Rented the 2019 film Portrait of a Lady on Fire the other day on iTunes (it’s also streaming on Hulu). This movie got on a ton of best of the year lists (but was shut out of the Academy Award nominations). I wasn’t familiar with what it was but the title was evocative… though it turns out it’s just as literal a title as it is figurative.
Set in the 18th century, the movie is about a young lady who travels to a French island to paint a wedding portrait of an aristocratic woman who is promised to someone she does not want to marry. Since she doesn’t want her portrait painted (right on, sister) the painter has to pretend she’s just a companion for walks and then paint her from memory. Soon they are mostly alone on the island and they begin to slowly fall for one another. It’s an ultimately doomed romance though since she’s promised, it’s an improper romance, and it’s the 18th century.
This is a pretty great movie. It’s smart, it’s aimed at adults, it’s romantic, it’s seductive, it’s visually stunning, it’s quiet, and the acting is perfect. There’s more said (and unsaid) in the many, many longing glances than ten movies with two much plot and too little intelligence. There’s so much just happening at once that the movie doesn’t take pains to explain to the audience… it relies on our ability to reason things out. To think. To get into the characters and relationships.
This is both a deeply romantic movie and a deeply political one… but again without ramming the point home. If you only pay attention on a surface level, you’ll think it was two hours of not much happening… but the movie is saying a lot about women’s options and control in society. It just doesn’t take a breath and lecture you about it. I loved this aspect of the movie.
This is a very good romantic drama that you have to do a little work on as an audience member to enjoy. If you aren’t into a slow burn or analyzing an actor’s face to understand mood or intent, this may not be for you. But I think other mature adults who want a searing romance that has no chance of lasting will enjoy this film.
Score: 88