http://www.museesdefrance.com/produits/details/AV600052

Has anyone seen this documentary? What do you think of it? I'd like to know all of your thoughts before I purchase it.

It has been broadcasted in France and in Belgium already. It is a docu-fiction by Grubin. Not too good, in my view...

Docu-fiction, really? Thanks for the info.

Yes, there is a fictionnal part, with an actress playing Marie Antoinette. In my view, it shows a rather inaccurate view, for the queen is almost always portraied alone. For budget reasons, I guess...

There are also docu parts, with interviews of scholars, such as Fraser, Lever, Thomas... and engravings of the time.

oh, ok.. Thanks for the information.

More about this movie, in French:
http://www.humanite.presse.fr/journal/2 ... -06-401919

Actually, Pim, a docu-fiction is something alonf the lines of "Royal Scandal" which had actors acting in a movie format, but there was a narrarator actually telling the historical events with the actors acting them out. In the Grubin documentary, we never see the actress talk, she is just there to give a visual representation of MA, nothing more. And what you call a "docu-fiction" is actually called a "docu-drama." And I would agree with you that she was usually shown alone for budgetary reasons.

This DVD is the 2 hour documentary that David Grubin did for PBS and for broacast by Arte in France. There as also a German public TV co-producer.

It's perhaps the best documentary on Marie Antoinette's life to date. Antonia Fraser, Chantal Thomas, Simon Schama, Evelyn Lever are among the talking heads who with the narrator take us through Marie Antoinette's life.

One of the things that's quite distinctive about this film is a big emphasis on the pamphlets against Marie Antoinette and the role of those pamphlets and pornography in turning the populace against the Queen and building their hatred of her. No other film has come close to the attention this film has given to that subject.

This is 2 hours well worth the viewing.

Axel