The 2019 French period drama A Portrait of a Lady on Fire, now streaming free on ITVX, has been hailed by fans as a masterpiece and an emotional gut-punch. The film holds a 98% rating on Rotten Tomatoes, and viewers have described it as "beyond perfect" and "an example of what cinema should be".
A Story of Art and Reluctance
The film follows Marianne, who is commissioned by a countess to pose as her walking companion and secretly paint the wedding portrait of her daughter. The betrothal depends on the portrait, which is exactly why Heloise, the reluctant bride-to-be, refuses to sit for it.
Set on an island off the coast of Brittany in late 18th-century France, the movie has been likened to a work of art. It won the Cannes prize for screenwriting in 2019. The period drama was written and directed by Céline Sciamma and stars Noémie Merlant and Adèle Haenel.
Critical and Fan Reaction
Rotten Tomatoes' critical consensus reads, "A singularly rich period piece, Portrait of a Lady on Fire finds stirring, thought-provoking drama within a powerfully acted romance."
The film has served as an emotional gut punch to many viewers. One person shared: "I finally saw Portrait of a Lady on Fire, and I’m not ok. This movie wrecked me. It’s one of the most beautiful films I have ever seen. Probably ever made. How do I move on from this?", adding: "What an absolute masterpiece."
Another said: "I loved everything about this movie the acting, the music and the real and raw scenes were just mesmerising, but THE ENDING BROKE ME".
Where to Watch
A self-described 20-year-old used to superhero movies said: "I was enthralled by these characters. The cinematography spoke just as much as the dialogue did. The actors spoke as much with their silence as with their words. I was crying at the end, and expect this movie to leave an impression. This is art, just like the paintings of the film itself. Cannot recommend enough."
"When we saw this in theatres with my colleagues - mostly male - we came out speechless," wrote yet another. "At the end of the film, there was a girl crying in the same row [...] really crying from being moved." A film critic wrote: "Impeccable cinematography. Every frame is like a painting. Every line feels like the fragment of a poem. Filmmaking does not get any better than this." The period drama is available to stream for free on ITVX.
