Introduction
Films, just like novels, often tell a story that relates to the political, economic, and cultural issues in society. In modern society, there is an effort among filmmakers to ensure that their productions are relevant to specific audiences. A film that is popular among the youth may not be appealing to children or the elderly (Barrett, 2021). Similarly, films that were popular among the youth a decade or two ago may not be relevant to the current youth because of changing socio-political and economic forces. Film directors are currently keen on ensuring that they focus on specific issues that affect society to ensure that their audience can easily relate to the story they present. Although Indiewood is significantly different from Hollywood in terms of the level of scrutiny, cost, and process of production, they both strive to ensure that their productions relate to the challenges and encounters of their audience. In this paper, the focus is to compare the film Marie Antoinette and political, economic, and cultural contexts.
Analysis and Discussion
Marie Antoinette is a historical film that was produced in 2006 and focuses on the life of Queen Antoinette of France. As the film begins, a charming but naïve 14-year-old girl is sent to France to marry the French Dauphin (De-Angelis, 2019). She is the youngest and the only unmarried daughter in her family and the marriage is expected to create a bond between France and Austria and help minimize hostility between the two kingdoms. The film presents the challenges that the young couple face until the time Antoinette becomes the queen of France when her husband became the King. Her extravagance, ancestry, and perceived sexual immorality earn her public disapproval. She and her family are blamed for the country’s economic woes. The royal family is finally dethroned and sent away from Versailles by rioters. The film demonstrates the power of the masses and the significance of shaping public opinion for those who are in positions of power. It is necessary to analyze this cinema in political, economic, and cultural contexts.
Political Context
The film helps in explaining the dynamics of politics that existed during this era. Austria and France had major differences that made them go to war regularly. However, such wars were costly and leaders of these countries made an effort to try and avoid them when necessary. During this era, a union through royal marriages was viewed as one of the best ways of fostering peace between two kingdoms (Cleave, 2020). The bond created through such marriages meant that any disagreements that might arise would be resolved diplomatically through emissaries instead of using military means. Antoinette was meant to cement the relations between Austria and France. She accomplished this role during the time that she was a member of the royal family and when she became the queen. However, the move was a costly one for the French royal family as it was soon forced out of power.
The film demonstrates the need for those in power to maintain a positive public image. During that period, just as is the case in the modern era, the ability of one to stay in power depended on the trust of the masses. The public wants a leader who can serve them and ensure that their interests are taken care of (Fraser, 2001). In the film, the French believed that the royal family was not concerned about the interest of the citizens, a factor that led to the revolution. The political rivalry between Austria and France also meant that it was easy for the opposition to promote propaganda against the ruling class because the queen was viewed as a foreigner.
In this film, the failure of the royal family to earn the favor, admiration, and respect of the masses was costly. The revolution was directly caused by the dislike for the ruler and his family (Fraser, 2001). The audience can easily relate to this film based on the current and recent political events in the United States and Europe. Leaders have been voted out of power because of their perceived indifference to issues affecting the masses. Others have even been forced to resign from powerful political positions such as the presidency. It is the same message that is presented in this film as the king and his family is forced out of the capital and the throne taken over by the rioters. It demonstrates the power of the people.
The political events in this film relate to the current political events in the United States and other countries around the world. Youths can relate easily to this film from a political context because rivalries among countries still exist. The United States views Russia and China as rivals and military measures have been taken to protect the country against a potential attack from hostile nations (Mohamed and Fahmy, 2019). The political class in the United States has been keen on protecting its public image because they know it defines their ability to remain in power. The need to have a working relationship with a foreign nation is also as relevant today as it was in the past. Currently, states use ambassadors and high commissioners. In the past, such relationships would be cemented through royal marriages.
Economic Context
The economic context of this film also presents the challenges that leaders face in modern society. When the young Antoinette came to France as the wife to the prince, there was economic stability. The ruler of the kingdom understood the need of the people and maintained policies that protected their interests. When Antoinette became the queen when her husband ascended to the throne, there was a significant change in the economy of the nation. The queen was extravagant and indifferent to the pain and suffering of the masses (Marie Antoinette, 2006). The film shows that many families were struggling to meet basic needs. However, the queen continued to maintain an expensive lifestyle at the expense of taxpayers. What made the situation worse was the fact that she made no effort to hide her extravagance. As many families went without meals, the queen was seen purchasing luxurious items that many viewed as being wasteful.
In modern society, there is a need to fight corruption among leaders trusted with various offices. Once one is in office, they are expected to use public resources to benefit members of the public (Fraser, 2001). They have to resist the temptation to use such resources for their own extravagant needs. Queen Antoinette failed to understand the fact that her public office meant that she had to use the resources available to her to alleviate people’s suffering. Just like in the film, leaders who fail to resist the temptation of stealing public money are often forced out of office and punished for such theft. In this film, one of the main reasons why the king was dethroned was the corrupt nature of the royal family. The audience can easily relate to some of the recent events around the world. The Arab Spring, which resulted in dethroning of some of the strongest rulers in the Arab world such as Hosni Mubarak of Egypt, Muammar Gaddafi of Libya, and Ben Ali of Tunisia, was partly blamed on the economic woes of the masses (Mohamed and Fahmy, 2019). People realized that those trusted with the leadership of their nations were interested in amassing wealth for themselves and maintaining extravagant lifestyles. These leaders, just like the royal family in this film, were forced out of power and some paid for these crimes with their lives.
Historical and Cultural Context
The film presents the cultural norms and practices that were common during that period. One of the common practices during that period was arranged marriage. Parents were responsible for finding suitable partners (Fraser, 2001). The marriage between Marie Antoinette and her husband was arranged by their parents. Although the two had not met before, they had to accept the union based on the directives of their parents. The film demonstrates that there was no physical attraction between the two as it took years before the marriage could be consummated. Although the practice has become rare in modern society, there are still some cases where parents would make an effort to influence the choice of a partner their children have. There is still the desire of having parental approval before one can get married.
A historical change that has occurred from the time of Antoinette to modern society is the age at which one gets married. At the time of their marriage, Antoinette was only 14 years and her husband was 15 (Marie Antoinette, 2006). They were barely children who did not have a proper understanding of what marriage entails. In modern society, marriage can only be legal if it is between two consenting adults. The minimum age in the United States, and many other countries around the world, is 15 years. One is considered mentally and physically mature to be in a matrimonial union.
The role of women in society is also portrayed in this film. When it took too long for Antoinette to have a child, she was blamed for it (De-Angelis, 2019). Society believed that it was a woman’s role to get pregnant and have a child for her husband. It is necessary to note that Dauphin of France was to blame for the childlessness because he failed to consummate the marriage. Maria-Theresa, Antoinette’s mother, maintained constant communication with her daughter, explaining to her how to seduce her husband because she also felt the daughter was failing in her role as a wife. Issues about sexual immorality in society are also brought out in the film.
Differing Historical and Cultural Representations of and Responses to Youth Culture
The film Marie Antoinette achieved massive success, especially among the youth who could easily relate to some of the themes it presents. One of the different historical and cultural representations is the role of women in society. As shown in this film, women would be blamed for failures in their families. When Antoinette and her husband failed to have a child in the early stages of their marriage, the blame was directed toward the wife. Although such challenges still exist, women’s empowerment and equal rights movements have lessened the burden on women (Braun, 2019). Science has also helped in addressing these cultural misrepresentations.
The popularity of the chosen film concerning the patterns of repetition and variation within popular film cycles is further presented in the form of affairs and their impact on both men and women. In the film, Antoinette is blamed for being a promiscuous woman. It is believed that some of her children were illegitimate as they were not sired by her husband, the king. However, the men who are involved in the adulterous affair are not mentioned and neither are they blamed. Although the culture is still common in the current society, youths demand equal rights for both men and women. She was as guilty of the affair as the men involved.
Indiewood versus Mainstream Hollywood Practices
Hollywood has remained a popular means of producing films in the United States for the past several decades. However, Indiewood has emerged as an alternative to those who cannot afford Hollywood. According to Bernardi and Hoxter (2017), one of the main differences between Hollywood and Indiewood is the level of scrutiny. Before a film can be approved for production in Hollywood, it has to go through a series of scrutiny from various committees. Such strict levels of examination are uncommon in Indiewood film production. Cost is another major difference between the two film productions. Indiewood is significantly cheaper than Hollywood because it does not go through numerous examinations that require the involvement of many experts.
In mainstream Hollywood, the filmmaker is given a specific period in the post-production phase, often 10 weeks, to complete the film. As such, all activities have to be completed as scheduled to avoid failure. On the other hand, Indiewood does not specify the time in the post-production phase that a filmmaker should take to make available a given film (Baron and Tzioumakis, 2020). The freedom that is given to the filmmaker allows them to complete the available tasks using the minimal resources available. Barrett (2021) also observes that in most cases, Indiewood films are shown for the first time in film festivals to help in popularizing them. Despite the perceived inferiority of Indiewood film production, it is rapidly gaining popularity because of emerging technologies that make it easy to market to local and global audiences.
Conclusion
The film Marie Antoinette has gained massive popularity among youths in the United States. The story is about a princess who becomes the French queen at a tender age and the challenges that she faces resonate well with American youths. The political, economic, and cultural contexts of the films may be slightly different from the current state in the United States and Europe, but it helps in explaining the evolution. It also helps in demonstrating the path women empowerment has taken to achieve the current success.
Reference List
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Barrett, K. (2021) ‘Inconsistent cinema: Paul Thomas Anderson, there will be blood and the postmodern filmmaker’, The Journal of Film & Visual Narration, 6(1), pp. 54-67.
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Braun, G. (2019) John Hardman, Marie-Antoinette: the making of a French queen. London: Yale University Press.
Cleave, K. (2020) ‘Contextualizing Wertmüller’s 1785 portrait of Marie-Antoinette through dress’, Costume, 54(1), pp. 4-11.
De-Angelis, L. (2019) ‘Marie Antoinette: misunderstood monarch’, The Histories, 9(1), pp. 3-16.
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Fraser, A. (2001) Marie Antoinette: the journey. New York, NY: Doubleday.
Marie Antoinette (2006) Directed by Sofia Coppola [Film]. Culver City, Calif: Columbia Pictures.
Mohamed, E. and Fahmy, D. (2019) Arab Spring: modernity, identity and change. Cham: Palgrave Macmillan.