Directed by Celine Sciamma
Starring: Adele Haenel, Noemie Merlant & Luana Bajrami
Rating: 9/10
Portrait of a Lady on Fire is a stunning, visually and emotionally gripping tale of love and memory. A fantastic outing by director Celine Sciamma, and a metaphorical look at a very human experience. Set in the late eighteenth century, on an isolated island, this film follows a young french painter who is commissioned to paint a woman who refuses to be painted. And already the metaphors come through. This film is simplistic in its presentation, almost to a fault. It’s slow and methodical in its interpretation of love. It’s hard to say exactly when, but the filmmaking starts to show both women in the role of the artist, and the other as their personal muse. At a certain point the women share a moment reading the story of Orpheus and their interpretation of the ending is an important look at how they feel about their situation.
This is a film of lost love and seeking remembrance over regret. The memory of good times and love are very important to the main characters as well as the actual filmmaking aspects. This film boasts almost no score. It seemed that all of the music was diegetic, as the audience only hears what the characters hear, which is a welcome change to the big Hollywood dramas with manipulative scores, telling you what to feel rather than letting feelings appear naturally. And that’s what Portrait of a Lady on Fire is all about; letting feelings occur naturally.
Following this tale of love is easy. The way their relationship begins, progresses, and eventually ends is absolutely relatable. The use of realism to show how love affects the main characters stand in contrast to the artistic, almost esoteric way the film explains the plot. Which lends to the idea that this film is less about its own story than it is about love. Halfway through the film the main characters share their interpretations of Orpheus and Euridyce’s tragic end.
Neither character sees it as truly tragic though. Marrienne (the painter) says Orpheus made the “poet’s choice”, choosing to turn around and see his love one last time and keep her forever in memory. Heloise (the muse) offers her interpretation that perhaps Euridyce herself was asking Orpheus to simply turn around. This film is an astonishing take on an all too familiar feeling. A beautiful meditation on love and loss painted on a canvas of memories.
Portrait of a Lady on Fire is streaming now on Hulu.
