Portrait of a Lady on Fire

This is a nicely filmed portrait of a short-lived love affair between two girls, with tender, subtly depicted emotional nuances in their getting to know each other and the subsequent journey of falling in love. And that’s all. The emotions in the film are so repressed (as in “high art”) that the viewer becomes a mere observer, not a participant. Not to mention the complete absence of sensuousness. Comparison to Call Me by Your Name is appropriate; paradoxically, that film’s sensuousness (something that’s very important in a film portrait of two people becoming close) is what the vast majority of viewers would welcome here. Both girls give fantastic performances and that is obvious in their eyes, but nowhere else. And the final scene, though it provides a great conclusion to their sad story, is much too similar to that of Glazer’s Birth. (12/24/2019)

Portrait of a Lady on Fire is a very feminine and slow-moving film about the short-lived but all the more burning passion between two women brought together by an ordinary portrait. Even though the pace is slower, the film doesn't get boring and alongside the love storyline, it offers an excursion into painting techniques and how women dealt with typical female issues at the time, which I found exceedingly interesting. I mustn't fail to mention the nice camera work – many shots of the local landscape and inhabitants were so aesthetically pleasing that they were reminiscent of the paintings themselves. A visually captivating, at times even poetic cinematic experience. (02/04/2020)

When the protagonist paints a self-portrait in front of a mirror placed in her lover's crotch, or when she wipes the tears of the unfortunate girl with a toddler placed next to her during the abortion process, you get the feeling that the filmmakers are literally jumping under the saw. And while I'm on the subject of criticizing, the struggle to have the absolute maximum of diegetic music in the film, but still needing it for the cathartic scenes, is actually easy to attack as well. However, so what if the film so accurately describes the subjective surrealism associated with not recognizing oneself in an irrational emotional storm. Thanks to increasingly advanced emancipation and communication, I'm increasingly convinced that we need the label of queer film less and less, as films like this and Call Me By Your Name prove the universality of both feeling and loss across sexual preferences. In the end, it's all about the codes, the shifts, the insecurities, the hints, and the secrets. All love is forbidden. On the other hand, if Claire Mathon had captured my life the way this film does, I'd feel like it made sense, too. (12/28/2019)

This unusually thoughtful movie by acclaimed French writer and director Céline Sciamma tells a powerful story of a budding love between two women, set in a time bound by convention and prejudice. To embark on the very sensitive journey of creating one beautiful painting is almost a must for those who love paintings. But I must not forget the acting mastery of the main characters, and fans of Noémie Merlant and Adèle Haenel will definitely enjoy this film. (80%) (04/15/2023)

Portrait of a Lady on Fire is a mostly visually beautiful and emotionally tender portrait of two young women who, despite their different life paths and destinies, find their way to each other, at least for a little while. Talented painter Marianne has the difficult task of secretly and unobtrusively paint a wedding portrait of Héloise, who is about to marry in Milan against her will. Through an elaborate cinematography, the viewer becomes an observer, just like a painter who needs to perceive the smallest details. Thus, the long views and close-ups are not merely a cinematically visual means of telling the story, but meaningfully underscore and complete what Marianne is here to do – paint a portrait. Overall, the film is very intimate and tender, with no major emotional storms, which can feel a bit flat, but it fits the two main characters. (02/15/2020)