Lauren Cutherbertson playing Juliet...

The most famous story of star-crossed lovers was simultaneously shown in 600 locations worldwide on 22nd March, as the Royal Opera House hosted a high definition live streaming of the classic ballet, Romeo and Juliet. The live screenings brought a modern touch to choregrapher Kenneth MacMillan’s heart-breaking production, featuring Lauren Cuthbertson  and Federico Bonelli as two of the company’s most established dancers in one of the Royal Ballet’s signature works. Romeo and Juliet’s love story has stood the test of time, and by showing choreography that was first premiered over 40 years ago in 1965 in  live screenings across the world, ROH fused the old and the new to perfection

With a cinema screening, you can enjoy a front row seat without the prohibitive price tag; group choreography and the finer details of the opulent set can be appreciated without binoculars. Plus, by watching the ballet from your local cinema, you don’t have to travel to the West End to appreciate Prokofiev’s masterful score and MacMillan’s fluid choreography. The clever, quick-paced dancing is both intimate when the two lovers are alone, and grand during complex fencing scenes. With behind-the-scenes access in addition exclusive interviews, everyone gets the VIP experience.

What you don’t get, however, is that palpable buzz of excitement as the curtain goes up, which is so energising in a real theatre environment. Some of the faster dancing movements also do not appear as fluid as they might in real life, which can be disappointing. Likewise, the editing of close-up shots cuts out the surrounding action on stage, forcing you to follow the camera’s gaze rather than your own.

Nonetheless, the playful innocence of Romeo and Juliet’s love affair really comes across in the pas de deux when they first meet in the ballroom and once again in the famous balcony scene. The most tender moment of all, however, is when Romeo dances with Juliet’s lifeless body in the tomb scene as their tragic story draws to a close. It seems fitting, somehow, that a love which surpasses time, family feuds and society should be communicated through dance; perhaps the most transcendental art form of all. With such naturalistic acting and gestures, Cuthbertson and Bonelli communicate as much emotion as Shakespeare’s famous prose in a single piece of pointe work.

So, to paraphrase Juliet’s famous question: what’s in a live performance? That which we call a ballet, by any other medium would be as sweet. It is, it seems, true: Romeo and Juliet’s love story is as enchanting and sad in a live streaming as it is in a live performance.

For more information on future live screenings visit the ROH cinema website. Upcoming productions include Rigoletto and La Fille Mal Gardée.

Romeo and Juliet at the Royal Opera House

Kriegerin's young female protagonists...

Kriegerin (Combat Girls) is a forcible directorial debut from Berlin-born film graduate David Wnendt. The theme is uncomfortable – the subculture of East-German neo-Nazism, focusing on two female protagonists. Kriegerinis set in a provincial East-German town, where right-wing radicalism and testosterone-fuelled violence are the norm.

The film starts with a bullish, pugnacious scene on a train – a gang of skinheads terrorise all on board – throwing a conductor off, violently beating up various passengers and performing the Heil Hitler salute. This cuts to a sex scene between one of the protagonists and her boyfriend – even there, there’s little tenderness.

Marisa (the formidable Alina Levshin) is twenty years old, works in the local supermarket and has a tattoo on her shoulder that reads “Aryan Skin Girl”. When two Afghani immigrants bring their goods to the till, Marisa refuses to serve them, with a cruel, contumacious “I’m not serving something like that”. Yet over time, her enmity towards foreigners begins to dissipate. For the others, errant racism remains an integral part of their daily lives; destruction defines them.

Kriegerin‘s second protagonist is fifteen-year-old Svenja (Jella Haase). Her stepfather is despotic and overbearing, and when he discovers cigarette butts in her pockets, Svenja is forced to smoke an entire packet of cigarettes in succession. As a primary act of rebellion, Svenja slowly begins to slide deeper and deeper into the world of the neo-Nazis. It’s a forbidden sphere; a world of violence, of drugs and chain-smoking.

Throughout the film, we learn of the (rather too simple) origins of Marisa’s attitudes. When she announces to her mother that she is planning on having a baby with her skinhead boyfriend, she asks her mother if she thinks she’d be a good parent. Her mother replies: “there’s not a lot that you can do well”. We see her grandfather’s hatred of Jews, and how such hatred is inflicted onto Marisa as an ingenuous ten-year-old. It’s a lamentably obvious attempt from Wnendt to exemplify the impressionability of a child.

There’s a New German Film feel about the movie – decidedly provocative, melodramatic, an exegesis of the neo-Nazi culture. Wnendt spent many years researching the film – meeting with right-wing women and various members of Germany’s neo-Nazi party, the NPD.

It’s an uncomfortable work to sit through. It’s almost brilliant, yet there are too many clichés towards the end. It’s undoubtedly superbly researched which shows with a semi-documentary feel, however the violent and positively stupid skinhead boyfriend, Marisa’s sudden change in racial attitudes and the overly naïve Svenja detract from the movie somewhat; these elements are too superficial.

Despite the clichés, Kriegerin is eye-opening. For those of us only mildly political, who read the newspapers, vote in the big elections and claim to be socialists, it’s a shocking glimpse at the fervor of radicalism. Their political views define their relationships, their leisure activities, and their taste in music. It’s a timely piece – there are currently 25 000 right-wing extremists in Germany, according to Spiegel Online, and last year’s revelations that the German security authorities had failed to properly investigate a series of right-wing murders have shocked the government into creating a database to fight neo-Nazis. In some parts of Germany, neo-Nazism is a very real threat. Kriegerin provides us with a glimpse into the life of some of the gangs in Eastern Germany, yet the characters require a fuller, rounder background for the film to have the impact it aims to achieve.

The trailer for Kriegerin

Duris: an emotionally raw performance

Based on Douglas Kennedy’s debut novel, The Big Picture is a emotionally charged thriller with a star-studded cast. At first glance, it looks like that Paul (Romain Duris) has everything: a beautiful wife Sarah (Marina Foïs), a loving family, and a successful partnership at a Parisian law firm. But it is not long before the cracks in his seemingly perfect life begin to show.

Sarah, a failing writer and stay-at-home mother, feels trapped in her domestic bubble and neglected by her overworked husband. He resents her unhappiness, having built a stable career and given up his own dreams so that she could pursue hers. Their world is turned upside down when Paul discovers his wife is having an affair with their neighbour, photographer Greg (Eric Ruf). A heated confrontation between the men ends suddenly with Greg’s death and Paul is left to deal with the consequences.

In a series of pacey, stomach-churningly tense scenes Paul assumes Greg’s identity and flees to Montenegro to pursue his secret passion for photography. But not before taking time to fake his own death in a boating accident and dump Greg’s body along the way.

It’s an emotionally raw performance from Duris, one to rival his César nomination for Best Actor in The Beat That My Heart Skipped. If only there was an award for most expressive eyes, it would surely be his: from the deepest fear when confronted by the police to sheer heartache when leaving his children for the last time, they really do say it all. Proof again that Duris is much better suited to playing a tormented man than his wishy washy lead roles in the odd chick flick. Throughout the entire film the camera never leaves Paul’s side, journeying with him through ups and downs as he tries to start again and forget the past that haunts him.

His character undergoes profound change in the film which Duris portrays both physically and emotionally. This was aided in large part by the chronological filming schedule mastermined by director Eric Lartigau. Long journeys driving from country to country and filming along the way enabled Duris to fully embody his character’s development. Duris’ performance is enhanced by his electrifying chemistry with legendary co-stars Niels Arestrup and Catherine Deneuve.

An emotional rollercoaster with plot twists throughout, we are left wondering whether Paul with ever escape the consequences of his actions and begin truly living again.

The Big Picture was released on DVD by Artificial Eye, and is available to buy online here.

The trailer for Eric Lartigau’s The Big Picture

Jeremy Irvine with Joey in War Horse

War Horse is the ultimate love story. A love story with many facets: the love between a young boy and his horse; the love a mother has for her child; the love between two siblings, and the love of one’s country. The story is told through the innocent eyes of a horse called Joey and follows his incredible journey through World War I.

The film is clearly a comment on the sheer brutality and wastefulness of war. It opens the audience’s eyes not only to the human sacrifice, where an entire generation of young men lost their lives, but also to the scale of animal deaths and casualties. Ingeniously however, even as a war film, War Horse manages to remain family friendly; battle scenes, although brutal, take up only 10-15 minutes of the whole film and hardly any blood is shown throughout.

Michael Morpurgo‘s 1982 novel was originally adapted for the stage by Nick Stafford and is currently showing at The New London Theatre, where it continues to be extremely popular. War Horse is therefore a very British treasure. Director Steven Spielberg is very mindful of this and was keen to maintain the traditional British feel. With opening scenes roaming the beautiful Devonshire moors, a cast boasting top UK talent and a roaring reception at Sunday’s London premiere Spielberg has called War Horse his “first British film.”

War Horse has also brought a lot of firsts for 21-year-old Jeremy Irvine who plays protagonist, Albert Narracott; it’s his first major role, his first film and, surprisingly, his first time on horseback. After seeing the beautiful way he rides and his effortless communication with the horses throughout the film, this seems hard to believe. Asked why he chose Irvine for such a major role, Spielberg stated: “Nobody had the heart or the spirit or the communication skills that Jeremy had, even in silence without speaking.” It’s a promising comment from a film industry veteran and has been the beginning what promises to be an illustrious career for Irvine.

From Joey’s panic-stricken charge through No Man’s Land to the vivid sunsets in the final frame, there’s no denying the film’s beauty. While War Horse may not be everyone’s cup of tea, (it’s a tear-jerker with big musical numbers from John Williams, a horse that miraculously makes the right moral choice at every opportunity, rushed characterisation and a questionable French accent from an otherwise adorable little girl) the film is quite clearly crowd-pleasing Oscar material.

War Horse is released in the UK on January 13^th.

The trailer for Steven Spielberg’s War Horse

Michael Fassbender starring in Shame

Meet the protagonist of Shame, Brandon (Michael Fassbender) – he’s attractive, he’s successful, he’s charming. He’s also cool, calm and collected. Or is he?

Behind this controlled exterior is an insatiable, ever-expanding web of pornography, one-night stands and online sexual encounters. Like a swan gliding elegantly along the water’s surface, he’s paddling frantically underneath to keep his head above water and manage his sexual urges. His control truly starts to slip with the arrival of his sister Sissy (Carey Mulligan). He fights, cries and goes on a night-long binge which can only end regrettably. Sissy, reckless and emotional, is the antithesis of her brother – bedding Brandon’s boss after her own messy break-up and physically scarred from self-harming.

We are given no explanation for the pair’s behaviour, only hints of a troubled youth. “We’re not bad people” Sissy pleads, “We just come from a bad place.” The film ends with no insight as to how either lives develop. There is no sense of closure. And this is the very beauty of Shame: its immediacy. It is not attempting to story tell, but to give a snapshot of two complicated lives.

It is a powerful and devastatingly honest erotic drama highlighting the overpowering nature of human addiction. Could we have expected anything less from the collaboration of Steve McQueen (Co-Writer and Director) and Fassbender that brought us Hunger in 2008? Probably not.

Its been described as the most daring and thought-provoking film of this year; in some of the most long-lasting, graphic sex-scenes to hit the big screen, the audience are truly ripped from their comfort zone. We are faced, over and over again, with the romping reality of such a serious and life-absorbing addiction.

After McQueen’s unique and refreshing direction together with emotionally raw performances from Fassbender and Mulligan, it is no wonder countless nominations keep flooding in.

Shame is released in the UK on January 13^th 2012.

The trailer for Shame

The Art of Colour: Georgia O’Keeffe

A year in art, music, cinema and literature features and there have been some fascinating, thought-provoking pieces on everything from banned books to cinema in Berlin. For your reading pleasure, we’ve rounded up the best of best; a look back over Culturelle in 2011…

Brits and the Boards: Women in UK Theatre

Alice Stride edits a go-to guide to the brightest and most brilliant women working in British theatre today: an inspiring must-read for any budding theatre-luvvies out there.

The Enigmatic Artists

Plum Woodard takes a look at five of music’s most enigmatic female artists, from rock and pop, soul to blues – and from ceaselessly out there to near on unknown…

The Art of Colour

In considering the works of celebrated artists, the exploration of the expressive use of colour can unveil ardent sensitivity and insight into some of the great masters in history and how they inspire us, even today. Kaiti Vartholomaios looks at the art of colour.

Ten of the Best… Historical Novels

As a fun and engaging way to learn about the past, historical novels offer more than your average ‘airport’ read. Viola Levy noses through ten of the best.

Street Art Now

Spray cans at the ready; SJP takes a look at the progression of street art, key artists and where you can see the best tags, bombs and burners…

Banned Books: The Novels You Weren’t Supposed to Read

Banned by governments, Brogan Driscoll presents an edit of some of the most famous outlawed titles – and a few that might surprise you.

Brushstrokes and Bitch Fits: Women who Changed Art

It’s certainly not that female artists don’t exist – it’s simply that they’re not given the wall space that their male counterparts are. Sandra Smiley considers ten key female figures from the art world…

Magathèque: Volume 20

It’s your final Magathèque and the best ever yet! To conclude two years of short film exploration,  Pippa Rimmer reminds you of some of the best shorts we’ve profiled…

On Location: Greece

It’s been a long time since Greece was one of the globe’s greatest exporters of culture, but that hasn’t stopped international production companies from turning its landscapes into cinematic starlets…Kaiti Vartholomaios explores the Greek cinematic landscape past and present.

Upper Class Reads

The fictional – and not so fictional – adventures of the rich and fabulous have fascinated readers for centuries, and it is hardly surprising, thinks Katie Byrne.

Running in Heels: Jasmine Cullingford – Artistic Director

Alice Revel  takes a peek behind the curtains and meets the lady who makes the on-stage magic happen at one of the UK’s most inspiring, eclectic arts venues.

Meet Diana Athill 

Speaking to Harri Sutherland-Kay , the legendary, award-winning British writer and editor adresses the important themes of writing, political activism, feminism, education, religion and the afterlife.

The Ex Factor Playlist

SJP presents your essential guide to the best break-up tracks of all time. Grab a bar of chocolate, arm yourself with tissues and press play to listen to the Ex Factor…

Work by artist Yolanda Dominguez

A Space to Write

Monique Rubinslooks at how a woman needs time, a means to live and her own space if she is to find form for the muddled – but wonderful – ideas that for too long have been buried somewhere at the back of her brain.

Blogging in Heels: Katy Evans-Bush – Baroque in Hackney

Alice Revel quizzes fascinating books and culture blogger Katy Evans-Bush about her sharp, witty musings on literature and London.

Bitches of the Big Screen

Audiences love them, actresses love playing them, the only question is why don’t we see more of them?! Victoria Todd give you our best Bitches of the Big Screen.

Meet Yolanda Domínguez

Jem McCarron meets the young Spanish artist, whose ground-breaking work investigates and challenges our gender conceptions through new, innovative art forms.

Cinematic Cities: Berlin

Continuing your cinematic journey of Europe, Francesca Robson takes you to a city which has inspired some of the most dedicated depictions on celluloid: Berlin

Beach Reads: The Guilty Pleasures

Unfold your towel, settle into the sunshine and enjoy the dog-eared pages. Alexia Healy chooses some of the best literary junk food for snacking pleasure!

Meet Rose Balston

Fran Harris talks classical treasures, architectural anecdotes and bringing London’s artistic heritage to life with the young, passionate founder of Art History UK.

Five of our Favourites… Northern Soul

Not so familiar with the genre? Plum Woodard takes a look five of top Northern soul tracks that are bound to get you spinning on your heels in no time…

The Magic of Writing: Patricia Duncker

Literary doyenne and idea aficionado Patricia Duncker speaks to Deirdra Eden Keane about love, suicide cults, literature festivals and everything in between…

One of our five Northern Soul picks, Dobie Gray’s Out On The Floor

Jean-Pierre Léaud as Antoine Doinel

It was a year long séjour in the City of Lights and undergraduate degree in French that led me straight into the arms of Monsieur Truffaut and a film I will watch over and over again. So grateful am I that I even begrudge my student loan an itsy bit less. I am not alone in my adoration that’s for sure; Les 400 Coups is cited by many as their favourite film of all time, winning François Truffaut a prize for Best Director at the 1959 Cannes Film Festival, and gaining nominations for numerous other awards including a Palme D’Or, an Oscar and a BAFTA.

The film follows adolescent Antoine Doinel (Jean-Pierre Léaud) and his struggle to free himself from the regimented stronghold of his parents, teachers and French institutions. It is semi-autobiographical of Truffaut’s childhood, where, faced with similar conflict he sought solace in life-long friendships. The partnership between Léaud and Truffaut itself spanned four further films (Stolen Kisses, Bed and Board,  Love on the Run, and the 1962 short subject, Antoine and Colette), each providing the next instalment of Doinel’s life.

Formerly a film critic, Les 400 Coups was Truffaut’s first feature film. Released in 1959 it went on to define La Nouvelle Vague (The New Wave), which is arguably one of the most influential of cinematic movements to date. New Wave directors broke free of the traditional methods of filmmaking, bridging the gap between art and reality; a change that, 50 years on, is easy to take for granted.

Truffaut and his peers rejected the plot-driven obsession and one-dimensional characters that characterised Hollywood cinema at the time, giving us realistic characters who didn’t adhere to the simple cause-and-effect formula audiences were so used to seeing. In the film we see Doinel’s life change dramatically from one moment to the next. He makes decisions in an instant: to run away from school, to run away from the juvenile detention centre, to play truant. His actions aren’t calculated, they are reactive. And that is what makes Doinel such a relatable character; the audience see their own childhood frustrations reflected in his.

Characterisation and plot weren’t the only way Truffaut & co bent the rules. They were as rebellious to classic film form as Doinel to his adult co-stars. The New Wave was a movement unafraid to remind the viewers that they were, well, viewers. In Les 400 Coups, Truffaut lingers on scenes that reinforce this; whether it be looking out on to a sea of toddlers’ faces as they enjoy a puppet show, or the aerial shot of school children dropping out of the sports teacher’s line as they run through Paris – they all serve to remind the audience of the filmmaking process and served to revolutionise cinema.

It is simple and beautifully shot film with a magnificent soundtrack by Jean Constantin. I challenge anyone to watch the first scenes and resist falling instantly head over heels in love with Paris. And with Antoine Doinel for that matter.

The trailer for Les 400 Coups

Starring in We Need To Talk About Kevin

Up until a few years ago, the name Tilda Swinton was little known outside of art-house circles. Now her name is stretched across multiplex cinemas and her chiselled features are instantly recognisable to mainstream audiences.

Born into a Scottish aristocratic family and educated at Scottish and English boarding schools, she graduated from Cambridge University with a degree in English Literature. Originally hoping to become a writer, Swinton soon found a passion for acting at university and took part in countless stage productions. After graduating she had a brief stint at the Royal Shakespeare Company but, ever the non-conformist, she soon left finding it too restrictive.

Her longterm creative partnership with gay avant-garde filmmaker Derek Jarman swiftly followed. They met in the mid 1980s and bonded on their likeminded creativity and strong political views. They worked together on a string of revolutionary films, laying the groundwork for the New Queer Cinema of the 1990s. Swinton was very much his muse and it was their collaboration that allowed her to realise her passion for organic filmmaking.

In the years since Jarman’s tragic death from AIDS in 1994, Swinton has been involved in a variety of creative projects, each pushing her to a new extreme and harbouring new fans. Far from chasing the bright lights of Hollywood, she is just as content working with lesser-known directors or artists as she is starring alongside the likes of Brad Pitt (The Curious Case of Benjamin Button), Leonardo Dicaprio (The Beach) or George Clooney (Michael Clayton). It is her distinct talent and fearless commitment that spurred on the success of these projects.

The collaboration with Luca Guadagnino on the beautiful and sexually charged I am Love, saw Swinton’s first production credit. Set in Milan at the turn of the new millennium, the story follows the bourgeois Recchi family as their lives are upturned by modernisation, lust and love. As the only non-Italian in the cast, Swinton’s lead performance as Emma Recchi is magnificent.

In addition to this undeniable talent, it is Swinton’s striking appearance that lends her to many roles. Androgynous with intense dark eyes and pale skin, she is perfectly cast as the White Witch in The Chronicles of Narnia: the Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe or for her breath-taking performance as grieving mother Eva Khatchadourian in Lynne Ramsey’s We Need to Talk about Kevin. Before gracing blockbusters however, Swinton was best known for her lead role in Sally Potter’s Orlando, which was rereleased due to popular demand in July 2010. This remains one of her most powerful castings and arguably. An adaptation from Virginia Woolf’s novel of the same title, Queen Elizabeth I commands young Orlando to stay young forever. The film sees Swinton move seamlessly between several centuries, changing character and even gender along the way. It is a sterling performance that questions gender boundaries and allowed her to make her mark as one of the most talented actresses of her generation.

Her unusual looks, and enthusiasm and openness to new ideas have transcended her across various art forms. In 1995 Swinton was the subject of Cornelia Parker’s The Maybe at the Serpentine Gallery. The project involved Swinton sleeping in a glass box for eight hours a day, seven days a week. She is also fashion muse to Hussein Chalayan and Viktor & Rolf, and has modelled for luxury Scottish brand Pringle on three ad campaigns.

Swinton has certainly carved out a very unique place for herself, and as we look at her already pretty impressive career history we can’t help but ask ourselves: is there anything this woman can’t do?

Tilda Swinton in Sally Potter’1992 film Orlando

With Branagh in Much Ado About Nothing

‘I am who I am and there is nothing I can do about that’-  Emma Thompson

One can surely forgive the acclaimed Hollywood actress for having such a firm sense of self, given the impressive set of achievements she has gained during her career. And Emma’s unstinting dedication to charity work has shown that she is a woman of rare depth in a world of Hollywood superficiality; it is these multi-faceted talents that mark her as a star and have secured her enduring appeal.

It was while studying English Literature at Cambridge University that Emma made her first foray into the acting world, joining forces with Hugh Laurie and Stephen Fry in the University’ s infamous dramatic society: ‘Footlights’. It was in 1985 however, that Emma really came into her own, starring in West End musical ‘Me and My Girl’, alongside Robert Lindsay, earning herself unanimous critical praise.

Since then, Emma’s acting career has gone from strength to strength, and her real-life relationship with fellow actor Kenneth Branagh led to capitivating on-screen chemistry in successful adaptions of Shakespeare’s Henry V and Much Ado About Nothing. The pair’s enigmatic appeal won them endless comparisons to the legendary Sir Laurence Olivier and Vivien Leigh.

However, Emma’s true breakthrough moment came in 1992 playing Margaret Schlegal in the Merchant-Ivory production of Howard’s End, where she displayed her profound understanding of human emotions, portraying a character of immense depth. It was for this role that Emma won both the much-coveted Oscar for Best Actress, as well as a Golden Globe award and saw her shoot to international fame.

Not content however, with being a gifted actress, Emma has also shown herself to be a keen and able writer. Her 1995 adaption of  Jane Austen’s novel, Sense and Sensibility won her a second Oscar and made Emma the first actress to win the Oscar both for her acting as well as her writing skills. More recently Emma adapted the screenplay for children’s comedy Nanny McPhee, playing the unconventional Nanny in the feature film and showcasing her masterful talent for versatility, much to the delight of critics and audiences alike.

Given this impressive CV of achievements, one could forgive her for wanting to sit back and bask in the light of her many successes; not Emma, however. Her on-screen presence has made her synonymous with the ability to capture the complexity of human emotions, and it is this empathetic understanding that is borne out further by Emma’s unrelenting dedication to her charity work. She is a leading figure in the Helen Bamber Foundation, which works to rebuild the lives of those who have fallen victim to human rights violations. Moreover, in 2008, Emma joined forces with fellow human rights activist, Sam Roddick, to really combine her art and her heart, helping to produce an ambitious art installation, showcased in London’s Trafalgar Square. ‘The Journey Against Sex Trafficking’, was a moving piece of art consisting of seven transport containers, each one depicting the brutal and harrowing ordeals of women forced into the sex trade, another cause to which Emma is wholly devoted.

Time and time again, Emma has shown herself to be a woman of many talents; with a marriage of intellect, poise and grace Emma effortlessly combines supreme acting skills with true, heartfelt substance. Not only has she secured herself a permanent place on the Hollywood walk of fame but she has also earned herself a lasting place in the hearts of many, as a woman who has truly made a difference.

Emma playing Margaret Schlegal in Howard’s End

At the Cannes festival 2011 in Chanel

Diane Kruger is a German actress. It’s true – nevertheless to describe her merely as Teutonic would not only do her injustice, it would simply be strikingly incomplete. Better yet to say, Diane Kruger is a multi-talented, multilingual actress who is not confined by international boundaries. She is, after all, the woman who opened the 2007 Cannes film festival in three languages – in irreproachable accents. That she was voted InStyle’s best dressed for the gown worn while accomplishing this feat could but add multi-tasking to her repertoire.

The truth is, Kruger is an international entity in the most literal sense. Her recent French project, Les Adieux à la Reine, in which she plays Marie Antoinette, is evidence of the multinational qualities of her person and consequently, career. The peculiar combination of an archetypally German origin – she was born Diane Heidkrüger in a small village in Lower Saxony – and by now a flawless American accent has at times placed her in amusing instances wherein she was compelled to whip up an accent in roles such as the German-born Abigail Chase in US blockbuster National Treasure and Nazi regime actress Bridget von Hammersmark in Quentin Tarantino’s  Inglourious Basterds. At other times she has played in different languages altogether.

Naturally, this transnationalism didn’t happen by coincidence. Credit can certainly be given to her experiences in modelling at a young age, providing plenty of opportunities to travel. “I met incredible people, traveled the world, and I feel like that helps me in my acting. Just seeing the world and making experiences at a very young age that sort of fuels your character work”, she corroborates in an interview with MovieWeb.

Residing for a time in Paris and New York, she reached the heights of fashion under brands such as Dior, Armani and Yves Saint Laurent. Nevertheless the job proved to lack the intellectual challenge she sought, and led her through the drama school in Paris to Troy, where she became the face to launch a thousand ships and what appears to be the path towards a hundred sumptuous future roles.

For the moment, Kruger treads on French waters with roles as the aforementioned legendary Queen of France and as a French journalist in Special Forces, which will be released this fall. But regardless of where she is, the momentum of her work is enthralling to watch. As for her current field of focus, there can be no question – when asked if she was a model or an actress by Craig Kilborn on his show in 2004, her reply was firm: “Oh, I’ve definitely chosen that … an actress.”

For a girl who was once a professional mourner, perhaps the métier of acting is only a natural progression. I mean, doesn’t the job description sound like it would involve a lot of acting?

Diane Kruger in an interview with the New York Times Style magazine