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Portrait of a Lady on Fire

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Portrait of a Lady on Fire
Festival de Cannes film poster
Directed byCéline Sciamma
Screenplay byCéline Sciamma
Produced by
  • Véronique Cayla
  • Bénédicte Couvreur
Starring
CinematographyClaire Mathon
Edited byJulien Lacheray
Music by
Production
company
Lilies Films
Distributed by
  • Pyramide Films
Release dates
  • 19 May 2019 (2019-05-19) (Cannes)
  • 18 September 2019 (2019-09-18) (France)
Running time
120 minutes
CountryFrance
LanguageFrench
Box office$3.1 million[1][2]

Portrait of a Lady on Fire (French: Portrait de la jeune fille en feu) is a 2019 French historical drama film written and directed by Céline Sciamma, starring Noémie Merlant and Adèle Haenel. Set in France in the late 18th century, the film tells the story of a forbidden affair between an aristocrat and a painter commissioned to paint her portrait.

Portrait of a Lady on Fire was selected to compete for the Palme d'Or at the 2019 Cannes Film Festival.[3][4] The film won the Queer Palm at Cannes, becoming the first film directed by a woman to win the award.[5] Sciamma also won the award for Best Screenplay at Cannes.[6][7][8] The film was theatrically released in France on 18 September 2019.[9]

Plot

At the end of the eighteenth century, Marianne, a young painter, is teaching painting lessons. One of her students asks her about a painting of hers, which Marianne calls "Portrait of a Lady on Fire".

Years prior, Marianne arrives on an isolated island in Brittany. She had been commissioned to paint a portrait of a young woman named Héloïse, who is to be married off to a Milanese nobleman. Marianne is informed that Héloïse has previously refused to pose for portraits as she does not want to be married. Marianne acts as Héloïse's hired companion to be able to paint her in secret, and accompanies her on daily walks to memorize Héloïse's features.

Marianne finishes the portrait, but finds herself unable to betray Héloïse's trust and reveals her true reason for arriving. After Héloïse criticises the painting, Marianne destroys the work. Héloïse's mother is shocked to hear that Héloïse is willing to pose for Marianne over the next few days. While her mother leaves for Italy, Héloïse and Marianne's bond grows. One evening, they read the story of Orpheus and Eurydice while debating the true reason why Orpheus turned around to look at his wife. The pair help Sophie, a maid, have an abortion, and later go to a gathering where women sing and dance, during which Héloïse's dress briefly catches fire. Meanwhile, Marianne is haunted throughout the house by visions of Héloïse in a wedding dress.

The next day, Marianne and Héloïse go to a cave and share their first kiss, and passionately make love later that night. Over the next few days, their romance grows stronger. However, it is cut short by the inevitable return of Héloïse's mother. Marianne sketches drawings of each of them to remember each other, and bids a short farewell. As Marianne runs out of the house, she hears Héloïse say "Turn around". She turns around and sees Héloïse in her wedding dress.

In the present, Marianne reveals that she saw Héloïse two more times. The first time she sees Héloïse at a gallery in the form of a portrait, where Héloïse is shown to be with a child—but also surreptitiously holding onto the book that has the sketch of Marianne. The second time Héloïse is seen at a concert, overwhelmed with emotions as the orchestra plays Vivaldi's Four Seasons, which Marianne once played for her on a harpsichord.

Production

Principal photography began in October 2018,[10] and was completed after 38 days.[11] Filming took place in Saint-Pierre-Quiberon in Brittany and a château in La Chapelle-Gauthier, Seine-et-Marne.[10][12]

The paintings and sketches in the film were made by artist Hélène Delmaire. She painted 16 hours every day during the course of filming, basing her painting on the blocking of the scenes. Her hands were also featured in the film.[13]

Cast

Release

On 22 August 2018, film distributor MK2 began the sale of international rights to the film, with Pyramide Films acquiring the distribution rights for France.[14] On 10 February 2019, Curzon Artificial Eye acquired the rights for the United Kingdom; as well as Karma Films for Spain, Cinéart for Benelux, and Folkets Bio for Sweden.[15][16] Neon and Hulu acquired the distribution rights for North America on 22 May.[17][18]

Portrait of a Lady on Fire was released in France on 18 September 2019.[9] The film will premiere theatrically in the United States as a limited release on 6 December 2019, followed by wide release on 14 February 2020.[19] It will be released in the United Kingdom on 28 February 2020.[20]

Reception

Critical response

On review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, the film has an approval rating of 97% based on 125 reviews from critics, with an average rating of 9.1/10 and the consensus: "A singularly rich period piece, Portrait of a Lady on Fire finds stirring, thought-provoking drama within a powerfully acted romance".[21] On Metacritic, the film received a score of 95 out of 100, based on 29 critics, indicating "universal acclaim".[22]

Accolades

Award Date of ceremony Category Recipient(s) and nominee(s) Result Ref(s)
Cannes Film Festival 25 May 2019 Queer Palm Céline Sciamma Won [23]
Best Screenplay Award Won [7]
British Independent Film Awards 1 December 2019 Best International Independent Film Céline Sciamma, Véronique Cayla, Bénédicte Couvreur Nominated [24][25]
European Film Awards 7 December 2019 Best Director Céline Sciamma Nominated [26][27]
[28][29]
Best Actress Noémie Merlant Nominated
Adèle Haenel Nominated
Best Screenwriter Céline Sciamma Won
European University Film Award Portrait of a Lady on Fire Won
New York Film Critics Online 7 December 2019 Foreign Language Portrait of a Lady on Fire Won [30]
Los Angeles Film Critics Association 8 December 2019 Best Cinematography Claire Mathon Won [31]
Washington D.C. Area Film Critics Association 8 December 2019 Best Foreign Language Film Portrait of a Lady on Fire Nominated [32]
Women Film Critics Circle 9 December 2019 Best Movie by a Woman Céline Sciamma Runner-up [33]
Best Woman Storyteller Runner-up
Best Movie About Women Portrait of a Lady on Fire Won
Best Foreign Film By or About Women Won
Karen Morley Award Nominated
Best Screen Couple Noémie Merlant and Adèle Haenel (tied with Jennifer Lopez and Constance Wu, Hustlers) Won
St. Louis Film Critics Association 15 December 2019 Best Foreign Film Portrait of a Lady on Fire Pending [34]
Golden Globe Awards 5 January 2020 Best Foreign Language Film Portrait of a Lady on Fire Pending [35]
New York Film Critics Circle Awards 7 January 2020 Best Cinematography Claire Mathon Won [36]
National Board of Review 8 January 2020 Top Five Foreign Language Films Portrait of a Lady on Fire Won [37]
Critics' Choice Awards 12 January 2020 Best Foreign Language Film Portrait of a Lady on Fire Pending [38]
Lumières Award 27 January 2020 Best Film Portrait of a Lady on Fire Pending [39]
Best Director Céline Sciamma Pending
Best Actress Noémie Merlant Pending
Best Cinematography Claire Mathon Pending
Satellite Awards 7 February 2020 Best Foreign Language Film Portrait of a Lady on Fire Pending [40]
Independent Spirit Awards 8 February 2020 Best International Film Véronique Cayla, Bénédicte Couvreur Pending [41]

References

  1. ^ "Portrait of a Lady on Fire". Box Office Mojo. IMDbPro. 2019. Retrieved 13 December 2019.
  2. ^ "Portrait de la jeune fille en feu". The Numbers. Nash Information Services. 2019. Retrieved 13 December 2019.
  3. ^ "The 2019 Official Selection". Festival de Cannes. 18 April 2019. Retrieved 9 May 2019.
  4. ^ "Cannes festival 2019: full list of films". The Guardian. 6 May 2019. Retrieved 18 April 2019.
  5. ^ Richford, Rhonda. "Cannes: 'Portrait of a Lady on Fire' Takes Queer Palm Prize". Retrieved 25 May 2019.
  6. ^ "Portrait de la jeune fille en feu (Portrait of a Lady on Fire)". Festival de Cannes. 2019. Retrieved 27 May 2019.
  7. ^ a b Debruge, Peter (25 May 2019). "Bong Joon-ho's 'Parasite' Wins the Palme d'Or at Cannes". Variety. Retrieved 26 May 2019.
  8. ^ Pulver, Andrew (25 May 2019). "Bong Joon-ho's Parasite wins Palme d'Or at Cannes film festival". The Guardian. Retrieved 26 May 2019.
  9. ^ a b "Portrait de la jeune fille en feu". JP's Box-Office (in French). 2019. Retrieved 10 October 2019.
  10. ^ a b "Quiberon. Cinéma : Céline Sciamma et Adèle Haenel tournent sur la presqu'île". Le Télégramme. 24 October 2018. Retrieved 15 December 2019.
  11. ^ Leon, Melissa (9 December 2019). "A Lesbian Movie Masterpiece That Explodes the Male Gaze". The Daily Beast. Retrieved 15 December 2019.
  12. ^ Dutheil, Marie-Charlotte (30 May 2019). "La Chapelle-Gauthier : le château sous les feux de la rampe grâce au Festival de Cannes". Le Parisien. Retrieved 15 December 2019.
  13. ^ Inoa, Christopher L. (24 November 2019). "The Artist Behind the Paintings At the Heart of "Portrait of a Lady On Fire"". Garage Magazine. Retrieved 26 November 2019.
  14. ^ Goodfellow, Melanie (28 August 2018). "mk2 launches sales on Céline Sciamma's 'Portrait of A Lady On Fire', Porumboiu's 'The Passenger' (exclusive)". Screen Daily. Retrieved 28 May 2019.
  15. ^ Keslassy, Elsa (10 February 2019). "mk2 Scores Major Deals Across Its EFM Slate (EXCLUSIVE)". Variety. Retrieved 28 May 2019.
  16. ^ Grater, Tom (2 May 2019). "Cannes Competition pair 'Portrait Of A Lady On Fire', 'The Whistlers' land at UK's Curzon (exclusive)". Screen Daily. Retrieved 7 May 2019.
  17. ^ Barraclough, Leo (22 May 2019). "Cannes: Neon, Hulu Acquire Celine Sciamma's 'Portrait of a Lady on Fire'". Variety. Retrieved 25 May 2019.
  18. ^ Wiseman, Andreas (22 May 2019). "NEON & Hulu Take North American Rights To Céline Sciamma's Palme d'Or Contender 'Portrait Of A Lady On Fire' — Cannes". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved 28 May 2019.
  19. ^ Erbland, Kate (21 November 2019). "'Portrait of a Lady on Fire' Announces New Release Plan With Hypnotic Teaser — Exclusive". IndieWire. Retrieved 2 December 2019.
  20. ^ Loughrey, Clarisse (9 October 2019). "Portrait of a Lady on Fire review, London Film Festival: A gorgeous study of two women in love, unbothered by the restrictions of men". The Independent. Retrieved 2 December 2019.
  21. ^ "Portrait of a Lady on Fire (Portrait de la jeune fille en feu)". Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango Media. 2019. Retrieved 8 December 2019.
  22. ^ "Portrait of a Lady on Fire". Metacritic. CBS Interactive. 2019. Retrieved 13 December 2019.
  23. ^ Richford, Rhonda (24 May 2019). "Cannes: 'Portrait of a Lady on Fire' Takes Queer Palm Prize". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 25 May 2019.
  24. ^ Dalton, Ben (30 October 2019). "'The Personal History Of David Copperfield', 'Wild Rose' head 2019 BIFA nominations". Screen Daily. Retrieved 31 October 2019.
  25. ^ Ritman, Alex (1 December 2019). "British Independent Film Awards: 'For Sama' Wins Top Prize". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 7 December 2019.
  26. ^ "EFA Nominations". European Film Awards. 2019. Retrieved 11 November 2019.
  27. ^ Lattanzio, Ryan (7 December 2019). "European Film Awards 2019: Antonio Banderas, 'The Favourite,' 'Portrait of a Lady on Fire' Triumph". IndieWire. Retrieved 7 December 2019.
  28. ^ "Portrait of a Lady on Fire Wins European University Film Award (EUFA)". European Film Academy. 6 December 2019. Retrieved 7 December 2019.
  29. ^ "Portrait of a Lady on Fire". European University Film Award. 2019. Retrieved 7 December 2019.
  30. ^ Beresford, Trilby (7 December 2019). "'Parasite' Voted Best Picture by New York Film Critics Online". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 8 December 2019.
  31. ^ Lattanzio, Ryan (8 December 2019). "LA Film Critics Crown 'Parasite,' Bong Joon Ho, Mary Kay Place, and Antonio Banderas". IndieWire. Retrieved 8 December 2019.
  32. ^ Neglia, Matt (8 December 2019). "The 2019 Washington DC Area Film Critics Association (WAFCA) Winners". NextBestPicture. Retrieved 9 December 2019.
  33. ^ Neglia, Matt (8 December 2019). "The 2019 Women Film Critics Circle (WFCC) Nominations". NextBestPicture. Retrieved 9 December 2019.
  34. ^ Neglia, Matt (8 December 2019). "The 2019 St. Louis Film Critics Association (StLFCA) Nominations". NextBestPicture. Retrieved 9 December 2019.
  35. ^ Sharf, Zack (9 December 2019). "Golden Globes Nominations 2020 (Updated Live)". IndieWire. Retrieved 9 December 2019.
  36. ^ "2019 Awards". New York Film Critics Circle. December 2019. Retrieved 7 December 2019.
  37. ^ Lewis, Hilary (3 December 2019). "'The Irishman' Named Best Film by National Board of Review". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 3 December 2019.
  38. ^ "Critics' Choice Awards: 'The Irishman' Leads With 14 Nominations". The Hollywood Reporter. 8 December 2019. Retrieved 8 December 2019.
  39. ^ Goodfellow, Melanie (3 December 2019). "'Les Misérables' leads nominations in France's Lumière awards". Screen Daily. Retrieved 9 December 2019.
  40. ^ "2019 Nominees". International Press Academy. 2019. Retrieved 9 December 2019.
  41. ^ D'Alessandro, Anthony (21 November 2019). "Spirit Award Nominations: A24 Leads For 4th Straight Year With 18 Noms As 'Uncut Gems' & 'The Lighthouse' Come Up Big". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved 21 November 2019.
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