Portrait Of A Lady On Fire

In mid-18th century France, Marianne, a young painter, is hired to paint the portrait of an aristocrat, Eloise, about to be sent off to wed to a man she doesn’t know, as was the tradition at the time. The struggle, however, is that the aristocrat does not want to marry. But to go against the social conventions of the time is almost impossible. She will fight. Marianne inevitably becomes the adversary, first, yet later, a flame of hope. As the artist searches for the soul of her subject, the two women form a bond and a powerful forbidden love that is one of the most beautiful romances ever brought to screen.

This is not just about love. It is about desire. Not just desire for each other. But for independence, acknowledgement of the self, and for timelessness.

In its look and design, it is a living painting, every frame beautifully composed and filled with stunning nature, costumes, and props. In its characters and dialogues, it is a poem come to life, so much said with few words, yet eyes and body language pour out meaning and emotion between the long pauses. You truly care about these women, worrying what fate might have in store for them. In its overall feel, it is a visual symphony, carrying us through its ebbs and flows towards a dramatic finale, one of the most breath-taking musical moments in cinema you’ll ever witness.