Rock and roll rarely mixes well with aristocracy. Most biopics tend to keep their soundtracks classy and orchestral, as if the buzzing of violins will return us to worlds long gone. Sofia Coppola’s Marie Antoinette, on the other hand, embraces anachronistic punk-rock sensibility – even the pink, punky opening titles run with a ’70s punk song blaring. Coppola creates a completely relatable Third Estate by handing her audience a more fun, MTV-friendly version of history.

Kirsten Dunst plays the titular royal. Given to the French completely naked and bereft of anything Austrian, Marie is married at the age of 15 to Louis XVI, heir to the French throne. Portrayed with childish diffidence by a superb Jason Schwartzman, Louis is an impotent man-child more interested in inspecting his locks than his foxy wife.

The Palace of Versailles is shot beautifully by Coppola. The sheer enormity of the palace dwarfs Marie. Coppola makes it an opulent prison – there are countless artful shots reflecting Marie’s isolation. The sets are impeccably detailed, as is the flamboyant clothing of French society.

Told through montages and quick cuts, Marie’s life seems like a music video at some points. Most montages take place to contemporary music, an interesting juxtaposition of the new and old; the song “I Want Candy” imposed over a spending spree exposes the timelessness of Marie’s girlish acting-out. The music video fits because it reflects Marie’s indulgences and moves the film along briskly. Not that every sequence is perfect – I doubt many girls flee in tears with the Strokes running through their head.

Marie Antoinette distinguishes itself by completely eschewing the traditional qualities of a biopic. Early in the film, standing nude in front of a crowd of royals, Marie says the rules of royal conduct are utterly ridiculous. Her retainer replies, “This, madame, is Versailles.” Just like Marie, Coppola rejects the norm – even if her film is made to look a bit ridiculous in the process.

– Andrew Sheivachman