Film Review: "Portrait of a Lady on Fire" ("Portrait de la jeune fille en feu") (2019).

From the director of Tomboy and Girlhood (Bande de filles) comes Portrait of a Lady on Fire (Portrait de la jeune fille en feu). This French historical drama film written and directed by Céline Sciamma. Set in France, 1770. The film follows Marianne, a painter who is commissioned to do the wedding portrait of Héloïse, a young woman who has just left the convent. Héloïse is a reluctant bride to be and Marianne must paint her without her knowing. She observes her by day, to paint her secretly.

According to Sciamma, It was her initial desire to shoot a love story. With two apparently contradictory wishes underlying the writing. Firstly, to show, step by step, what it is like to fall in love, the pure present and pleasure of it. There, her direction focuses on confusion, hesitation and the romantic exchange. Secondly, to write the story of the echo of a love affair, of how it lives on within us in all its scope. There, her direction focuses on remembrance, with the film as a memory of that love. Likewise, the film is designed as an experience of both the pleasure of a passion in the present and the pleasure of emancipatory fiction for the characters and the audience. This dual temporality, for Sciamma, allows the viewer to experience the emotion and to reflect on it. Additionally, the film is a love story based on equality. In other words, it is not based on hierarchies and relationships of power and seduction that exist before the encounter. The feeling of a dialogue that is being invented and that surprises us. The whole film is governed by this principle in the relationships between the characters. By late October 2018, Noémie Merlant, Adèle Haenel, Luàna Bajrami, and Valeria Golino were cast. The role of Héloïse was written with Haenel in mind. Sciamma and Haenel are ex-lovers. They split amicably prior to filming. At the same time, principal photography commenced and wrapped in early December. Filming took place throughout France, and was shot in 8k with the Red Weapon Monstro camera with Leica Thalia Lenses. Sciamma wanted to capture a large dynamic range of colors and for the film to feel contemporary, whereas 35mm felt too timeless. The paintings by Marianne were all created by painter Hélène Delmaire, whom Merlant worked closely with to inform her character's perspectives and sight lines when painting. According to Sciamma, the reason why the film features no musical score is to be obsessed with rhythm, to make the music arise elsewhere, in the movements of the bodies and the camera. Especially since the film is mostly made up of sequence shots and therefore with a precise choreography.

The film stars Merlant, Haenel, Bajrami, and Golino. Merlant and Haenel give outstanding performances, and their onscreen chemistry is palpable, which makes up for everything else this movie lacks.

Portrait of a Lady on Fire is that rare film about female sexuality that is made for females to relate to, not for males to fantasize about.

Simon says Portrait of a Lady on Fire (Portrait de la jeune fille en feu) receives: