Heather suggested posting for topic - movies that involve our favorite century! There are my obvious choices, the psychological costume feast for the eyes, Marie Antoinette
and the Hollywood take on Versailles, Marie Antoinette
.
But overall the scope is wide - delightful movies, costumes, acting and soundtracks - and I want to hear all of your favorites, opinions and non-favorites too. I need a movie to watch this week so suggestions are most welcome!
Here are some I cherish on the old DVD rack:
A bit earlier, the always entertaining Moliere
I have a soft spot for Du Barry Was a Lady
And I am curious to see this one but haven't got a hold of it - Le Libertin
well - none of them tops "l'Anglaise et le Duc" (aka The Lady and the Duke) for me yet, for me it's just my favourite movie set in 18th century :-)
ReplyDeleteMy favorite is "La Nuit de Varennes" by Ettore Scola. I watched it constantly when i was little and still do...it's very comforting somehow and absolutely beautiful!
ReplyDeleteHere's a clip from it:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KRQ3ePECwJ8
I agree with Tutta Rolf about La Nuit de Varennes--it's a favorite. Hard to find, however.
ReplyDeleteI also like Dangerous Liaisons and the BBC Tom Jones with Samantha Morton. I've never seen the Albert Finney version, so I have no comparison to make there.
Jefferson in Paris has, I think, some of the better costumes, but Nick Nolte seemed really out of place.
I felt the same about The Affair of the Necklace. I liked the costuming, but I didn't like Hilary Swank. She didn't seem to be at ease in the clothes.
And finally, I have to give big thumbs up for Aristocrats, with a fabulous all star BBC cast.
I recently bought Clandestine Marriage, with (can you believe it?) Joan Collins. The hair and make up look quite bad, but Nigel Hawthorne also stars and he's been a favorite of mine since Yes Minister. Has anyone seen it?
Pwew. I'm done now.
Of course I just loved the Napoleon mini-series- and, talk about coincidence...I just posted the Youtube clip on my site:
ReplyDeletehttp://enchantedbyjosephine.blogspot.com/2009/02/bit-of-josephine-and-napoleon.html
I love Coppola's Marie-Antoinette, and also The Libertine, The Marriage of Gustav III and Dangerous Liaisons with John Malkowich. And also Perfume - the story of a murderer.. which is, well kind of a costume-drama, I think, since it's set in the 18th century :).
ReplyDeleteOh yes, and I like Kubrick's Barry Lyndon too (mostly because of the beautiful candle-lit, cardplaying scenes). And I'm waiting to see The Duchess!
"She didn't seem to be at ease in the clothes."
ReplyDeleteYes! What was going on there? Something seemed off!
I wish some of these films were not so hard to find! If I can track down La Nuit de Varennes I might be forced to hold a guillotine party!
Barry Lyndon is also on my list! I liked Perfume as well! It was crazy but I liked it.
ReplyDeleteI liked "Ridicule" too! And I'd really like to see "Du Barry was a Lady". My favorite is "The Crucible" (set in Salem, 1692)which doesn't exactly have gorgeous costumes or sets but is an amazing film anyhow!
ReplyDeleteIf Lauren finds La Nuit, she's gonna have to post it on YouTube or something for the rest of us!
ReplyDeleteI've never seen Barry Lyndon, but it's been on my list for how many years? (Sheesh, Kellie, just rent the darn thing, would ya?) And Ridicule is good, but so harsh. The urinating on the old man was just too cruel.
Du Batty Was a Lady might be at your local public library. I live in a half horse town and even we have a copy.
Yeah, Ridicule was rough. The Abbe was hilarious though! As was your saying "half horse town"!! Ha!!
ReplyDeleteI have added all of your well chosen titles to my Netflix account. Thank you for sharing.
ReplyDeleteActually "La Nuit..." there's a dvd of it, a swedish edition -so only swedish subtitles and region 2 and all that...but there's a seller on ebay who's got it...the swedish title is "Natten i Varennes"
ReplyDeleteahh ebay is so dangerous! I am checking it out now!
ReplyDeleteWow! What a fabulous list! Have to head over to Netflix after this to add some things :)
ReplyDeleteI am currently watching "The House of Eliott", a 1920's Jazz Age drama, and highly recommend it. Ok... it's really a tv series, not a movie, but it's really good!
Oh, dear! You meant the 18th c., not our personal favorite century! In that case, what about Vatel? I think that's the right timeframe? That was good too!
ReplyDeleteI don't know why but I forgot to add Valmont to my list. That one caught me a long time ago, I like how it was done!
ReplyDeleteNot only is ebay dangerous but this whole list of movies is too. Now there are new ones I have to see, I am reminded of the ones that need to be in my DVD library.
ReplyDeleteI posted my reply to this similar thread over on The Duchess of Devonshire's Gossip Guide, which I will post here, by means of introducing myself.
ReplyDeleteMy selections are Amadeus (it seems to be quite the popular choice), The Madness of King George (I was in gaol for my debts during the Regency Crisis, but my friends kept me well-informed of the events surrounding the King's illness), and Dangerous Liaisons (though that Malkovich fellow rather irritated me in his portrayal of the Vicomte de Valmont -- he was a little stiff when it came to expressing the subtler nuances of emotion, but that is my only complaint of his performance).
Amazing Grace, as a cusp film, made me laugh on several points (not on the slave trade), but I won't get into it here.
Sofia Coppola's "Marie Antoinette"
ReplyDeleteas well as "The Affair of the Necklace" and "Dangerous Liasions"
Great topic of conversation.