Being a die-hard Francophile, I had often read about Jeanne du Barry, the illegitimate daughter of a seamstress who rose from being a servant girl to being the maîtress-en-titre (Chief Royal Mistress) of King Louis XV in the 18th Century. I’ve always found her to be one of the more fascinating people in French history and “Jeanne du Barry” brings her vividly to life.
“Jeanne du Barry” (directed by Maïwenn and written by Maïwenn, Teddy Lussi-Modeste, and Nicholas Livecchi) puts the positive and negative aspects of royalty on full display. Like Jeanne herself, the film has complete disdain for the pomp and circumstance of the King’s court and mocks it mercilessly.
A Captivating Depp and Maïwenn
The first half-hour of the film shows Jeanne as a young girl, growing up helping her mother as a servant in a wealthy household. The film really soars once adult Jeanne (played by Maïwenn) meets King Louis XV (Johnny Depp). Adoring her free spirit, the King arranges for her to become his Chief Royal Mistress after she goes through a variety of rituals and lessons on how to “act properly.” Of course, the King hopes she does none of those things.
Depp’s King Louis XV is a world-weary man whose spirit has been suffocated by all the royal trappings and ceremonies. He loves those moments where he can relax and be completely and utterly silly. He’s a man trapped in a gilded prison, always surrounded by people who need something from him but never actually want to spend time with him.
Maïwenn’s Jeanne is absolutely captivating. Beautiful, streetwise, well-learned and full of life, she constantly bucks against the draconian rules of royal society, the rules of “civilized behavior” inflicted on her and the King by the populace. In one instance, discovering that wearing her hair down in public would be blasphemous to the people, Jeanne immediately steps out arm-in-arm with the King with her long hair cascading down her shoulders, causing numerous people to gasp and faint in shock at the sight of her. Ah, the sweet taste of outrage, and Jeanne drank deeply from that well.
A Genuine Love Story
Johnny Depp and Maïwenn have amazing chemistry together. You feel the love these two characters have for each other. This is no mere dalliance of the King or some money grab by Jeanne, they genuinely love and adore each other. What’s so great about Maïwenn’s direction is that she understands that simple gestures of affection carry far more weight in conveying romance than grand epic scenes of passion. The King and Jeanne are constantly shooting smiles at each other, or stroking each other’s hair, again causing dismay from everyone around them (“He touched her hair in front of us! Quel scandale!”).
Maïwenn’s masterful direction isn’t just limited to the romantic moments. She and Cinematographer Laurent Dailland let the camera roam across Versailles, its lush terrain as well as its towering palaces and cathedrals. Much like Jeanne, the camera’s dynamic, it never settles in one place for long and I found many of the scenes breath-taking. Watching the film felt like going to an exotic destination with a close friend who kept yelling “Come on, this way!” and pulling me to some new mind-blowing locale.
Living the Fullest Life
In one stunning scene, when something wonderful happens to Jeanne, she rushes back to the palace to tell the King, running up hundreds of steps as her petticoats whip in the wind. The camera follows her the whole way up the steps until she reaches the top, where it instantly cuts to her breathlessly bursting into the King’s chambers. You think Rocky Balboa had it tough running up those steps at the Philadelphia Museum of Art? Jeanne would eat that light little jog for breakfast.
I found the film incredibly entertaining and touching. I loved how it took the stuffing out of royalty while also shining a spotlight on the hypocrisy of religion. Jeanne du Barry lived life to the fullest while the religious zealots in Versailles condemned her and constantly prayed for the “end times” to come. But if a higher power does exist, isn’t staying true to yourself, loving deeply and living life to the fullest the greatest form of worship there is?
“Jeanne Du Barry” had a limited theatrical release and opens on Netflix beginning May 16th.
