Versailles no Bara (Movie)

Hoping to unite their countries with an alliance, The Empress of Austria arranges her daughter, the delightful yet spoiled Marie Antoinette, to marry the crown prince of France, Louis XVI. Upon arriving in Versailles, the Austrian princess meets Oscar Francois de Jarjayes, Captain of the Royal Guards—a seemingly dashing young man—but to Antoinette's astonishment, he is in fact a woman!

The youngest daughter of a noble family with a prominent lack of a male heir, Oscar was raised as a boy to continue the family's military legacy. Suffocated by the rigid rules associated with her new position and longing for companionship, Antoinette immediately takes a liking to this intriguing young woman, and wastes no time befriending her. However, as the childish new queen foolishly abuses her power, Oscar is conflicted between maintaining her loyalty to the royal family and addressing the growing concern of poverty among the common people.

Recalling the events of the French Revolution, Versailles no Bara depicts the struggles of two women unjustly burdened by family expectations. Yet, despite being forced to deny their identities at the expense of personal happiness, they march on to become key players in the annals of history.

[Written by MAL Rewrite]

de Jarjayes, Oscar François Main

Sawashiro, Miyuki Japanese

Grandier, André Main

Toyonaga, Toshiyuki Japanese

Antoinette, Marie Main

Hirano, Aya Japanese

von Fersen, Hans Axel Main

Kato, Kazuki Japanese

Lamorlière, Rosalie Supporting

Hayami, Saori Japanese

de Soisson, Alain Supporting

Takeuchi, Shunsuke Japanese

de Robespierre, Maximilien Supporting

Ono, Kensho Japanese

Louis XVI Supporting

Ochiai, Fukushi Japanese

Joseph, Louis Supporting

Tokui, Sora Japanese

Chatelet, Bernard Supporting

Irino, Miyu Japanese

Kawagoe, Wataru Producer

Yoshimura, Ai Director

Ayaka Theme Song Performance

Sawano, Hiroyuki Music

Reviews

Feb 2, 2025

kihel

Recommended

Spoiler

I watched the movie in theaters on the second day of its release. Before seeing it, I came across someone who spoiled major parts of the film by writing "musical" in the thread title, even though I hadn’t seen it yet. That actually piqued my interest, so I decided to watch it. Because of that, I wasn’t too surprised by the musical elements.

☆Before the Main Film
A short segment called "The Rose of Versailles Mini Theater" was screened before the movie.
It featured chibi-style characters explaining basic theater etiquette. The first week’s version focused on Oscar, so I assume there are multiple versions that change weekly. If ... the movie gets a digital release, this part might be cut.

☆Main Story
The first half moves at a very fast pace.
Major events such as Madame du Barry, the Necklace Affair, and the Black Knight incident are completely cut. The story progresses to Louis XVI’s ascension within the first 30 minutes.
Due to this structure, Rosalie barely appears.
Before the movie reaches the one-hour mark, Oscar is transferred to the French Guards. After that, the story progresses to the French Revolution and the Bastille.
Marie Antoinette’s escape and execution are depicted during the ending credits through text and illustrations that resemble historical book illustrations in brown and black tones.
Instead of a trilogy or a two-part film, they covered the entire story in a single movie.

☆Songs
There are about 15 musical numbers in the film.
The lyrics are included in the pamphlet sold at the theater.
The songs don’t follow the style of either the TV anime or Takarazuka Revue; they feel more like contemporary pop music. Some songs are performed by multiple singers.
Songs from the TV anime and Takarazuka Revue are not used.
Some musical numbers play while characters are also speaking, making it difficult to catch both the dialogue and lyrics.
The way the songs are visually presented is more like a music video than a traditional musical performance.

☆Visuals
There are many scenes featuring flowers, especially roses, blooming, withering, or scattering.
The historical background and timeline are explained through silhouette animation, with roses spinning in a way that reminded me of Shoujo Kakumei Utena.
Marie Antoinette’s outfits change frequently, so if you like elaborate dresses, you’ll enjoy watching her wardrobe transformations.

☆Similar Works
Excluding the CGI elements, the movie felt similar to this one:
Ryouma! The Prince of Tennis: Shinsei Movie
https://myanimelist.net/anime/38882/Ryouma_The_Prince_of_Tennis_Shinsei_Movie__Tennis_no_Oujisama

☆Other
By the third day of its release, the movie ranked 10th in Japan’s box office revenue. Compared to recent anime films, this isn’t a strong performance, so I think an overseas release would be difficult.
By the way, the Takarazuka Revue is mentioned in the staff roll as a cooperating company, I think. I think so.

☆Final Verdict
For those unfamiliar with Takarazuka Revue performances, this film will likely feel like a musical. However, since not every song is accompanied by dancing, it felt closer to an Indian film than a traditional musical. The way the insert songs are presented is more like a promotional music video.


Since many scenes and lines I wanted to see were cut, and in terms of storytelling and memorable songs, I felt that Takarazuka’s revue performances did a better job. Therefore, I rate this film a 7 out of 10.

For newcomers, the movie provides a decent summary of the main story and has enjoyable music, making it a fun experience. For longtime fans, although many parts of the story are omitted, the beautiful visuals and music make it a satisfying watch overall.

Reviewer’s Rating: 7

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