The Rose of Versailles - my thoughts
Feb. 19th, 2010 08:40 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
masahiSo, I finally bit the bullet and sat down and watched all of The Rose of Versailles over the last fortnight. And much to my surprise I liked it. To the point that I was waiting impatiently for megavideo to let me watch more. I forgot the simple pleasure of anime, wherein you can watch 3 episodes per hour.
My main reason was because the Takarazuka Revue has put on about a gazillion versions, and the original manga was inspired by my favourite cross-dressing performers. I'd avoided the anime for ages, because the stage version is so sickeningly sugar-coated that I couldn't stand it. Pink glittery pegasus in the afterlife, anyone?
And yet, the show is nothing like I expected.
A summary for anyone who doesn't know/is curious: Oscar Francois de Jarjeyes, born a girl, raised as a man by a father surrounded by daughters, ends up being given the position of Captain of the Royal Guards, specifically to be bodyguard to Marie Antoinette, the newly arrived Dauphine.
The story follows their paths over the next 20+ years, from little Antoinette-sama's first arrival as a nervous bride-to-be and encounter with tomboy Oscar through their changing experiences right up until the storming of the Bastille and the revolution.
Admittedly, it doesn't do the plot justice, but it's handled so well, and the character development throughout, as the people rise and the monarchy falls is fantastically handled. There are some... tweaked aspects of history, but that happens in any story based around the French Revolution, be it pro-monarchy, pro-revolution, or pro-neither.
My main thought was being impressed, though, by the sheer amount of historical detail they slipped into it, even in the background. Stuff you wouldn't think was historically accurate was, although the fact that the Captain of the Guard was a woman in breeches clearly did not follow the historically accurate line. (although I headdesked violently when M-A sneaks to the Masked Ball at the Opera. How they were dancing in the Garnier Opera House in 1773, I do not know. Is my Phantom geek showing? ;))
Also notable is the fact that throughout the show, all of the action is driven by female characters: Oscar, Du Barry, Jeanne de Valois, Marie-Antoinette. Each of them takes control of their life in whatever way they can, and their actions are the ones that inevitably lead to the reckoning in the end.
Character-wise, Oscar herself amused me, although I still wanted to smack her upside the head sometimes. She managed to be strong and a leader without losing her femininity, and didn't let any man dictate what she should or shouldn't do. (I'm still uncomfortable with the "I'll do what my husband wants" in #37/8, though). And yet... and yet, she managed to be such a wet hen when it came to some emotional things, particularly involving the man she was smitten on and the woman she protected.
All the same, in #39, she absolutely killed me with her restraint and dignity. There's a single scene in the show that I know will never leave me, involving her and Alain, one of her men, in that episode, which completely embodies who and what she is.
Andre... I liked him well enough, though as is the case with many heroic, noble sorts, I found him rather Meh. Decent and brave and loyal and what have you, he's the lackey who was smitten with her from year dot. The whole series has a lovely continuous run of him cockblocking anyone else, especially Fersen, who ended up trying to get Oscar alone. He would kill for her, and he would die for her, and in the end, she finally realises exactly what she has in him :)
Alain, however, owns me. He's my favourite kind of character: rough around the edges, a bit cocky, smart enough to think for himself, and loyal to a fault. And completely not ashamed to throw himself into a fight for fun or honour. Plus, he amused me with his cheerful insults to everyone, among which he told the farmers to go back home because their sheep would be... lonely. The scene with him and Oscar in 39, when he's both loyal soldier and trusted friend, had me bawling into my dinner.
Also, much to my surprise, I really quite liked Fersen. He was dumb as a brick, but in the same way a golden retriever is. It was very much a "aw, you sad! I help! Yay! Big smile!" kind of behaviour, usually directed towards M-A, but sometimes, even pointed at Oscar, especially after he realises how much Andre means to her. He tries to do the right thing every time, and is so excited about being able to do something, and yet everything keeps blowing up in his face. And I really knew I liked him, when - to distract the mob bent on lynching Andre - he galloped into the street and went "Hey! I'm Fersen! Yes, THAT Fersen, who nailed your Queen! Catch me if you can!". Bless him, he was lovely.
Those characters aside, the Royal family were treated with surprising generosity, on the part of the writer. It was made clear that while the King and Queen were responsible for a lot of the problems, they weren't solely to blame. The court and the peons who manipulated both royals for their own gain were highlighted, one or two even being classed among the villains of the show. It also showed King Louis in a surprisingly sympathetic and dignified light, which I liked compared to the usual fat-and-useless version.
Likewise, Robespierre was shown in his early days as the ambitious, loyal Frenchman, rather than the raving tyrant shown in most modern adaptations. It even featured the speech he gave as a 17 year old at the Coronation of Louis, and tracked his leadership of the Revolution as he gently tried to restore a country to greatness, only to have to turn to bloodshed when all else was failing.
The villains were also great and surprisingly, historically accurate: Madame Du Barry as Marie Antoinette's initial nemesis, Jeanne de Valois as the poverty-stricken noble who scams Cardinal Rohan and drags Marie Antoinette's reputation into the mire during the affair of the necklace, Countess du Polignac as the scheming aide who wishes to make the Queen her 'puppet'. The most exaggerated one was Polignac, who - while vain and grasping - wasn't quite as despotic as the anime made her out to be. Manipulative, yes. Dangerous psychopath, not quite.
The only character I really, really could have done without was Rosalie, the illegitimate daughter of Countess Polignac. Oscar tried to nudge her into being a strong girl, but instead, she was a sobbing cry-baby, who barely had a scene without bursting into floods of tears. Needless to say, she was not popular in the original manga either ;)
Looking at the show now, I really wish I could give the director a shake and make him get off his Patriarchal High Horse about the way women should act.
My main issues with the stage version are as follows:
- as soon as Oscar/Andre get anywhere near together, Oscar is promptly shoved into traditional girl poses, most frequently kneeling at Andre's feet like a good, submissive little Miss.
- Andre considering poisoning Oscar to stop anyone else having her. W. T. F. No. He would want her to be happy, regardless. NEVER EVER POISON.
- trying to girlify Oscar. Misses the entire point of the anime/manga. Oscar is strong and independent and doesn't need male approval. (And when she gets it, she doesn't go to pieces. She has pride)
Now I've seen the anime, I can understand them milking that cash cow for all it's worth, but softening the edges of what is a dark, sharp, and very bleak story, adding pink and glitter, has taken away the heart and soul of what I think is a very good and powerful story.
My main reason was because the Takarazuka Revue has put on about a gazillion versions, and the original manga was inspired by my favourite cross-dressing performers. I'd avoided the anime for ages, because the stage version is so sickeningly sugar-coated that I couldn't stand it. Pink glittery pegasus in the afterlife, anyone?
And yet, the show is nothing like I expected.
A summary for anyone who doesn't know/is curious: Oscar Francois de Jarjeyes, born a girl, raised as a man by a father surrounded by daughters, ends up being given the position of Captain of the Royal Guards, specifically to be bodyguard to Marie Antoinette, the newly arrived Dauphine.
The story follows their paths over the next 20+ years, from little Antoinette-sama's first arrival as a nervous bride-to-be and encounter with tomboy Oscar through their changing experiences right up until the storming of the Bastille and the revolution.
Admittedly, it doesn't do the plot justice, but it's handled so well, and the character development throughout, as the people rise and the monarchy falls is fantastically handled. There are some... tweaked aspects of history, but that happens in any story based around the French Revolution, be it pro-monarchy, pro-revolution, or pro-neither.
My main thought was being impressed, though, by the sheer amount of historical detail they slipped into it, even in the background. Stuff you wouldn't think was historically accurate was, although the fact that the Captain of the Guard was a woman in breeches clearly did not follow the historically accurate line. (although I headdesked violently when M-A sneaks to the Masked Ball at the Opera. How they were dancing in the Garnier Opera House in 1773, I do not know. Is my Phantom geek showing? ;))
Also notable is the fact that throughout the show, all of the action is driven by female characters: Oscar, Du Barry, Jeanne de Valois, Marie-Antoinette. Each of them takes control of their life in whatever way they can, and their actions are the ones that inevitably lead to the reckoning in the end.
Character-wise, Oscar herself amused me, although I still wanted to smack her upside the head sometimes. She managed to be strong and a leader without losing her femininity, and didn't let any man dictate what she should or shouldn't do. (I'm still uncomfortable with the "I'll do what my husband wants" in #37/8, though). And yet... and yet, she managed to be such a wet hen when it came to some emotional things, particularly involving the man she was smitten on and the woman she protected.
All the same, in #39, she absolutely killed me with her restraint and dignity. There's a single scene in the show that I know will never leave me, involving her and Alain, one of her men, in that episode, which completely embodies who and what she is.
Andre... I liked him well enough, though as is the case with many heroic, noble sorts, I found him rather Meh. Decent and brave and loyal and what have you, he's the lackey who was smitten with her from year dot. The whole series has a lovely continuous run of him cockblocking anyone else, especially Fersen, who ended up trying to get Oscar alone. He would kill for her, and he would die for her, and in the end, she finally realises exactly what she has in him :)
Alain, however, owns me. He's my favourite kind of character: rough around the edges, a bit cocky, smart enough to think for himself, and loyal to a fault. And completely not ashamed to throw himself into a fight for fun or honour. Plus, he amused me with his cheerful insults to everyone, among which he told the farmers to go back home because their sheep would be... lonely. The scene with him and Oscar in 39, when he's both loyal soldier and trusted friend, had me bawling into my dinner.
Also, much to my surprise, I really quite liked Fersen. He was dumb as a brick, but in the same way a golden retriever is. It was very much a "aw, you sad! I help! Yay! Big smile!" kind of behaviour, usually directed towards M-A, but sometimes, even pointed at Oscar, especially after he realises how much Andre means to her. He tries to do the right thing every time, and is so excited about being able to do something, and yet everything keeps blowing up in his face. And I really knew I liked him, when - to distract the mob bent on lynching Andre - he galloped into the street and went "Hey! I'm Fersen! Yes, THAT Fersen, who nailed your Queen! Catch me if you can!". Bless him, he was lovely.
Those characters aside, the Royal family were treated with surprising generosity, on the part of the writer. It was made clear that while the King and Queen were responsible for a lot of the problems, they weren't solely to blame. The court and the peons who manipulated both royals for their own gain were highlighted, one or two even being classed among the villains of the show. It also showed King Louis in a surprisingly sympathetic and dignified light, which I liked compared to the usual fat-and-useless version.
Likewise, Robespierre was shown in his early days as the ambitious, loyal Frenchman, rather than the raving tyrant shown in most modern adaptations. It even featured the speech he gave as a 17 year old at the Coronation of Louis, and tracked his leadership of the Revolution as he gently tried to restore a country to greatness, only to have to turn to bloodshed when all else was failing.
The villains were also great and surprisingly, historically accurate: Madame Du Barry as Marie Antoinette's initial nemesis, Jeanne de Valois as the poverty-stricken noble who scams Cardinal Rohan and drags Marie Antoinette's reputation into the mire during the affair of the necklace, Countess du Polignac as the scheming aide who wishes to make the Queen her 'puppet'. The most exaggerated one was Polignac, who - while vain and grasping - wasn't quite as despotic as the anime made her out to be. Manipulative, yes. Dangerous psychopath, not quite.
The only character I really, really could have done without was Rosalie, the illegitimate daughter of Countess Polignac. Oscar tried to nudge her into being a strong girl, but instead, she was a sobbing cry-baby, who barely had a scene without bursting into floods of tears. Needless to say, she was not popular in the original manga either ;)
Looking at the show now, I really wish I could give the director a shake and make him get off his Patriarchal High Horse about the way women should act.
My main issues with the stage version are as follows:
- as soon as Oscar/Andre get anywhere near together, Oscar is promptly shoved into traditional girl poses, most frequently kneeling at Andre's feet like a good, submissive little Miss.
- Andre considering poisoning Oscar to stop anyone else having her. W. T. F. No. He would want her to be happy, regardless. NEVER EVER POISON.
- trying to girlify Oscar. Misses the entire point of the anime/manga. Oscar is strong and independent and doesn't need male approval. (And when she gets it, she doesn't go to pieces. She has pride)
Now I've seen the anime, I can understand them milking that cash cow for all it's worth, but softening the edges of what is a dark, sharp, and very bleak story, adding pink and glitter, has taken away the heart and soul of what I think is a very good and powerful story.
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