthy relationships, court manipulation some violence in the background.
What about the plot? Sidonie is a servant in Versailles. She deeply loves her queen and is happy to be the one who read her books, who can have personal conversations with her. But the French revolution is happening...
How good it is? The historical writing is good! And the love triangle just as poisonous as I love them, even if it's a matter of tastes.
I really love how the movie shows that Sidonie is fully devoted to her queen, without making it either a political moral failing or something Marie-Antoinette deserves. The power dynamics between royalty and servants is very well done to me. I also love all the pining, of course. Marie-Antoinette is not a good person neither a bad one, but she is emotionally deep, and clever. Some people suggested that writing her as in love with Polignac was giving credit to some sexist political pamphlet, but I don't see it like thiat, since her love is written as deep and not as superficial debauchery at all.
And the actresses are all good.
Length: One movie, 1h40
Happy ending or not? Given the historical context, no, of course (we don't see any death though)
Who is the wlw? Sidonie has a crush on queen Marie-Antoinette, who has an affair with her best friend Gabrielle de Polignac.
Is there other representation? Not really. Though working-class representation in a movie about the royal court is rare enough.
Warnings? Nudity, unhealthy relationships, court manipulation some violence in the background.
What about the plot? Sidonie is a servant in Versailles. She deeply loves her queen and is happy to be the one who read her books, who can have personal conversations with her. But the French revolution is happening...
How good it is? The historical writing is good! And the love triangle just as poisonous as I love them, even if it's a matter of tastes.
I really love how the movie shows that Sidonie is fully devoted to her queen, without making it either a political moral failing or something Marie-Antoinette deserves. The power dynamics between royalty and servants is very well done to me. I also love all the pining, of course. Marie-Antoinette is not a good person neither a bad one, but she is emotionally deep, and clever. Some people suggested that writing her as in love with Polignac was giving credit to some sexist political pamphlet, but I don't see it like thiat, since her love is written as deep and not as superficial debauchery at all.
And the actresses are all good.
