Jeanne du Barry: A Success or Off with Their Heads?

Written and Illustrated by Eirini Remboulis

The new film, “Jeanne Du Barry” by Maïwenn was released in theatres early last week, and people are divided in true French-Revolution fashion. Maïwenn wrote, directed, and starred in the film alongside her costar Johny Depp. The film is meant to tell the story of the last great mistress of France, Jeanne du Barry. Yet, as an Art Historian, I feel split about the film’s representation of such an iconic and vital figure of 18th-century French history, and it seems I’m not the only one. Popular media and news outlets have already written incredibly strong reviews that both support and detest the film for multiple factors.

My goal is to provide you with historical context about who Jeanne du Barry was and the reality of 18th-century France, especially for a woman trying to climb the very steep ladder of the aristocracy. Ultimately, letting you make the final decision, did the film succeed? Or is it off to the guillotine?

Becoming Jeanne du Barry

Born in 1743, Marie-Jeanne Bécu, now infamously known as Jeanne du Barry, didn’t have the greatest start, born an illegitimate child to a 30-year-old unmarried seamstress, Jeanne had no prospects. However, even under such unfortunate circumstances, she managed to claw her way up to the top, even past the highest and most respected aristocrats— taking her place next to the King of France, Louis XV. 

Jeanne went from selling trinkets to the side of the road to becoming an assistant to a hairdresser named Lametz, where her artistic skills started to bloom as she created powdered styles for the wealthy. Men started to take notice of her. Beautiful long blonde ringlets and almond-shaped violet-blue eyes became her weapons. Jumping from job to job, Jeanne made many acquaintances among the successful men in Paris, getting many offers to become a mistress, but she always kept her eyes on a higher prize. 

During one of the many balls Jeanne attended, she caught the eye of Jeane Baptiste du Barry, an aristocrat known as a seducer, even earning the nickname, the rake. He was responsible for launching Jeanne’s career as a courtesan, showering her with the finest jewels and silks, and parading her to the aristocracy. She was sold to the Duke of Choiseul, who planned her biggest debut at the Palace of Versailles, where Jeanne met the worthiest patron of them all, King Louis XV.

Love at First Sight

Louis XV was known to be a timid King, the opposite of his predecessor Louis XIV, also known as the Sun King. Even though he was shy, Louis XV didn’t seem to have any issues around women— racking up more lovers than any other previous King. After the death of his favorite mistress, Madame de Pompadour, and soon after his Queen, Marie Leszczyńska, Louis XV was devastated. However, as he was melancholily walking through the hall of mirrors, his gaze was met by the most striking violet-blue eyes. Instead of lowering her lids, the young woman dared to smile at him— leaving her mark on his heart thereafter. 

With one look, Jeanne du Barry had captured the King’s heart, beginning one of the most infamous affairs of all history. However, not anyone can become the King’s mistress, if memory recalls, Jeanne du Barry isn’t of an aristocratic family, meaning she had to marry and take on a title before officially becoming the King’s mistress. If that isn’t proof of 18th-century craziness, I don’t know what is.

After all the planning was settled, Jeanne was established in luxury apartments right above the King’s chamber, however, her life was lonely. With the strict protocols of Versailles, she couldn’t see the King publicly, only alone during late hours in their rooms. The rest of the court heavily disliked her, labelling her as a woman of the streets. But after some strings were pulled by our friend, Duke of Choiseul, Jeanne du Barry was finally to be presented to the King publicly in court, meaning she would be able to be around the King any time she wanted, regardless of others’ opinions. 

With Power at Hand

Now officially known as the King’s mistress, Madame Jeanne du Barry, had more power than the Queen herself. She became a patron of the arts, supporting many artists, poets, and fashion designers and becoming their most sought-after client. But apart from her luxurious, artistic, and extensive lifestyle, Jeanne du Barry came to the needs of many, even if they disliked her. Some women from the court were sentenced to death after having some troubling debts among other charges, and Jeanne begged the King for their lives to be spared. The King, pleased with her first request being an honorable one, granted her favor. Also, Jeanne du Barry wrote a letter to the chancellor of France to save the life of a young girl who had been condemned to the Gallows for infanticide after she concealed the birth of a stillborn child. 

The Final Cut

Even with all the information I’ve laid for you thus far, it’s impossible to cover all of Jeanne du Barry’s life and influence. However, it is important to understand the hardship she went through and how hard she fought to reach the status she did. With Marie Antoinette as her pronounced rival, the palace was split, and following the King’s death everything took a turn for the worse. She was immediately kicked out of the palace and sent to a monastery for reform, only allowed to return to her estate gifted to her by the King a while later. There, she was harassed by mobs of the revolution who taunted her by breaking her windows and throwing a stick with a real bleeding head inside her home. 

Eventually, after a long chase, she was sent to the guillotine— it is important to note, that the executioner confessed her to be the hardest person he had to kill. She kicked, screamed, and fought harder than any other prisoner, her last words being, “One more moment, Mr. Executioner, I beg you!” But regardless of her heartfelt protest, she was killed, and her head paraded around the streets. She was later buried alongside other royal victims of the revolution in the Madeleine Cemetery.

Thinking back on the film “Jeanne du Barry”, I still question if Maïwenn captured the severe challenge and fight Jeanne put on to establish herself as the woman we read about today. To me, it felt like the tone never picked up or changed, making her out to be this very aloof, almost unaware, figure in the palace. We have seen this previously in Sofia Coppola’s “Marie Antoinette”, depicting du Barry from a very one-sighted view— this makes sense considering the film was from Antoinette’s perspective, du Barry’s number one rival. But if we are to believe that this new “Jeanne du Barry” film was to provide an insight into du Barry’s character and struggle, I believe it failed tremendously. It only reinforced the surface-level knowledge most of us had or expected. And lastly, what is with these films not showing what happens after Versailles? Seeing the extreme contrast between where she was and how she ended up, would further highlight, and make her death much more powerful.

So, what do you think, should we sharpen the guillotine?