The opening ceremony for the 2024 Paris Olympic Games highlights the historical abundance of the country, with many famous events such as the French Revolution which saw the beheading of the monarchy. Now with the end of the Olympics, and the approaching Paralympic section to the Games in the near future, what better time to explore France’s history?
Films can be a quick, informative and engaging way to see interpretations of events, and French history is no exception. The following films focus on the Battle of Dunkirk during the Second World War, the French Revolution from the people’s perspective, Napoleon, Marie Antoinette, and the gardeners behind the Palace of Versailles.
Therefore, here is a list of 5 French period films to watch in celebration of the 2024 Paris Olympics:
Dunkirk (2017)
- Key actors: Kenneth Branagh, Cillian Murphy, Harry Styles
- Director: Christopher Nolan
- Run time: 1h 46m
Dunkirk is a great interpretation of this horrendous World War Two battle, showing the brutality the soldiers faced when they were surrounded by the German military. The film also follows the ships being sent across the English Channel to the French coast of Dunkirk by ordinary workers, in order to rescue the trapped soldiers facing enemy attack.
This film focuses on individual soldiers and their experiences, which creates a personal angle to the battle, as well as shows the mass destruction and loss of human life as a result of the conflict. Christopher Nolan’s masterpiece is definitely worth a watch as it is informative and emotional.
Now that the people alive during the Second World War are slowly getting older, it is important to remember and reflect on what occurred and to make sure that this catastrophic event will never happen again. This film helps to do that by bringing this battle to the attention of viewers.
Les Misérables (2012)
- Key actors: Hugh Jackman, Anne Hathaway, Russell Crowe, Amanda Seyfried, Eddie Redmayne
- Director: Tom Hooper
- Run time: 2h 38m
Les Misérables is a world-renowned musical which details the suffering of those living in poverty during the times of the French Revolution and oppression by the higher classes.
The film primarily follows Jean Valjean, from his escape from the hard manual labour he was enslaved in for merely stealing some bread for his starving family, to his care of Cosette.
The film emphasizes the poor being overlooked by those with money, and the injustice of the justice system at the time. The reality presented is portrayed as disturbing, with Fantine having to sell herself to pay a debt after being unfairly cast out from her work, and the whole injustice of how the characters are being treated leads us to side with the poor inhabitants.
Napoleon (2023)
- Key actors: Joaquin Phoenix, Vanessa Kirby, Tahar Rahim
- Director: Ridley Scott
- Run time: 2h 38m
The film Napoleon follows his rise to power after the ruin of the monarchy with the beheading of Marie Antoinette and her husband, and his several subsequent battles. The film also follows Napoleon’s personal life with his wife, Joséphine de Beauharnais, which shows us both sides of this character.
The recent movie by Ridley Scott is a great introduction to the famous figure of Napoleon as it follows his entire life, including being crowned the Emperor of France, the famous Battle of Waterloo and his exile to Saint Helena.
Marie Antoinette (2006)
- Key actors: Kirsten Dunst, Jason Schwartzman, Jamie Dornan, Tom Hardy
- Director: Sofia Coppola
- Run time: 2h 3m
Marie Antoinette is a fun and lively film with the shadows of darker realities which were present at the time of the French Revolution.
The film shows the separation between those in the royal court at Versailles as Queen Marie Antoinette is not really aware of the poverty of those outside the royal circle. However she is not without her own problems (though these are comparatively less serious than the famine and death experienced by the poor), and the film focuses on her separation from her husband and her inability to do anything about it.
Marie Antoinette could be considered a feminist film, as the emphasis on her lack of power paired with the responsibility she holds, demonstrates the restraints against women at the time. Sofia Coppola’s film portrays Marie Antoinette in a different light, and the audience sees her as a victim of the French court with her arranged marriage to the future King of France and her fight for respect amongst her peers.
A Little Chaos (2014)
- Key actors: Kate Winslet, Matthias Schoenaerts, Alan Rickman, Helen McCrory
- Director: Alan Rickman
- Run time: 1h 57m
A Little Chaos follows an underestimated gardener, Sabine De Barra (played by Kate Winslet), who is tasked with transforming a section of the Garden of Versailles for King Louis XIV. This romantic film primarily focuses on the relationship between Sabine and another gardener, André Le Nôtre (played by Matthias Schoenaerts).
Alan Rickman’s film is less about a specific historical event, and is more a film set in this particular historical period. However, the film does give you a glimpse into the life of a woman in the Court of Versailles and of general life at the time.
This film is for people who prefer lighter, romantic movies than the heavier and more serious ones listed previously. However, it does still touch on topics such as grief, which gives the film more dimension and is definitely a summer movie worth a watch.
