Review: Portrait Of A Lady On Fire (2019)

 Portrait of a Lady on Fire (2019)

TLDR: Sciamma's Portrait is everything that a story of romance should be: poignant, defiant, sensual, heartbreaking and, of course, beautiful in every aspect within the medium of film.

Celina Sciamma's Portrait of a Lady on Fire may be set in the 1700's, but the romance at the heart of its story is universal and one that most should be able to relate to, having experienced it in full or in desirous  moments throughout life. The tenderness that Sciamma shows in the evolving relationship between Marianne and Heloise perfectly illustrates and encapsulates the ebb and flow, the push and pull, of such lustrous romance. And for any of the romantics or the storytellers out there, what romance is steamier or more compelling than one that is forbidden?

Portrait has similarities to other recent romance film, Call Me Be Your Name, not only in its central LGBTQ relationships, but also in the slow, moving beauty of the two films, both of which are set in scenic and elegant locations. The plot of Portrait centres on Marianne, a painter, who is hired by La Comtesse to paint a portrait of her daughter, Heloise, that will be sent to her arranged to-be husband. However, because of Heloise's less-than cooperative nature, she is not told of Marianne's true purpose but, instead, given the lie that she is there to be a companion, someone for her to walk with and speak to. And so, during their short intervals together Marianne must study Heloise in feature and in personality in order to complete her painting in private at later times when Heloise is not present. It is here that Sciamma's romance is at its most intimate - not when the clothes eventually come off - but in the study and regard of each woman's eyes upon the other; the search and yearning to understand the other - both for practical artistic reasoning, but more for the feelings of desire that slowly grow for one another.

The seeming simplicity of the story and setting only heightens the enchantment of the film. The quiet nature of scenes disguises Sciamma's manifest talent behind the camera. Like the two protagonists of the story, the viewer must soak in what lays before them, the gentle camera work, the moving music, and the nuanced performances of the actresses. Even some of the stories hidden (or not hidden) within the film do not immediately become apparent unless a keen eye or ear is present, such as the allegory of Orpheus to the film. Portrait of a Lady on Fire sets a new high bar for romance in film; unlike other similar films that set to make a bold statement, Portrait is a poignant and sensual fairytale that is easy to be swept away by  and within.