History Buffs: Marie Antoinette 

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Ridley Scott’s Napoleon is looming, Nick.

I'm so early Marie Antoinette still has a head

One of my favorite little details in this movie are the servants at the Petit Trianon cleaning the chicken eggs and putting them back so they won't be gross when the little dauphine pulls them out of the nest. A nice touch.

Critical reception and historical accuracy aside, I think it's fair to say that choosing Kirsten Dunst in her prime in the mid-aughts was single-handedly the best decision of this film. She was 24 at the time (a good age considering Marie Antoinette was married at 14 and was executed at 37) and literally looked like 18th century royalty in this film.

I actually like that Coppola focused solely on Marie Antoinette's personal life, even if she had to sacrifice some historical context surrounding her. A lot of biopics just cram in as much of their subject's life as possible without really telling a coherent story, and even this one is guilty of that to some extent, but at least it knows what it is about and sticks to it. Plus, some inaccuracies aside, it is among the more faithful period dramas out there. Like compare this to, say, the Elizabeth movies Nick has reviewed and you'll see the difference.

I always saw it as Sofia trying to portray that feeling of living in a bubble, the way Marie and her friends possibly did, not venturing far from Versailles. A luxurious bubble, isolated from real life for the majority, of which they knew little. Of course, she might have then used the opportunity to show the contrast once Marie was ripped from that fantasy into a total nightmare. As it is, the viewers are isolated too, into what almost amounts to a feel-good movie.

Louis XVI was such a history buff and a science nerd that on his way to the scaffold where he was about to be guillotined in 1793, he still inquired if any update was received about the La Pérouse Expedition.

This movie was just sooooo gorgeous in every way. The food, the desserts, the jewelry, the clothing!

2 videos in 1 month, feeling very blessed.Keep up the good work man your videos are awesome

While this movie may have historical inaccuracies, I really feels it drives home the fact how young mentally Marie Antoinette was. It also focuses on the grandiose lifestyle of the higher classes of France and how to them this was just every day life and how detach they were from the 3rd estate. Also the dresses and clothes in this are fantastic and I’m not even into fashion but I’ll watch this movie just for that fact alone.

I've read so much and am so into Marie Antoinette and her story. This film I don't watch for historical accuracy as much as I do how gorgeous it is to look at. Thank you for your fantastic videos, History Buffs!

Great video, Nick (as expected)! Got some suggestions for next videos: 1. Titanic (1997) 2. Glory (1989) 3. Zodiac (2007) 4. Capote (2005) 5. Spotlight (2015) 6. Flags of Our Fathers / Letters from Iwo Jima (2006) 7. Bonnie & Clyde (1967) 8. All the President's Men (1976) 9. The Queen (2006) - if you want to be really ambitious, maybe try Netflix's The Crown? 10. Lincoln (2012)

Thank you Nick! As a french History buff, I am so glad that you cover a movie about french History. Even though Marie-Antoinette isn't the last Queen of France as you said at the beginning. For a future episode, I would like to recommend "Battle of the Bulge" (1965).

Two vids in a month!? You’re spoiling us, Nick!

This is the movie that made me a history buff. It made me look up why she was executed and what this movie got right and wrong. I still watch it almost twice a year cause I love everything about it lol. I know it's a weird domino effect from Marie Antoinette to loving Nick's videos about the history of world wars, drug cartels and everything in-between. This movie made me (as a highschool girl) feel immersed in her world. From all the 🎀Girly pop history buffs🎀, Thank You for covering this movie, Nick! 🎉 I was in a happy disbelief when I saw this thumbnail 😄

Stop releasing too many bangers... this is your warning... you are releasing too much good content

Today is now a good day History Buffs has uploaded.

This is actually my favorite movie of all time just for aesthetics. Every Easter urn off the sound and watch the movie with the music in the background. Sofia Coppola is a genius.

"You can have as many french dogs as you like" _Three days later_ "....They just don't taste the same."

This is one of my favorites. Thank you. There is one scene was Marie Antoinette tells her minister that she and her daughter don’t need anymore diamonds towards the end of the movie. This is where one the Austrian ministers mentioned that Marie’s daughter was “a daughter of France”. Marie Antoinette also refused diamonds from Du Barry.

The film itself is listed as a “drama” film, not a “historical drama”. Just a drama about a Queen. It makes it more unique than other historical films since it’s done in a specific way to be more modern

I would love to someday see a review of "The Rose of Versailles" anime which portrays the origins of the French Revolution. I learnt more from watching it than in school.

The film is visually stunning, and apparently surprisingly accurate. The first time a I saw it I was puzzled by the music. But if you consider that M.A. and her crowd were analogous to the "Beautiful People" of our own time, the raucous music really captures the youthful exhuberance of her "set", and how it probably scandalized the old guard - just like the young, rich and frivolous do today.

Nick, you are an incredible person, putting out brilliant documentary reviews on historical films, and such a short amount of time shows us how you’re improving as a contact creator.

30:03 I couldn't stop laughing at cartoon Nick with his head on the desk 😂

I'd love to see a review of Cromwell (1970)!

Yessss so glad you're making content again

Thank you for releasing somethingnother than a World War flick or Pre Modern. This was a very enjoyable episode and I hope to see more. ❤

Sofia Coppola is one of my favorite directors so I'm kinda fond of this movie. Say what you want about this movie but it's absolutely gorgeous to look at. I hope he covers Barry Lyndon someday. I know it's fictional but kinda based on a couple people.

The book Tyranny of Cliches by Jonah Goldberg (where he rebukes constant myths & urban legends) has a chapter on Let Them Eat Cake. The poorly translated words were referring to a standing policy whereby bakers were to distribute their unsold fancy buns to the unfed poor.

Would LOVE to see reviews on the following films: - Enemy at the Gates - 'The King' - Schindler's list

Was not expecting a History Buffs episode today. But I am delightfully excited. ❤

Remember watching this in History Class! So glad your reviewing this movie! Hope you do the The Alamo (2004) too!

This is an unexpected surprise. Watched this movie once or twice many years ago and I remember I liked it, but was also aware of its faults. Looking forward to 'rewatching' it via your analysis!

Wow, video posted 3 seconds ago! Thanks for your excellent content Nick!

Nick, your videos are just the best. Always a highlight of the Tube every time you drop a show on us. Thank You!

For the long times between drinks (episodes) this channel never seems to fail in producing gems.

About the "whoever that is" [who painted MA's portrait with her children] - I think it's pretty obvious that it is Elisabeth Vigee le Brun (who gets a mention later on in the video), and the change was probably done as a nod to her long professional and personal relationship to Marie Antoinette, and to herself as a respected artist who is only now slowly reclaiming her place in the popular consciousness after a period of obscurity (most of MA'a best-known portraits were painted by her and she was one of the most in-demand portrait artists in Paris at the time).

I really hate how the infamous "Let them eat cake" quote damaged Marie Antoniette's legacy and perception by the public eye, even though she never said that. She didn't deserve the horrible end she got

OMG I have been waiting for you to do this video for so long! I absolutely adore the story of Marie Antoinette.

I saw this movie in 2007 and have occasionally re-watched it over the years. I have always had a history fascination, especially the 18th and 19th century. I did like how it humanized Marie Antoinette for me. After watching I started reading about her a lot. I especially felt sorry for her when I found out her last words were an apology for stepping on the executioner's foot. I don't think a truly bad person would've cared, especially in that moment. They were just ignorant and knew nothing about necessity of the common people. They'd never had struggled so they lacked real empathy. I think a lot of people born to wealth suffer from the same personality flaw.

last time i was this early, they were still sharpening the guillotine's cutting edge...

A great movie that can be seen as a sequel to this one is L'Autrichienne (1990). It portrays Marie Antoinette's final days, from her trial to her execution. The script, written by French historians Alain Decaux and André Castelot, is based on the minutes of her trial.

*Babe wake up, a new History Buffs video just dropped*

On the point of 'it's hard to tell how time passes', the movie DOES subtly let you know via fashion. The 1770s were the last decade of the super wide panniers (the dress going straight out at the sides), but transitioned into more relaxed styles throughout the 1780s, which the movie does show. Her hair begins to get wider instead of taller, the dresses change shape, etc. It's subtle but if you know fashion history, it does actually show it fairly well.

This is a top 5 channel on RU-vid.

44:33 this statement by Lady Fraser is perfect for today's issues as well. Writing this one down. There are times you come across things you are meant to chew and think on.

Randomly clicked on this video, because I like history and hate scrolling… My God I enjoyed every second of this video. Instant subscribe and like from me. Amazing video and I just had a peak at the channel and… this must be what striking oil feels like 😅

one of the things that i felt spoke volumes about Maria Antoinette was when being taken up to her execution she slightly tripped and her shoe fell off and she trod on the foot of the executioner, and she said sorry. "Pardon me sir, I meant not to do it" ... I think that spoke a lot to her actual personality, a duck out of water but a kind soul who tried to fit in without actually understanding the world she lived in.

40:00 Not only the Dauphin died a month before the Fall of the Bastille, but right dab during the critical part of the Estates General when the Third Estate made their play that votes should be counted by head, not by each of the three orders. Whatever his indecisive inclination was, Louis XVI's mind also simply was not into the game because of his personal grief. It also contributed to Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette getting closer and the latter becoming his principal political advisor, which ended up disastrous.

YESSS!!! YESSS!!! YESSS!!! I have been waiting for this a long, long time. I remember seeing this when it first came out and it changed my life. I am a history buff and studied history in college and studying Marie was one of my favorite subjects!!! I love how you put Mozart and Vivaldi in the video, because Mozart was actually great friends with Emperor Joseph the II (see Amadeus). Their one and only daughter, Princess Marie-Therese, lived long enough to witness the American Civil War through exile. She died in 1868. The bloodline of the Bourbon dynasty still lives on through Louis Alphonse de Bourbon (Louis the XX) and he's still alive and well today, age 50. And ironically, his first child was a daughter, named Princess Eugenie. Thank you for making this!!! This one of my personal favorite movies and I always love to watch it no matter what time.👑

My guess to why they changed which brother has a child first was because if it's the youngest then both older brothers were outpaced by their younger brother, whereas in the movie it is only Marie's husband.

Cleopatra appears in your opening credits, yet you have never reviewed her movie. I would also like to see you do reviews on the various characters who sit in your audience in your opening sequence! (Pancho Villa, Genghis Khan and others). Love your work, Nick.

Do Winstanley (1975), One of the best English Civil War era films there is and shines a light on topics often overlooked

Although I am sure Marie Antoinette historically had more exposure to her subjects, she was not a politically involved queen. I have always liked that the film lacks the historical context of the French Revolution and experience of the common people. It mirrors her (and the court's) insulation from the broader historical movement occurring outside of Versaille until very late in the film, when it comes crashing down the door. She lived in an ivory tower.

I have a feeling the reason for Jason's casting is due to his height and due to that, it makes him appear younger while also not looking too young. This film took place starting when they were teenagers so they needed someone older, who can still look young for earlier scenes. Which is also why I believe Kristen's hair is down with a ribbon in the beginning. As not only Marie wouldn't have her more well known hairstyle yet, but her hair like that makes her appear younger.

Life is simple. Nick uploads a video, i click like.

I miss the old opening that included my history buff dream home!

I am waiting for the day when we can have a film about the French Revolution where the main character is a peasant having to deal with starvation, increasing taxes and the growing social and political unrest and how that impacts their outlook on life and the monarchy they live under. The only piece of visual storytelling that comes close is the 1989 two-part historical drama starring Jane Seymour as Marie Antoinette which manages to make us empathise with the French royalty, as well as with the average French person during the days of the French Revolution. To omitt the suffering of the French commoners at the time is to present an incomplete picture. It's nice to see a film focus on the French royal court at the time but then again, that's the flashy part that everyone who does not know much about French History sees from the outside. Coppola said she deliberatley tried to excise most political aspects from that story to make it about Marie Antoinette's personal struggle. That's fine but, given the historical context, it makes the film feel very shallow and superficial as a result. Aesthetically, I'd say the film most definitely succeeds as a gorgeous piece of visual storytelling but ultimately I cannot bring myself to think much about a very wealthy person's feelings of isolation and loneliness whilst knowing that, at the time, everywhere else in France the poor were starving in the streets.

37:04 I'm supposing the painter is a reference to Mme Vigée Lebrun, who was Marie-Antoinette's official painter

She's a good director, I enjoyed the film. Cheers from Chicago

I think covering War Horse (2011) would interesting, as I recall it covers several different stages of the First World War through the lens of British/German/French people, with a good fill of dramatization probably warranting some discussion about accuracy, check it out if you can Nick! Cheers.

30:08 the sudden thump back on the table made me laugh out loud

It may not be the most historically accurate movie. But the ending is Beautiful. The whole movie really.

It's great to see you again, Nick. I always wanted to see your take on this one.

You gotta feel bad for Marie. She never really had a chance.

What I love about this movie is that it never went out to be historically accurate. Sophia Coppola movies are more of mood boards with a historical flair. This shows in the costume design where the 18th century clothes on Marie is more simplified to relate more to the film audiences (just like The Great). And a lot of the clothes she had worn wouldn’t be worn till 5 years later or so, but the silhouette is effective in telling the story it needs to

I too am joining the Third Estate, so to speak, in requesting Ridley Scott’s Napoleon. I’ve been itching to see you tear apart another atrocious, historically inaccurate movie since your Elizabeth double feature.

It's worth noting that Marie Antionette's children, after they were put in captivity in Paris, were subjected to brutal assaults and fed meager rations within dark cells. Louis-Charles in particular began to exhibit extreme symptoms of unstable emotions that were exacerbated by him being forced to give false confessions to his jailers that his mother had sexually molested him. This false claim was later used in her mock-trial, and was profusely denied by Marie who was frankly horrified and heartbroken that her son was forced to say such things.

Always a good day when a new history buffs video drops

One thing I wish people would do more is express her reality in a modern equivalent. She was essentially a freshman in high school pulled out of her known world and thrust into an overly ostentatious and cruel environment. Imagine at 14 being away from family, having to make new friends, and blamed for her husband’s ineptitude in bed. Today she would be going to school and hanging out at her friends house. She did what any teenager would do now, shop, party, eat, and try to conform to the people around her to make them like her. Yes, she spent way too much, but the fall of the French economy should not have been and truly wasn’t the responsibility of a young girl, nor the isolated, pampered woman she became. She had never been given the poor perspective and had no clue what to do. The suffering of the French poor was inexcusable but one woman was not to blame.

Whether or not if Marie Antoinette did say, "Then let them have cake. "... History Buff fans are eating GOOD cake tonight!! 🤭🤭🤭

I was thinking about the clothing you see in paintings of the Royals and Aristocrats. I was recently at the National Gallery in D.C. and viewed a lot of paintings of various royals and nobles. You just see them and think those are interesting outfits but you need to think, everything was hand made, hand sewn, weaved and polished. The elaborate collars and fur capes were all real, and extremely costly. Gold and silver threads were part of the material to make it sparkle in candle light. To a normal citizen of Europe these things were completely beyond their lifestyle. Of course, some merchants were rich and lived well, but your baker, brick layer and candle maker were living on bread and cheese and wearing clothes until they were rags.

I had just gone through watching all your videos and was sad i didn't have more to watch, and then this drops lol

I love this movie. It sparked a love of film and history that still define me. I think the absence of the outside world and context really hit it home how completely removed Marie Antoinette and many of the other residents were from reality. They just had no idea until it was too late. They were the center of a changing world yet unknowingly living it's last days. Just a fascinating moment.

Sophia Coppola is a rich girl. It's viewed through a rich girl perspective.

Oh my God, I’ve been waiting for a review of this movie! And dang I hate I don’t have the notification set and get immediately surprised when I open RU-vid and see a new @HistoryBuffs video. Sweet!

This is great, Nick, and a real treat. So, as a request, can you do a review on Shogun? My Dad and I love it, but I'm interested in the true history that inspired the hit TV series.

Nick is cooking with these videos!!!! 2 videos in two weeks?? Hell yes every time I see one of your thumbnails it makes my day!

30:15 I wasn’t ready

“…snub the snuff…” this man is a lyrical GENIUS!

It's only been a few weeks since we had our last fix of Nick Hodges and another drop today?! I feel like I'm in a time warp.

Oh, it's gonna be a good day! A Histroy Buff upload! 😁

The one History Buff I didn't know I needed. Btw, go check out Sophia Coppola's The Beguiled. A really really great movie

You are an Artist mate. I've been watching your videos since the Braveheart video. You're on the top of my list. Please don't stop. This. This is quality content.

7:42 Just wait until you see what he wrote on Bastille day.

There’s been a few movies released about deposed monarchs being subsequently executed. Cromwell and Nicholas and Alexandra are probably the most well known. I’m always interested to see how people who were universally despised and who history takes a dark view of are depicted.

Please nick make one about Spartacus, i find his story fascinating!

I absolutely love these videos and look forward to them. Great job!

Don’t act like we didn’t notice you cut a scene in from the man in the iron mask lol

When you do Napoleon, please do the extended cut and ignore the theatrical one. It gets notably better with the longer version; though still a 7/10 generously, imo.

I get that Marie Antoinette has been overly maligned in history but i feel like the corrective backlash to this is mostly just people romanticizing her now.

Hi, a super fan here, since a long time. Precisely because of that it surprised me (a lot!) that you didn't know the real story behind the "king's little problem", phimosis, as simple and painful as that.

A surprise to be sure, but a welcome one.

I would love to see a follow-up film (specifically a bio-pic) about her daughter and only surviving child, Marie Thearse. See the French Revolution and its aftermath through her eyes, along with everything she went through in the post era, would be interesting.

Accurate or not, I love this movie. It’s a sensory delight all round.

History Buffs has been working like rent is due 😤😤🔥🔥

Requesting The Alamo (2004).

Out of all of the historical figures of the world, the top two females that have faced mixed reports of history is Cleopatra (ancient society of the Egyptians, the Romans, and a dabble of the Greek’s perspective) and Marie Antoinette’s legacy. I think the film does a brilliant focus on Marie’s perspective of her life strictly in the French court, hence why it barely showed her interactions with the French people, but it was about her pressures she had to appease the French aristocracy that really were the ones who were the burden to the country. The film does show the important details like how out of touch Louis was involving himself as a ruler that while a fan of history, didn’t gain the wisdom to make decisions that had confidence behind them. How awkward his character was in general, that contributed to Marie looking to other places to find satisfaction with her French life whether it was parties, spending sprees, or her affair after she had children. The aesthetics are convincing, and the creating choices like the pop music brings in that connection that modern audiences need to inform this is a foreign princess that was very young being thrusted into a judgmental society that was coping with a husband that was disinterested in her. All the while the French courtiers had eyes that acted like daggers when she was in their presence, the did little to resolve the growing tension of build up in France and likely were secretly pleased that the people were taking out their anger on the queen that was living in the ivory tower the court orchestrated. Thankfully the little bits of altered history is minor enough to not ruin telling her side of the story, that is able to help the glow of the film yet for the most part is still visually explainable. Honestly it is rare to find films get this balance right, and I think this is why it was wise to just focus on Marie’s life in the French court, barely touching but highlight vital notes of politics that affected France, but focusing on a foreign Austria teenage princess adapt to a society that viewed themselves as gods.