Maïwenn’s “Jeanne du Barry” follows the life of King Louis XV’s infamous mistress. The 2023 film, which premiered at Cannes last week, received a seven-minute standing ovation. Maïwenn directs the historical drama and stars as its titular character, while Johnny Depp portrays the French ruler.
Du Barry scandalized the court at Versailles upon her arrival in 1768. After catching the king’s eye, he had her formally installed at the legendary French palace. Du Barry was scorned by her noble contemporaries, including the future Queen of France, Marie Antoinette.
While “Jeanne du Barry” focuses on the romance between the ill-fated favorite and King Louis XV, du Barry’s love affair with the monarch is only one part of her story.
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Who Was Jeanne du Barry?
Jeanne Beçu, the illegitimate daughter of a seamstress, was born in northeastern France in 1743. She and her mother relocated to Paris, where they lived with financier Monsieur Billiard-Dumonceaux. After they were both evicted from his home, Beçu took up various jobs, working as a hairdresser’s apprentice and later assisting a milliner.
With curly blonde hair and striking blue eyes, Beçu was known as an exquisite beauty. She met nobleman Jean-Baptiste du Barry while working in a brothel-casino. His younger brother, Guillaume, took a liking to Beçu and made her his mistress. As she was introduced to French high society, Beçu became a popular courtesan.
When she met King Louis XV at Versailles, he was instantly taken with her. Although the monarch wanted to make Beçu his maîtresse-en-titre (chief mistress), he was prohibited from doing so as Beçu wasn’t a woman of nobility. The King and Jean-Baptiste du Barry arranged a marriage between Beçu and Guillaume, upgrading her title to Countess du Barry.
Du Barry wasn’t formally presented to the court of Versailles until 1769. Many courtiers shunned the Countess and her background as a courtesan became a frequent topic of gossip. Following the death of the king in 1774, Madame du Barry was exiled from Versailles and sent to a convent.
When the Reign of Terror began, du Barry was captured and accused of treason. She was executed by guillotine in 1793.
What Was the Diamond Necklace Affair?
In 1772, King Louis XV commissioned a diamond necklace from Parisian jewelers Charles Auguste Boehmer and Paul Bassenge. Estimated to cost two million livres, the necklace was intended to be a gift to Madame du Barry. The King died of smallpox before the piece could be completed.
The jewelers attempted to sell the necklace to Marie Antoinette, but she turned down the offer. Boehmer and Bassenge, in need of a buyer, got in contact with a noblewoman and con artist, Jeanne de Valois-Saint-Rémy, also known as Countess de la Motte. Posing as the Queen, she wrote several letters to a bishop and former ambassador, Cardinal de Rohan, convincing him to pay for the necklace on Marie Antoinette’s behalf.
Once the plot was discovered, la Motte and Rohan were arrested. La Motte ended up escaping from prison by disguising herself as a boy.
While Marie Antoinette was found to have no involvement in purchasing the necklace, her already flawed reputation was permanently damaged by the diamond necklace affair. The ordeal is thought to be one of the major catalysts for the onset of the French Revolution.
How Has “Jeanne du Barry” Been Received So Far?
Much like the mistress herself, “Jeanne du Barry” has been plagued with controversy. After accusations of abuse and two trials against his ex-wife, actress Amber Heard, the film marks Depp’s first major role in three years. Meanwhile, Maïwenn recently admitted to assaulting French journalist Edwy Plenel in a Paris restaurant earlier this year. The actress and director was sued by Plenel in April.
At Cannes, though, the backlash against Depp and Maïwenn was seemingly forgotten as the film received a long ovation. Early reviews for the film have been mixed.
“Clumsy as the film can be, Maïwenn taps into the emotional core of a most unusual relationship, such that we mourn how and why it eventually dissolves,” wrote critic Peter Debruge in Variety.
Are There Any Other Films About du Barry?
An undeniably fascinating figure, du Barry has captivated filmmakers for decades. As early as 1917, J. Gordon Edwards directed Theda Bara in “Madame Du Barry.” Silent film star Pola Negri also played the courtesan in Ernst Lubitsch’s “Passion,” which came out in 1920.
Lucille Ball portrayed the Countess in a more comedic light for the 1943 musical “Du Barry Was a Lady.”
Du Barry has also been a supporting character in films about Marie Antoinette. Gladys George took on the role of du Barry in a 1938 biopic about the French queen, who was played by Norma Shearer.
Asia Argento’s du Barry in “Marie Antoinette” inspired Maïwenn to make her own film about King Louis XV’s favorite. Sofia Coppola’s alternative take on the historical drama debuted in 2006.