Sofia Coppola pulled off one of history’s great filmmaking coups for “Marie Antoinette.” She gained permission to shoot the film at the sprawling playground of French royalty, the Palace of Versailles (above).
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The director was lucky.
“I never have a Plan B,” Coppola said. The filmmaker was permitted to shoot inside the sprawling structure for 12 consecutive Mondays (when the museum is closed) and for another nine days on its 1,800-acre grounds. Working in the massive palace was inspirational, Coppola said.
“The [movie’s] color palette came from creating the world of this young girl,” she said. “When I saw her real apartments, I was struck by the visuals she had apparently chosen, of turquoise, fabric and flowers. What would a 14-year-old girl pick? And all of those elaborate pastries; just create the world from that.”
VERSAILLES BY THE NUMBERS
20,000 Number of people the compound could house
700 rooms
2,000 windows
1,250 fireplaces
357 mirrors in Gallerie des Glaces (Hall of Mirrors)
67 staircases