10 Best Movies About Marie Antoinette

Last Updated on 6th May 2023 by Sophie Nadeau

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If you know anything about French history, then no doubt you’ll have heard of Marie Antoinette. The French Queen was born in Austria and lived an eventful life, of which there is much speculation about today. So if you’re a fan of films, then no doubt you’ll want to watch these movies about Marie Antoinette.

Born and raised in Austria, Marie Antoinette was an archduchess and the fifteenth child born to wealthy parents. She was betrothed to Louis Auguste (XVI) as early as the age of thirteen. Today Marie Antoinette is probably best-known for having allegedly said ‘Let Them Eat Cake‘.

Marie Antoinette lived in Versailles (the grand palace that you can visit as a day trip from Paris to this day), though she spent most of her time at the Petit Trianon. She even had her very own farm (hameau de la Reine) where she would ‘play dress up’ with the farm animals.

In 1791, Marie Antoinette was imprisoned in the Conciergerie (which you can visit today) on Île de la Cité. There she remained until her execution in 1793. For more details of Antoinette’s life, read on to discover some of our top picks of films about Marie Antoinette.

Films about Marie Antoinette

Marie Antoinette (1938)

Norma Shearer played Marie Antoinette in the American directed film by W. S. Van Dyke. The core plot of the movie focuses on the relationship between Marie Antoinette and Louis XVI, as well as the monarch’s affair with Count Fersen.

Shearer actually earned an Oscar nomination for Best Actress in the 1939 Marie Antoinette film. The film was shot in black and white and was based on the 1932 biography of Marie Antoinette by Stefan Zweig.

Though it was one of the most expensive films to be produced in the 1930s, it was also one of the most successful.

La Marseillaise (1938)

There were actually two movies created about Marie Antoinette in 1938; one in French and one in English. Lise Delamare played Marie Antoinette in the French language La Marseillaise, which was also produced in black and white.

The film was directed by Jean Renoir, and as its name suggests, actually focuses on residents from the city of Marseille. The film is actually a blend of fictional characters and real world historical events and people.

Though the film is not all about the life of Marie Antoinette, the film is very much set at the time of the decline of Marie-Antoinette’s reign and the French queen appears in a number of scenes. Lise Delamare actually became known for playing leaders and rulers on the silver screen following her role as Antoinette.

Royal Affairs in Versailles (1954)

Though not entirely about Marie Antoinette, the film Royal Affairs is a must-watch for anyone interested in the juicy and interesting gossip of the court in 17th-century France. The film depicts the history of the French Palace from its foundation to the present day.

The actress Lana Marconi was selected to play the role of Marie Antoinette, and she also happened to be the wife of the Royal Affairs in Versailles director, Sacha Guitry.

Marie Antoinette Queen of France (1956)

One of the most significant films about Marie Antoinette was released in 1956 and was directed by Jean Delannoy. Marie Antoinette was played by Michèle Morgan. The film is set in the early years of the French Revolution, so between 1789 and 1793.

As well as touching on Marie Antoinette’s relationships with Louis XVI and Count Fersen, the film focuses more on who she would have been as a person. This is yet another French language film.

L’Autrichienne (1989)

Ute Lemper played Marie Antoinette in the 1989 released film (exactly 200 years after the French Revolution and the Storming of the Bastille) which was directed by Pierre Granier-Deferre. The film is actually set over a short period of time (just a few days).

The Marie Antoinette movies focuses on the 4 days leading up to Marie Antoinette’s execution on the 16th October, 1793 at Place de la Révolution (now known as Place de la Concorde) which is located in the heart of Paris. The film is in the French language and also covers Antoinette’s trial.

La Révolution Française (1989)

Yet another film which is all about the French Revolution and features Marie Antoinette is the French, German, and English Language film, La Révolution Française. This is actually a two-part film and was shot in all three languages.

When both parts are watched together, the film runs for a staggering 360 minutes, and the edited for TV version is even longer. The movie was directed by Robert Enrico and Richard T. Heffron and Marie Antoinette is played by Jane Seymour.

What is particularly unique about La Révolution Française (asides from the fact that it was shot in three languages) is that the movie purports to be an entirely neutral retelling of the Revolution; from the initial attacks in Paris to the execution of Robespierre, plenty of history is covered.

The Affair of the Necklace (2001)

Though The Affair of the Necklace isn’t specifically about Marie Antoinette’s life and death, the French monarch appears enough in the film for it to be added to this list (plus the movie is on a pretty interesting subject that keeps you gripped to your seat from start to finish).

In The Affair of the Necklace, Marie Antoinette is played by Joely Richardson and the movie is directed by Charles Shyer. The plot of the movie is based on a historical event which is said by many historians to have been a key event leading up to the French Revolution.

We won’t reveal too much of the plot, for fear of spoiling the movie, but it’s definitely a film worth watching! This Marie Antoinette movie is an English language film and was produced in the US.

Marie Antoinette (2006)

One of the top Marie Antoinette films of all time is a must-watch whether you’re a Francophile or simply enjoy gorgeous cinematography and breathtaking costume design. This Marie Antoinette film is also my personal favourite on the list (particularly since I was lucky enough to watch it at an open air cinema in Paris in 2021!)

The movie is named simply for the French monarch and was directed by Sofia Coppola. Marie Antoinette is played particularly well by Kirsten Dunst, and you might not know this, but Marie Antoinette is the movie which boosted Dunst to fame!

Farewell, My Queen (2012)

A star studded cast awaits viewers of Farewell, My Queen, a movie directed by Benoît Jacquot. In the movie, Marie Antoinette is played by Diane Kruger. Chantal Thomas, Léa Seydoux, and Virginie Ledoyen all also act in the film.

The plot of the French language drama film begins on the eve of the French Revolution in 1789. The initial events are seen through the eyes of Sidonie Laborde, a young servant of Marie Antoinette.

One Nation, One King (2018)

One of the most recent films on the silver screen that sheds a light on the life and times of Marie Antoinette is One Nation, One King. The movie was written adn directed by Pierre Schoeller.

The movie was created as a French language film and is known in French as Un peuple et son roi. Like many of the other films featuring Marie Antoinette, the film focuses on the period of 1789-1793 and so isn’t just about Marie Antoinette.