Portrait of a Lady on Fire
There are four women at the center of Celine Sciamma’s “Portrait of a Lady on Fire.” The one that brings them all together is The Countess (played by Valeria Golino, from the “Hot Shots!” movies, if you’re old like me), a mother who has brought her daughter, Heloise (Adele Haenel), to an isolated island in Brittany. Heloise was in a convent, but is now set to be married off to a nobleman from Milan. Our main character, Marianne (Noemie Merlant), is a painter whom The Countess has commissioned to do a portrait of Heloise for her wedding. The catch is, Heloise will not sit for a portrait to be done, as she is not anxious to be married off. So Marianne, whom The Countess has said is a walking companion for her daughter (whom she does not want wandering on her own, as her other daughter seemingly killed herself rather than marry), must do the portrait in secret. The fourth woman is the housemaid (Luàna Bajrami), whom will become a close friend to the two women when The Countess leaves.
The film begins with Marianne modeling for an art class. One of the students brings out a painting of her, which Marianne calls Portrait of a Lady on Fire. Then, the film flashes back to when Marianne goes to Brittany, and her story with Heloise takes place. The genre designation of “romance” gives away that yes, Marianne and Heloise will become lovers, but the thing I appreciate the most about Sciamma’s film is that it is about how Marianne, Heloise, and Sophie, the maid, become friends and confidants, and any romantic urges by Marianne and Heloise do not occur until later in the film. By telling the story this way, Sciamma is inviting us to come to know these characters, understand their emotions, and also the idea that they are each trapped by the time they exist in, which is the 18th Century. For Heloise, she’d rather return to the isolation of the convent than get married, because she felt free there. For Marianne, she has to sign her father’s name to her own work, less it not be taken seriously. Sophie finds herself pregnant, at one point in the film, and the three women try to induce an abortion, rather than the alternative of her as a single mother. We see Marianne and Heloise’s bond grow, first on the walks they take, then after Marianne is honest about why she is there, and Heloise, surprisingly, agrees to model for her, so that she can do the portrait right.
Finishing the portrait creates a ticking clock for the film, the speed of which escalates with the romantic feelings Marianne and Heloise start to feel for one another. All of the women in this film are wonderful, and they have each been given great, rich characters to play. We are engaged with them every step of the way, and when Marianne and Heloise do find themselves in bed, it’s not the usual bodice-ripping, but tender, natural affection between two lovers. As the film concludes, we watch as they go their separate ways in life, but the impact of their emotional connection stays with them in a way that will linger, whether it’s seeing a painting at a show, or hearing a piece of music from their time together. It’s lovely and loving, and poignant and filled with passion, much like the title implies.
