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"Marie Antoinette (1938)"

I must take strong exception to this opinion! The Duc d'Orleans character was the most interesting and best acted in this movie, upstaging even that of Shearer's Antoinette. This character was not modeled after the real duc, obviously, who was fat and slovenly, nor was he portrayed as a "pansy." He was, in fact, portrayed as the pluperfect French aristocrat: graceful as a dancer, razor-edged wit, devious intelligence, deadly with either sword or tongue, exsquistely dressed and groomed----if this is your idea of a pansy, than I suggest you re-think your concept of masculinity.

Personally, I enjoy the 1938 film. Yes, there are scenes which may seem dated to modern viewers, and the costumes make some concessions to 1930s film style, but I prefer it to the more recent Sofia Coppola film. The 1938 movie actually has a plot and attempts to show character development. In the Sofia Coppola movie, it seems like...a bunch of stuff happens, and..? What? One gets a vague sense that Marie Antoinette has matured, through experiencing motherhood and the crisis of the revolution, but I don't feel this is really developed in a satisfying manner. It doesn't help that the Revolution is shoehorned in near the end of the movie.

Also, I just hate the way that Marie Antoinette's relationship with Fersen is depicted in Coppola's film. They seem to just "hook up" because they're young and attractive. In the older film, the writers actually try to convey an emotional bond between them. It works better dramatically speaking, even if some of you feel that this wasn't historically true.