Lady Oscar (1979)

Actually,to correct what another reviewer said(wanting also to correct a supposed error,but making a mistake),the anime "Lady Oscar(Rose of Versailles)" came AFTER the movie(that means almost an year after the movie was made) and WAS ALSO TARGETED TOWARDS THE CHILDREN.So,the movie is based ONLY upon the manga and NOT AT ALL upon the anime.Also,the "historical clichés" aren't "cliches",but REAL HISTORICAL FACTS and I really don't see why the movie shouldn't present them,like the manga did,too. To talk about the movie,as a Lady Oscar's fan,I would consider it somehow average.It has some good-or even very good-parts(the costumes,the sets,the music,some aspects of the play of some characters-I disagree with someone who said that the acting is "incredibly weak all around",because it's clearly not like that!) and some more bad parts(the way in which most of the characters were presented,different from the ones in the original story,the fact that some important events in the story aren't showed at all,the play of some actors,the ending which is an almost complete nonsense).But,in the end,it's,like I said,it's an average movie,though enough fans are,quite rightfully,disappointed of it.

I only read the first few chapters of the Rose of Versailles manga years and years ago, so this review is not coming from the point of view of someone biased against this film on the grounds of inaccuracy to the source material. Because even when measured on its own merits, Lady Oscar (1979)is a weak movie.It's a shame, because this is a pretty production. The 18th century costumes and lavish sets are wonderfully realized, pastel-colored and almost fairy tale-like. They contrast well with the squalor of the lower classes. Michel Legrand's score is lovely and emotional.Too bad everything else is borderline terrible. The dialogue ranges between passable and cringe-worthy. Exposition is delivered via clumsy lines and voice-over. The story is epic in scope, yet it rushes through events and years, leaving us little time to get to know the characters since the script is more obsessed with racing to the next plot point.The acting is not wooden or too over-the-top, but it is incredibly weak all around. No one seems to contain much passion or enthusiasm for the material. The leading lady in particular possesses too little inner strength or charisma to hold our admiration. Heck, she's supposed to be a military officer and yet she cannot mount a horse without aid!I was disappointed with Jacques Demy's direction, which had little verve or flow to it. It was as distant and disinterested in the action as the performers seemed to be. The editing was especially clumsy and confusing at moments.The worst aspect of this movie may be the characters and the way they were written. Marie Antoinette is made into an idiot. Louis XVI is antagonistic. Andre is a creepy jerk. And Oscar is unbelievably wimpy for someone so respected by the other characters. Her appearance and manner are also not as androgynous as they should be.I think this story could have made for a solid swashbuckling melodrama, but as it is, this feels like a lifeless TV movie. While I feel there is a good movie lurking within this mess, the few good things there are cannot save it from mediocrity.

I'm a crazy fan of Rose of Versailles manga for a long long time, and I watch anime version, some scene of Takazakura version, a rock musical version in Italia. All of them are really close to the original one, but when I watch this live action, I cannot believe it belongs to Hollywood =='Totally holly crap, it destroy the characters of Riyoko Ikeda sensei. Especially Oscar, my idol, with girly outfit that I have no idea how she can survive in the army like that. They should choose another actress who look more like man and have strong personality. Moreover, Oscar's characteristic is broken 100% in this live action. When her father slapped her for disobeying the royal order, she slapped him back. OMG how a daughter can do this to her own father, even if he is doing the wrong thing??????????? Besides that, the scene with Andre in 12h July 1789 is unacceptable, and the worst thing is that : Oscar doesn't lead French people to attack Bastile Prison like manga, how pity !!! The ending is Andre comes out to see the revolution then he is shot and die????? Next thing is Oscar searches for him in the crowd without knowing that he is death???????????????? I just like what sh*t I just watch and I am really gonna angry for the description of this movie =='Really disappointed for a Hollywood production and it deserves a Golden Raspberry Awards :| Cannot understand why it has rate of 6.3 :|

I don't know what to think about this live-action version of the great comic created by Riyoko Ikeda (Which was also was adapted into a great anime series): On one side, the direction of Jacques Demy (The same director of "The Umbrellas of Cherbourg") is competent and sober, and production values (and the music, as well) were quite beautiful and more than adequate. But on the other side, the performances are terrible (To the point of being laughable) and the story (Which is considerably different than the one from the original comic and the anime series) is filled with lots of silly situations, as if were some kind of parody.Here is the irony: While the animated adaptation of the same comic feels mature, realistic and dramatic, the live action versions feels way too cartoonish and unrealistic.Personally I think that the anime version is way much better than this.