There are plenty of fairy tale movies that do not come from Disney, nor are based on well-known stories. The King's Daughter is a perfect example.
Even though it centers on King Louis XIV "the Sun king," The King's Daughter took inspiration from a novel: The Moon and the Sun by Vonda N. McIntyre. While the film suggests King Louis had a daughter named Marie-Josèphe, there is no information about her real-life counterpart.
A fairy tale based on both history and literature is unique. How do I know it's a fairy tale? Like many early Disney movies, The King's Daughter opens and closes with a storybook. There are also mermaids in the story, which nods to Peter Pan and The Little Mermaid. Plus, the story centers around the common feature of fairy tales: a royal family (in this case, a king and princess).
The film opens explaining Marie-Josèphe's love for water and being raised in a convent. Yet, it reveals little about her goals. That makes the film feel more like a sequence of actions than a stitched-together story. It would have felt differently if they focused more on Marie-Josèphe's life in the convent and less on her father ordering the capture of mermaids early on.
Marie-Josèphe develops a relationship with her father throughout the first act and eventually, as in most fairy tales, falls in love with Benoit (not Napoleon, the husband of the only real-life Marie-Josèphe I can identify). Their fishing area date, especially the set with the Tudor building, was a delight to watch.
While Marie-Josèphe develops strong relationships with men, she also develops close bonds with other women. She hangs out with servant Magali many times through the film. Marie-Josèphe befriends a mermaid who eventually helps her, too.
I also enjoyed the Christian references in the film. While Marie-Josèphe gets treatment for an injury, for instance, she says God will help her. King Louis XIV references God many times, too.
The costumes all seem fit for royalty-Marie-Josèphe's pink outfit stood out among the rest. Her braided wrap-around hairstyle was also memorable. Unfortunately, the same cannot be said about the lighting. As with many live-action films, the lighting sometimes gets too dim. This especially happens in dark scenes with storms and waves.
The King's Daughter is far from perfect, but those seeking a non-Disney live-action fairy tale will enjoy this. The history may or may not be accurate, but I especially recommend this for French history fans.
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