Versailles celebrates 20 years of Sofia Coppola’s ‘Marie Antoinette’ with exhibition

Twenty years after Sofia Coppola's "Marie Antoinette" divided critics before becoming a cult classic, the Palace of Versailles showed an exhibition on Monday (September 21) devoted to the Oscar-winning film, bringing costumes, props and behind-the-scenes material back to the site where much of the movie was shot.

Running from Sept. 22 through Jan. 24 at the Petit Trianon, the exhibition was developed in collaboration with Coppola and explores the making of the 2006 film, its distinctive visual style and its lasting cultural influence.

The movie starred Kirsten Dunst as France's last queen and Jason Schwartzman as Louis XVI. Rather than following a traditional historical drama format, Coppola portrayed Marie-Antoinette as a young woman struggling with isolation, boredom and the constraints of court life, combining period settings with a contemporary sensibility.

Original costumes designed by Oscar-winning costume designer Milena Canonero, accessories, annotated scripts, storyboards and photographs from the set are displayed throughout the exhibition. Visitors can also see previously unseen behind-the-scenes footage filmed by Coppola's mother during production.

Speaking at a press conference in Versailles on Monday, Coppola recalled the rare access granted to film-makers at the former royal residence.

"It was so incredible to be able to film in the real places, in the Hall of Mirrors and in those dining scenes, and it brought so much, I think, to us and the actors, when you come in, you just feel the history and imagine that these characters really live in these places," she said.

Coppola said shooting inside the palace helped immerse cast and crew in the world they were recreating.

"I always feel that when you're in a real place and you see the real view out the window, it just transports you," she said.

 Schwartzman, who played Louis XVI, said the experience of filming at Versailles never lost its impact.

"I really just was trying to have fun every day, and be respectful of our environment, and appreciate where we were. It was never lost on me, where we were every day. It was beautiful being here," he said.

Among the exhibition's highlights is a projection of footage shot by Coppola's mother documenting the production. The director said watching the material two decades later brought back memories of the excitement felt by the cast and crew.

"I love seeing my mom's footage now, years later, because you see the first day that Kirsten and Jason arrive in the hall where we're filming, and everyone's so excited. It's really genuine, the thrill of being here," Coppola said.

She said the footage also reveals the scale of collaboration involved in film-making, from costumes and set decoration to the hundreds of details that ultimately appear on screen.

Released in 2006, "Marie Antoinette" won the Academy Award for Best Costume Design and has since become widely regarded as one of Coppola's most influential works, spawning an aesthetic that continues to resonate in fashion, photography and design.

The exhibition is housed in the Petit Trianon, the retreat built on the Versailles estate where Marie-Antoinette spent much of her time and which featured prominently in the film.

Camera: Antony Paone; Writing: Lucien Libert/Reuters