I went to Versailles during my short week studying abroad in Paris. (I could imagine and year spent in Paris isn't enough, so a week was over in the blink of an eye.) It was a beautiful place, but the sadness is what really struck me. There were just so many things all over the place and so many rooms had been constantly renovated to make them more and more extravagant. When you see people who are always trying to get more and more things to that point, it means to me that they're not happy. They're hoping material gratification will fill whatever hole is inside of them and it'll make them feel good for a while, but when that fades, they'll just have to do more and more. I don't think happiness can be cultivated in that type of environment, especially when you add on the pressures of feeling you need to please the royal court.
I saw Marie Antoinette for the first time when I was in high school and I remember telling all my friends they needed to see it. Historically, it's really accurate, but it's also visually striking and one of Kirsten Dunst's best performances. Pretty much any time she's in Versailles you can really see that sadness that surrounds the place, no matter how hard they try to conquer it. This editorial from Vogue gives you the same vibe. (P.S. You can watch the entire film on YouTube because some naughty person uploaded the whole thing. Thank you, naughty person, for breaking the law so I can have this film at my fingertips.)
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