Solemplex To me, this movie is perfection.

SnoReptilePlenty Memorable, crazy movie

PodBill Just what I expected

Beystiman It's fun, it's light, [but] it has a hard time when its tries to get heavy.

JohnHowardReid The romance with Ty Power is a bit tedious, but fortunately it doesn't take up too much time. His role is smaller than usual. Not only does he make rather a late entrance, but he is by no means the male lead. His character definitely plays second fiddle to Robert Morley's. In Morley we have an actor who is extremely convincing. As the faltering, bumbling, incompetent yet ultimately sympathetic Louis XVI, Morley has his work cut out. Yet he makes it seem easy. Definitely his greatest portrayal. As for Marie Antoinette herself, this is of course a totally whitewashed characterization. Her famous line, "Let them eat cake!", is not even alluded to. Norma Shearer - in her first screen appearance since Romeo and Juliet, pulls out all stops to look radiant. Or rather cinematographer Daniels, costumer Adrian, her make-up man and hairdresser pull out all stops for her. Although not as blatantly miscast as her Juliet, Miss Shearer's Marie owes little to her own skills. If anything, her acting is far too theatrically old-fashioned to draw audience sympathy. Fortunately, Marie Antoinette is always absolutely dazzling to look at. The movie displays a sumptuousness, a richness, an elegance that far exceeds the visual extravagances we have come to expect of the usual M-G-M super-spectacle. The sets are absolutely breathtaking. So are the costumes. Even the special effects are truly marvelous. Van Dyke has directed it all with a certain amount of style, flair and confidence. True, his efforts are magnified by some wonderful performances. Morley as said, plus Barrymore, Schildkraut, George and company. A great roster indeed of Golden Age character players. What I particularly like about them here is that for once they don't look like Hollywood actors at all. No looking awkward and ill at ease in unaccustomed costumes and ill-fitting wigs. Director Van Dyke has happily integrated everyone into the action. What we have in Marie Antoinette are real people, rather than actors playing their customary mimes.The plot is strong too. Although it proceeds by fits and starts, lacking a cohesive narrative style, the story does maintain interest through a long running time right up to the final fade-out. Not all the glum-faced posturing of Mr Power nor the strident over-acting of Miss Shearer can long delay its pell-mell pace. The movie cost $1.8 million. None of that money has been wasted. The film has a sweep and a power that only the use of vast sets and the deployment of thousands of costumed extras could give. Here we have an historical spectacle so richly photographed in black-and-white that color seems both unnecessary and a liability. The music is effective too.

jarrodmcdonald-1 At first I was hesitant...I thought, oh no, this is going to be an over-blown costume epic, a film that was probably trying to exaggerate its own importance. But it really doesn't play that way. Norma Shearer in the title role is not exactly subtle, but she's not over-the-top, either. I agree with others who say that the ending of the film is the strongest section, but I also loved the 'Russian' scenes when Marie met Axel. There should be more movies like this today, not because we need to bring back a certain time in American cinema, but because we need to be reminded that life is simple and grand at the same time. This picture captures that perfectly. The only quibble I have about some of the film is that it does seem a bit too American and British to me...I had difficulty believing there was a French or Austrian element. I think the sentimentality could've been muted a bit and if it were remade today, I think more of the execution scenes should be featured, instead of played off-camera. Also, we should've seen the part when the son was forced to testify against his mother. Nonetheless, the entire effort is very memorable. My favorite scene was when Marie was being led to the guillotine and her eyes locked with the peasant woman in the crowd who could empathize with her. Very powerful!

nitnyleo Norma Shearer was about about 36, looking about late 20's; Robert Morley was about 30, looking about mid 30's. And, this is where the problem lies.The prologue that tells about the announcement of the engagement, the first meeting with Louis, the marriage and the night of the marriage make no sense if your basis is that the actors are over 30 years old.The fact is that Louis was 15 and Marie was 14 when they were married. Their young age, without benefit of sex education, might explain much about the awkwardness of their relationship in their early years together. To watch 30 year olds trying to play-out the ignorance of kids, is too abstract, and a distraction.I would love to see this film remade with actors who can look like they are still in their mid-teens.But Norma Shearer gives a wonderful performance. And, Tyrone Power looks as hot as any guy could.

Maciste_Brother MARIE ANTOINETTE is an amazingly lush production. The details on screen is at times staggering. The production team is to be credited for such an eye filling spectacle. With that said, the film doesn't really work. The script is badly conceived and its main star is as dull as a star can be.First the script: it spends a lot of time on Marie Antoinette and very little time on why or how the revolution started. Little histrionic moments are blown up to gargantuan proportions and yet important events about her or the French Revolution are all but forgotten. The script is totally ill-conceived and no amount of great direction or production values can overcome this major weakness. Three quarters of the film revolves around MA and then suddenly, there's a revolution is in full swing. There's no smooth transition between the main storyline from MA to the French Revolution, which just happens almost out of nowhere. The switch in storyline is abrupt and jarring.The second major liability is its star: Norma Shearer. Shearer is an actress of limited range and after watching her for almost three hours, her limited range became increasingly obvious with each passing minute. Whether she's getting married or when she falls in love with handsome Tyrone Power or when the peasants storm the Château, Shearer's expression hardly changes. As Marie Antoinette and her family try to escape the tumult, the stagecoach they're escaping in is eventually stopped by an angry crowd. The crowd is overwhelming and the situation is wrought with tension. So how does Norma react when the stage coach is stopped? She bites her lip.But even actors of limited range can get away with this problem when they have star power or screen presence. Sadly, Norma has little or no star power. This is my first film with Norma Shearer and it's probably going to be my last. Shearer has zero star quality. She is as bland as can be. It also doesn't help that she's way too old to play the part. But again, this wouldn't have been a problem if she had some sort of screen presence.The odd part of this spectacular film is that it's a feast for the eyes and in the middle of all of it is this bland, boring presence we have to watch for nearly three hours. Watching Norma Shearer in MARIE ANTOINETTE is like being handed a plate of tofu amidst a table filled with every conceivable meal imaginable. Everything, and I mean everything, including Robert Morley, outshines her. I give 10 stars for the production values and excellent supporting cast. If you watch MARIE ANTOINETTE for the sets and costumes, you won't be disappointed. Just don't expect some compelling performance from its star.