Analysis of Queen Margot and Grand Illusion

Queen Margot (1994)

Queen Margot (1994) is one of the undebatable films revolving around the history of colonial rule in France during the 16th and the 17th century (Collington 103). Historical records show that France, just like the other European nations, struggled with religious divisions during this era. The fact is also reiterated in the movie, where the director brings the sharp division of the Catholics and the Protestants into play. The main agenda of the marriage between Margot and Henry is to unite the two religions. One of the key historical moments incorporated in the screenplay is the day massacre at St. Bartholomew, where close to 6000 people were butchered (Collington 114).

The Grand Illusion (1937)

As another historical film, the Grand Illusion (1937) ponders the fall of the aristocratic alignment of the European classes in how they existed before the war. Before the war, and even during the war, it was clear that there was a wide boundary between the humanists and the realists in France. The director of this movie recounts towards the end that during this era, a French humanist would rather associate with a fellow humanist from China than getting along with a French realist (Jackson 79). The final scene between Elsa and Marechal marks the period of building bridges. Unlike during the period of warfare, in the new era, the transcendent and archetypal humanism focuses on bringing people together by destroying the long division. This is depicted in the scene where Marechal tells Elsa’s cow that “You were born in Wertemburg and me in Paris, but that does not prevent us understanding each other” (Jackson 93).

The Seven Samurai (1954)

The Seven Samurai (1954) could be a work of social criticism since the director of this film seemed more preoccupied with the moral and the ethical themes, which led him to create a naïve or sentimental work. Ostensibly, this film is predominantly individualist. Kurosawa’s focus on heroic, exceptional individuals narrows his work to elitism (Anderson 57).

Works Cited

Anderson, Joseph L. “When the Twain Meet: Hollywood’s Remake of” The Seven Samurai”.” Film Quarterly 15.3 (1962): 55-58.

Collington, Tara L. ”” History is not just a thing of the past”: The chronotopic transpositions of la Reine Margot.” LIT: Literature Interpretation Theory 13.2 (2002): 97-116.

Jackson, Julian. La grande illusion. (BFI Modern Classics). British Film Institute, 2009