Queen Margot

Watched 'Margot' on DVD. I recently re-viewed (on VHS) the S.M Eisenstein classics 'Ivan the Terrible, pt 1 & 2'(1945;1946). I cannot help for being struck by the similarities: for one, the history (1572) is almost contemparaneous, the movie settings uses churches and palaces, the musical scores with religious chants, the venomous regent-queen character, the daggers ... EIsenstein's images uses a lot of shadows while Chéreau does not hide that he is an opera director.(posted 21 March '21).

If you are not familiar with the French history, this movie may be a little painful to you. As for me, I spent a lot of time familiarizing myself with all those characters and events so that refrained myself from getting lost with the story. Adjani is really beautiful, she's kind of combination of Monica Beluci and Sophie Marcau. Maybe beautiful people all resemble. The edition I saw has already cut off the sex scene, so the story appeared fragmented to me. Despite it, the tragical destiny of Queen Margot is still very clear. Her marriage was used by her mum as a bait for a massacre, her beautiful body was used by her brothers as sex tools. And the only man she fell in love with began with a one-night- sex, and ended up on a guillotine. How desperate and helpless can a woman feel! Adjani did a great job in presenting all those feelings--noble, slutty, considerate or desperate. Her beautiful blue eyes are like a quite lake, you can never tell what's beneath.

One of the aspects that I like about this movie is that its not just for the male viewer. There are are parts that are nice for the ladies' eyes. For me, it was a little hard to follow. I don't honestly know much about the events that actually took place in history, and I'm not used to watching foreign films with English subtitles. The story is intense, but I like to watch the movie for the costumes. In the SCA (Society for Creative Anachronism) my persona is from the 1500's (Italian). There are some fabulous hair, jewelry, and clothing styles for inspiration. It's easier to get a sense of the style with actors that move, instead of a flat picture, as in paintings and books.

The adaptation of the Alexandre Dumas novel, of the ninfoman france princess who found sense and love as a consequence of a protestant massacre four day after her wedding, is terrific, it is gorgeous and renacentist. The director creates an excellent atmosphere of palace intrigues. The movie has also crude scenes with lot of gore. Most of the cast is incredible Isabelle Adjani is maybe one of the most beautiful women that I´ve seen in the screen. Because her mysterious and ethereal beauty you could believe that is the 19 year princess. But maybe this time was too ethereal. There were four amazing performances by Virna Lissi excellent as the powerful regent Catherine of Medicis (I would not like to being his child), Jean Hughes Anglade as the king of france, Daniel Autiel as Navarre and The strange beauty of Dominique Blanc. Also there were good Vincent Peres, Asia Argento, and the guy that plays Henri Valois

Very, very, very good movie. Good adaptation of the novel, though Margot--La Molle love plot is not emphasized enough, the presentation of the life, style, morality, and behavior is vivid, astonishing and sticks to realities of those dark ages. This is a good sample for Hollywood that spoiled a lot of Dumas' novels by unreal fantasies, anachronisms and simplifications.

Not a single film, except for perhaps, Name of the Rose, portrays Europe in such a realistic light. In this movie one sees the debauchery of France during this era with murder, assaination attempts and sexual debauchery. Beautiful cinematography, wonderful costumes, wonderful, wonderful acting, except perhaps the main character, Isabelle Adjani. She seemed a little off, I thought. Definitely a watch if you're a fan of epic war dramas, it sucks you into the world of 15th cenutry France.

Excellent example of how, too much freedom and democracy have destroyed contemporary Europe, full of lust, perversion, stupid women and Africans with low IQ. In reality, the plot of the movie is simple and remains unspoken. There is nothing historical, but violence and lust without beauty and without art.