X
  • 2019
  • R
  • Neon
  • 2 h 2 m
  • 2019
  • R
  • Neon
  • 2 h 2 m

Summary France, 1760. Marianne is commissioned to paint the wedding portrait of Héloïse, a young woman who has just left the convent. Because she is a reluctant bride-to-be, Marianne arrives under the guise of companionship, observing Héloïse by day and secretly painting her by firelight at night. As the two women orbit one another, intimacy and...

Written By: Céline Sciamma

  • 2019
  • R
  • Neon
  • 2 h 2 m
  • 2019
  • R
  • Neon
  • 2 h 2 m

Portrait of a Lady on Fire

Metascore Universal Acclaim Based on 48 Critic Reviews
must-see
95
User Score Universal Acclaim Based on 382 User Ratings
8.4
My Score
Hover and click to give a rating Saved

Where to Watch

Summary France, 1760. Marianne is commissioned to paint the wedding portrait of Héloïse, a young woman who has just left the convent. Because she is a reluctant bride-to-be, Marianne arrives under the guise of companionship, observing Héloïse by day and secretly painting her by firelight at night. As the two women orbit one another, intimacy and...

Written By: Céline Sciamma

Where to Watch

Top Cast

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Critic Reviews

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Metascore
Universal Acclaim Based on 48 Critic Reviews
95
100% Positive
48 Reviews
0% Mixed
0 Reviews
0% Negative
0 Reviews

  • All Reviews
  • Positive Reviews
  • Mixed Reviews
  • Negative Reviews

Critic Reviews

 View All
Metascore
Universal Acclaim Based on 48 Critic Reviews
95
100% Positive
48 Reviews
0% Mixed
0 Reviews
0% Negative
0 Reviews

  • All Reviews
  • Positive Reviews
  • Mixed Reviews
  • Negative Reviews
100
Aug 4, 2020
The movie dramatizes the constraints of the era, the imposition of a narrow and religion-based morality, the stern discipline that’s internalized as a result, the elision of women and their world from public life, and the firm expectations of family and society that Héloïse will endure in her unwanted marriage. Yet it does more than merely depict them—it embodies them, in the characters’ poised stillness, which makes the airy surroundings feel as rigid as stone.
By Richard Brody FULL REVIEW
100
Feb 12, 2020
There are many great acting moments in this film, but you should especially savor the final shot, the long close-up of Haenel in profile. Put simply, it’s why we go to the movies.
By Mick LaSalle FULL REVIEW
100
Dec 2, 2019
Just like the short time the lovers have together, Portrait of a Lady on Fire is minimal but perfect, without an image, a glance, or a brushstroke to spare.
By Dana Stevens FULL REVIEW
100
May 19, 2019
Assaying [Sciamma's] first period film, an exquisitely executed love story that's both formally adventurous and emotionally devastating, she sticks the landing like a UCLA gymnast in peak condition. It's so good you'll want to watch again in slow-motion immediately afterwards just to see how she does it.
By Leslie Felperin FULL REVIEW
90
Dec 5, 2019
This is less a chronicle of forbidden desire than an examination of how desire works. Like a lost work of 18th-century literature, it is at once ardent and rigorous, passionate and philosophical.
By A.O. Scott FULL REVIEW
85
Feb 12, 2020
A Portrait of a Lady on Fire is a richly textured, highly evocative story of love, lust and longing, and thanks to exceptional direction and remarkable, talented actors it’s a work to be cherished.
By Rafael Motamayor FULL REVIEW
63
Sep 5, 2019
What's most stirring about Céline Sciamma's film is the lack of artifice in Héloïse and Marianne's feelings for one another.
By Christopher Gray FULL REVIEW

User Reviews

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User Score
Universal Acclaim Based on 382 User Ratings
8.4
85% Positive
325 Ratings
9% Mixed
36 Ratings
5% Negative
21 Ratings

User Reviews

 View All
User Score
Universal Acclaim Based on 382 User Ratings
8.4
85% Positive
325 Ratings
9% Mixed
36 Ratings
5% Negative
21 Ratings

There are no user reviews yet. Be the first to add a review.

Details

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Production Company Lilies Films, Arte France Cinéma, Hold Up Films, Centre national du cinéma et de l'image animée (CNC), La Région Île-de-France, Canal+, Ciné+, ARTE, Pyramide Distribution, MK2 Films, Cinécap 2
Release Date Dec 6, 2019
Duration 2 h 2 m
Rating R
Genres
Website https://www.facebook.com/portraitofaladyonfire/
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Awards

Golden Globes, USA
• 1 Nomination
César Awards, France
• 1 Win & 10 Nominations
International Online Cinema Awards (INOCA)
• 1 Win & 8 Nominations

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