PBS has just hit its second strike with me. For the past month or so they have been advertising a special on Marie Antoinette. Do you know how difficult it is for me to retain mental notes these days? Somehow, I hung onto this one and at 8:00 last night I settled back to watch the show. Instead, American Masters came on, with a ticker scrolling across the bottom of the screen saying that the Marie Antoinette program would be played at midnight. What’s up with that? Of course, I stayed up for it and taped it for Nettl, who can’t stay up that late and be good for work the next day. Damn! Every time I read about the French Revolution, or watch anything about it, I want so bad for it to end differently. I want to shake Louis by the balls and say, “Just get to the Austrian border, ya maroon! Forget the silver, forget the wines. Just go!” But he doesn’t listen and they always get caught just 40 miles short of liberation after a 200-mile trip.
It was a fine documentary that made the revolution clearer and easier to understand. No mean feat considering that it’s one of the most confusing series of events in history. I’ve always loved Marie Antoinette. I knew she never made that crack about eating cake and I feel for the terrified 14-year old girl that was sent to marry the future king of France. This show revealed nothing new, but it did show Antoinette for the naive, manipulated girl that she was and actually laid the finger of blame upon her mother where it rightfully belongs. Empress Maria Theresa used her 16 children like pawns on a chessboard with one thing in mind: to rule the world. The show owned up to Antoinette’s excesses (what teenaged girl, however, wouldn’t go for all the pretty clothes if she was basically given limitless credit?), but it also paid tribute to the wisdom and dignity she acquired as her world fell apart at the seems.
I admit it. I resent the French for executing her and Louis. Did I say resent? Detest might be a better word. Don’t get your bowels in an uprooar over that. I don’t mean the French people as a country, or as individuals, but the bloodthirsty rabble who spread vicious propaganda about her with regicide as their only ambition. I’m actually holding a grudge and I hope they’ve all received their karma.
"Every time I read about the French Revolution, or watch anything about it, I want so bad for it to end differently."
ReplyDeleteThat’s how I feel when I see “Jesus Christ, Superstar.” I want to shout, “Just say what Pilate wants you to say and go on with your life.” But does he listen?
I’ve not studied the French Revolution much, but I was always touched by your song about Marie Antoinette. One of those things that have stuck with me over the years.
I wish I still had that song. It got lost with all my music in the Big Dump. So much music, all gone now.
ReplyDeleteI can remember about 2 lines of it, and then it’s gone.
I get these same feelings when I think about the Russian royal family. The King of England should have allowed his cousin and his family to come to the safety of England. The horror when I think of those lovely girls, and the little boy murdered in that squalid room is indescribable. I’m not saying that the Tsar and his regime were guiltless, but those girls and the boy were robbed of their future lives unnecessarily.
ReplyDeleteI wish I could remember more of it. Mostly I remember watching you play it and the feeling I had, listening to it.
ReplyDeleteLiz: I feel the same about the Romanov children. Horrible.
ReplyDeleteDeni: I’m glad the feeling has stuck with you. When all is said and done, that’s the true purpose of music.
Thank you, dear. Ugh, I can’t believe I missed the program…
ReplyDeleteA song? What’s this about a song? :)
Several years ago I wrote a song called…geez, I can’t remember what it was called. “The (something) of Versailles”. All I remember of it is,
ReplyDeleteI grew up in Vienna,
A blue-eyed princess child;
The gist of it was Marie Antoinette’s eyes (in her portraits) following tourists as they tennis-shoe their way through her bedroom, like a second raid from the rabble.
Wish I had it. It was in A minor and was really good.
) That’s so sweet! I hope you remember it someday, dear…
ReplyDelete::hugs::