The Princess of Montpensier (Bertrand Tavernier, 2010): France

Reviewed by Tommy Gilbert. Viewed at the Mann Chinese Theater, AFI Film Festival, Hollywood.

The Princess of Montpensier by Bertrand Tavernier is a film packed with serious romance intertwined with teenage frivolity that takes viewers from the bloody battlefield of war to the formalities of royal parties. A basic plot of a princess (Mélanie Thierry) who experiences confusion in the face of many lustful princes, all of whom make advances towards her, this film explores the reality of love as each character tries to discover the person they are truly devoted to.

Amongst politics and arranged marriages, mobility in the love life was not entirely an option back in the 16th century. However, The Princess of Montpensier displays the rebellious nature of the young princes and princess as they grow into adulthood. The film demonstrates the consequences of disloyalty in a relationship and the impacts of the undecided heart.

One of the effects that truly emphasized the message of this film that love is an uncertain path was the antiquated techniques used to create it. It was a surprise to see grains and scratches on the image during the presentation as almost all films nowadays are enhanced to remove the imperfections, but I found it enjoyable, as though I was about to see a film that had taken a lot of work to produce; no computers, no digitalization, nothing but original tactics that are now becoming extinct. The imperfections, however, seem to mirror excellently the unknown of the human heart. Even as one might desire to see the film more clearly, one might also desire to see the future of his or her romantic decisions just as clearly. Not to mention, the effect the scratches have on the film really enhance the older feeling of the period.

Another element of the film that imposes the period are its immensely incredible costumes. Made in Italy and England, the costumes are very accurate to the 16th century, a very central icon of the film, and support the rigid, serious tones throughout the movie. In more serious scenes, the characters tend to be heavily dressed and well covered, whereas in the more comical scenes, the characters might be dressed in lighter garments. The time is set very solidly through the costumes, setting, and acting, which makes every frame of the film very believable.

Though some may suggest that The Princess of Montpensier is a film about frivolous courtship and meaningless emotions, their observation would only be superficial. Deeply, the film explores the need and purpose of fighting and killing and questions the reasoning behind war as well as love and devotion. Filled with both serious drama and flirty comedy, The Princess of Montpensier is a must-see for not only period and historical film lovers but also anyone who truly appreciates the art of filmmaking in its basic form.