Maïwenn’s sixth feature film, Jeanne Du Barry, opens the 76th Cannes Film Festival, marking the return of the director to Cannes and of Johnny Depp, who has been absent from the screen since 2018. It’s a chance to rediscover the story of the Comtesse du Barry, who became, by force of circumstance, the ultimate favorite of the King of France… until she brought about her own downfall.
Maïwenn, director and actress
Maïwenn was a precocious actress. Pushed in front of the camera at the age of five by her mother, actress Catherine Belkhodja, she was discovered for her role as the young Isabelle Adjani in Jean Becker’s L’Eté Meurtrier (1983). She was then propelled to fame by Luc Besson, who cast her as a diva opera singer in his film The Fifth Element (1997).
But it is definitely as a director that she has made her mark on the French film scene.
From Pardonnez-moi (2006), which describes her toxic relationship with her parents, to ADN (2020), a film about her Algerian origins, director Maïwenn has revealed much more about her own past through her characters than one might suspect.
And that’s not to mention Mon Roi (2015) about romantic obsession, Polisse (2011) about the behind-the-scenes work of a child protection unit, and Le bal des actrices (2009), which humorously explores the relationship between celebrity and power with a five-star cast. Add to that the fact that when she directs, she is often in front of the camera.
A regular at the Cannes Film Festival, she won the Cannes Film Festival Jury Prize in 2011 with Polisse, her first film in competition. Four years later, she returned to the official selection with Mon Roi, in which Emmanuelle Bercot won the Best Actress Award.
For her sixth film, Maïwenn has chosen to focus on a historical figure who has been unfairly relegated to the image of “the King’s whore”: Jeanne du Barry, Louis XV’s last mistress.
However, the director decided to abandon a purely historical reconstruction in favor of focusing on the passionate relationship between Jeanne Du Barry and Louis XV, in defiance of court protocol and rumors.
She told the JDD, “Purists may criticize me, I’m prepared for that, but I fully accept the angle I’ve chosen.” She nevertheless points out that her reinterpretation of the historical figure will be “neither pop nor rock,” unlike Sofia Coppola’s film Marie Antoinette.
Perhaps the only “modern” aspect of this production is the fact that Chanel has designed six dresses for Jeanne Du Barry. This is far from out of place, given that the brand’s former creative director Karl Lagerfeld was particularly fond of the Grand Siècle with its crinoline dresses and Rococo style. This is evidenced by the vintage dress from the House’s Fall/Winter 1992 Haute Couture collection, which was worn by singer Dua Lipa at the MET Gala.
Maïwenn wears the famous fringed necklace and feather brooch by Chanel © Stéphanie Branchu / Why Not Productions
The film also showcases other Houses within the group, including hats by Maison Michel, goldsmithing by Goosens, and fine jewelry by Chanel.
[…]
Click here to read the full article in Luxus Plus Magazine.
Featured image: © Stéphanie Branchu / Why Not Productions
