Plot
In Vienna, 15-year-old Marie-Antoinette was informed by her mother that she is to marry the future king of France. The young princess has to learn to navigate the treacherous environment of the court at Versailles. As queen, she is transformed into a charitable but somewhat out-of-touch humanitarian. The final part of the movie follows Zweig's theory that Marie Antoinette "achieved greatness" in the final years of her life, with an emotional scene showing the final supper of the royal family before King Louis's execution, the separation of the queen from her young son and the savage murder of her closest friend. The final scene shows Marie Antoinette going to the guillotine, where the audience hears the voice of the sweet-natured young princess who was so excited to be going to France. Shearer refused any complimentary make-up for this scene, and chose to look as haggard and exhausted as the real queen in her final moments.
Read more about this topic: Marie Antoinette (1938 film)
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