Not recommended under 13 and PG to 15 (Themes. Sex)
This topic contains:
Children under 13 | Not recommended due to themes and sexual references |
Children over the age of 13 | Parental guidance recommended for children between the age of thirteen and fifteen years |
This section contains details about the movie, including its classification by the Australian Government Classification Board and the associated consumer advice lines.
Name of movie: | Marie Antoinette |
Classification: | PG |
Consumer advice lines: | Mild sexual references |
Length: | 123 minutes |
This review of the movie contains the following information:
14-year-old Austrian-born Marie Antoinette (Kirsten Dunst) is betrothed to 15 year old Louis, heir to the French throne (Jason Schwartzmann). Marie’s mother (Marianne Faithfull) provides Marie with some insight into the differences between the Austrian and French courts but she is otherwise unprepared for what she is to find. Marie is taken by coach to the Austrian-French boarder and handed over to her chaperone, the Comtesse de Noailles (Judy Davis) to be transformed for her wedding. On the wedding night, the marriage is unconsummated as Louis appears oblivious to his role.
This continues for seven years as Marie is pressured to produce an heir. She becomes lonely, confused and distraught, beginning to indulge in a decadent life style involving gambling, drinking, infamous parties and frivolous spending. Before Marie is able to produce an heir, King Louis XV (Rip Torn) dies, elevating the dauphin and Marie to King and Queen of France. Marie’s brother arrives and explains the facts of life to Louis, after which Marie becomes pregnant and gives birth to a daughter.
Following the birth, Marie retreats to the countryside to raise her daughter in peace and tranquillity but soon returns to her more decadent life style and seeks a secret love affair with Count Fersen (Jamie Dorman). Sometime later, Marie gives birth to a second child, a boy and France gets a long awaited heir.
Marie becomes more and more unpopular with both the court and the masses. The Bastille is stormed by an angry mob; marking the beginning of the French revolution. Eventually the mob turns up at the palace and Marie, Louis and their children are taken to their awaited fates.
Children and adolescents may react adversely at different ages to themes of crime, suicide, drug and alcohol dependence, death, serious illness, family breakdown, death or separation from a parent, animal distress or cruelty to animals, children as victims, natural disasters and racism. Occasionally reviews may also signal themes that some parents may simply wish to know about.
Sexual relationships. French Revolution
Research shows that children are at risk of learning that violence is an acceptable means of conflict resolution when violence is glamourised, performed by an attractive hero, successful, has few real life consequences, is set in a comic context and / or is mostly perpetrated by male characters with female victims, or by one race against another.
Repeated exposure to violent content can reinforce the message that violence is an acceptable means of conflict resolution. Repeated exposure also increases the risks that children will become desensitised to the use of violence in real life or develop an exaggerated view about the prevalence and likelihood of violence in their own world.
There is infrequent low level violence in this movie including:
Children under five are most likely to be frightened by scary visual images, such as monsters, physical transformations.
In addition to the above-mentioned violence, the scene in which Marie and her sister in law are depicted giving birth could disturb children under five, although no graphic details are shown.
Children aged five to eight will also be frightened by scary visual images and will also be disturbed by depictions of the death of a parent, a child abandoned or separated from parents, children or animals being hurt or threatened and / or natural disasters.
Children in this age group my also be disturbed by the above-mentioned scenes.
Children aged eight to thirteen are most likely to be frightened by realistic threats and dangers, violence or threat of violence and / or stories in which children are hurt or threatened.
Apart from scenes already listed, children aged eight to thirteen are unlikely to be disturbed by scenes in this film.
Children over the age of thirteen are most likely to be frightened by realistic physical harm or threats, molestation or sexual assault and / or threats from aliens or the occult.
It is unlikely that anything in this movie will scare or disturb children over the age of thirteen.
None
There are some sexual references in this movie, including:
There is some nudity and sexual activity in this movie, including:
There is some use of substances in this movie, including:
None of concern
Marie Antoinette is a period drama inspired by Antonia Fraser’s biography of the same name that seems tailored to an adult audience. It is a rather melancholy film which leaves much left unsaid.
The main messages from this movie are; that greed, and isolation associated with aristocracy resulted in arrogance, ignorance and a lack of empathy and that being wealthy does not necessarily lead to happiness or fulfilment.
Values in this movie that parents may wish to reinforce with their children include that the important things in life are not necessarily money and possessions, but a family that loves and cares for you, a spouse who is a true partner and friends that support you through hard times.
Tip: Leave out the first A, An or The
Selecting an age will provide a list of movies with content suitable for this age group. Children may also enjoy movies selected via a lower age.
Content is age appropriate for children this age
Some content may not be appropriate for children this age. Parental guidance recommended
Content is not age appropriate for children this age
Children and Media Australia (CMA) is a registered business name of the Australian Council on Children and the Media (ACCM).
CMA provides reviews, research and advocacy to help children thrive in a digital world.
ACCM is national, not-for-profit and reliant on community support. You can help.