Marie Antoinette: A Modern Day Soundtrack

 

 

The most interesting directorial choice that Sofia Coppola made in the film Marie Antoinette, in my opinion, is the soundtrack. The movie is based in the 18th century and everything about the movie feels that way, except for the soundtrack. The majority of the movie is set at Versailles, a palace that fits the time period, most of the characters are wearing powdered wigs and clothes of the time period. Everything the audience sees fits the time. Yet the soundtrack is filled with rock and punk music from the 1980's to the early 2000's. 

On the first viewing of this film I think it was the soundtrack that stood out the most to me. I had not expected to hear bands like The Strokes or The Cure while watching this film, as they seemingly have nothing to do with the time period. I was expecting a soundtrack made up of classical music, the kind you would typically hear in this kind of movie. That's why I was pleasantly surprised to hear music from bands and artists that I actually knew and had listened to before.

The soundtrack was a very bold choice on Coppola's part, as it could easily backfire if not done well, but I think that she pulled it off perfectly in this film. While it is not the music you would expect to hear for this time period, each song perfectly fits whichever scene it is used in. The purpose of the soundtrack is to convey or provoke certain emotions in the audience, and the songs Coppola uses do just that. The use of old music in a film set hundreds of years ago creates an interesting juxtaposition that I think works perfectly in Marie Antoinette.