MovieChat Forums > Marie Antoinette (2006) Discussion > Another film butchered by the music.

Another film butchered by the music.

posted 14 years ago by FrauMachina
60 replies | jump to latest

Apart from drawn out dull scenes without substance, what truly destroyed this movie for me was the music; it could NOT have been more wrong. I expect a period piece to contain the music of that particular period to set the mood for the story. Not some pop/rock nonsense from modern times. Is it so difficult to understand that it just doesn't fit? It is embarrassing.

I have not been this annoyed since 'A Knight's Tale' (which, by the way, was a much better movie than Marie Antoinette), where the setting is 14th or 15th century England, but throughout we are hearing rock tunes such as Queen's 'We Will Rock You' and AC/DC's 'You Shook Me All Night Long'.

In addition to this horrendously ill-fitted soundtrack, there are medley scenes of Marie Antoinette and her girlfriends shopping for clothing and food, the likes of which you can see in just about any run of the mill teenage bubblegum comedy/drama. And that is exactly where I felt this movie fell at that point.

Next, are we going to see a film of Queen Victoria set to Beyonce bloody Knowles?
Please, if there are more of this sort out there, please warn me first and spare me the pain. lol

[–] Angus-8 14 years ago

I'd like to know what was up w/that mashing up of Vivaldi tracks like potatoes and sausage, like it was one track. Was it supposed to call attention to the dischord between husband and wife?

[–] Lord_X 13 years ago

I expect a period piece to contain the music of that particular period to set the mood for the story.

That rarely happens in Hollywood movies. What you normally get is music by a contemporary composer that only seems well-suited because you got used to watch period pieces with that kind of music. But most of the times is almost as contrasting to the music of that particular period as the music Sofia used in Marie Antoinette.

Language! The thing that means stuff.

[–] conchord_phan 13 years ago

Maybe the music was symbolism for Marie being ahead of her time?! I hate admitting that, because I didn't like the movie either for this reason. Neither did I like A Knight's Tale.

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[–] 13 years ago

[deleted]

[–] ilovetati 13 years ago

The atmospheric new wave and shoegaze tunes did as better job of portraying Antoinette's emotions, which was Coppola's goal.

Everybody wants to be found.

[–] jac91604 12 years ago

The OP has a point. One of things about watching a period piece film is to take you back to another time.

Just started watching the film on one of the cable channels.

If Sophia by showing contemporary sneakers so the audience has to be jolted into thinking how this relates to modern day teenagers, then that is a bit much.

Maybe today's audiences need that, some of us don't.

And the 80s music is what I grew up with and still love, but I don't know if I want to hear it in a film like this.

[–] ilovetati 12 years ago

Why should all period pieces be the same? The anachronistics are trying to show how Antoinette wasn't historical figure people expect, they brought life to the character.

He remembers those vanished years...
http://youtu.be/LpkD_ln5IyQ

[–] jac91604 12 years ago

Well after viewing it was pretty clear that Sophia got her ideas from Adam Ant videosof the 80s...LOL.

Most likely many of the audience in 2006 wouldn't have a clue as to Adam Ant was.

It wasn't bad but there was nothing original about it.

[–] adamcrossstills 12 years ago

Marie Antoinette herself was no ordinary royal, so I think an out of the ordinary soundtrack fits perfectly. I'm sure Marie would agree.

Get over what you're used to, just because every other period piece uses period, classical music doesn't mean that every period piece should follow in their footsteps, how dreadfully boring that would be.

"The world moves for love, It kneels before it in awe" - The Village

[–] Starskysea 12 years ago

I found the music and modern day style character interactions and dialogue jarring as well, and had a lot of trouble taking this movie seriously. However, I also understand that I am not taking at all the right perspective to view this movie. The whole point is to suspend your disbelief and see the movie for what it is: a beautiful, artsy, quasi-surreal setting for a very modern story. When looking at the characters, I should not be seeing the historical Marie Antoinette and Louis but different, original characters. If I do that, I think I will be able to appreciate everything else, from the lavish production to the ethereal soundtrack to the playful characters and narrative.

*Smile* ~~and stop being so pathetic::..

[–] davidtraversa-1 12 years ago

David Traversa. Frau Machina: Yesterday I saw this film and totally agree with you, in every respect. The music was quite shocking really. It destroyed the mood completely; I have no idea what was in the director's mind, although I do have an idea: We came to the point where people don't have a classical music culture anymore, and worse yet: They don give a damn!!! They don't feel ashamed confessing that "Beethoven" is the name of a hamburger they ate the other day at a junk food place.
It's what we have and either resign to it or get a good pair of earplugs, wireless earphones, MP4 or whatever number you can afford, to listen to your favorite music without interference.

[–] OldSchoolRecords 12 years ago

I actually liked the songs used in the movie; not just because I like these types of music, but because they were meant to emphasize on the idea that Marie Antoinette was born two centuries before she was meant to be, because she was more evolved than everyone else in her time.

[–] lyndsay_lane 12 years ago

I usually do not consciously notice music in a film, but I REALLY did in this one, and not in a good way. Really, good music should be unnoticed and support the emotion of scenes. But this was way off. I just watched this film for Art History and that was my first thought within ten minutes, so when I came on this board and saw your post I knew it wasn't just me! :-) A Knight's Tale was intentionally doing that, however. I know this is supposed to be a more modern take on the Marie Antoinette story, but for me it wasn't the modern aspect of the music, it was just not fitting for the scenes.

[–] andrj908 12 years ago

Ignore the OP.

One only needs to look at his list of "Favorite Sci-Fi movies" to know how ridiculous he truly is.

http://www.imdb.com/list/1pNMdZYfiAc/

!!!!11Like, oh my gaaawd, Inception and District Nine best most original sci-fi moviez evaaah!!!!111+

[–] ShannonTriumphant 10 years ago

Exactly! IF someone hates New Wave music, they will hate this soundtrack. But rather than argue with that particular preference (which I don't understand, since the 80's music was mostly a refreshing and novel breath of fresh air after the boring disco or ponderously idiotic Metal crap of the 1970's!)...I simply agree to disagree. I feel I'm getting the better deal by giving this music a chance in the realm of what WOULD have been saturated with Mozart and Haydn, two of my fave composers!

And hold its own, the New Wave does! It symbolizes (do I really need to explain this?) the wish for freedom and abandon of the younger generation, especially the liberated yet frustrated Antoinette, as they partied (a big 80's thing!) and danced (another 80's specialty, without the influence of pot, whose penalties for use had become draconian, sadly) What was left except to dance and drink? And they had gambling, unlike the Me Generation!

Coppola managed to synthesize the spirit of two ages almost seamlessly, along with a new interpretation of philosophers like Rousseau and his "back-to-nature" ethos, so beloved by the hippies...LONG after Altamont, and it's no accident that most Hippies ended up making or at least loving Punk and New Wave. It was no mistake that I was introduced to Devo and the B-52's by the same friends with whom I'd danced to Creedence and Jimi Hendrix.

Open your minds, people! You never know what you might like. My 22-y.o. son is just discovering that now and often says, "I wish I hadn't acted like a 17-y.o. for so long! I missed so much!"

She deserves her revenge, and we deserve to die.

[–] 10 years ago

[deleted]

[–] nilbog44 11 years ago

Hey look somebody COMPLETELY missed the point

[–] ShannonTriumphant 10 years ago

Usually, flames like this require thought and explanations, but don't worry about it, you'll just "miss the point" of posting a civilized reply...again.

She deserves her revenge, and we deserve to die.

[–] prplayer 8 years ago

you got it, seems Coppola just wanted to be edgy here

so many movies, so little time