Portrait of a Lady on Fire: desire and art

Portrait of a Lady on Fire includes itself in that category of films that go beyond the script and acting and is consolidated as a work of art. Clair Mathon's exquisite cinematography anticipates scenes through sketches on paper and canvas textures.

Anyone who is in a hurry to draw conclusions about the plot should be attentive to the words of Marianne (Noémie Merlant) to her students in a portrait painting class: “Take time to look at me.” A student brings to the ambiance a screen that was in stock: it is the story we are going to watch.

Sometime in the 18th century, Marianne crosses a bay in a boat driven by rowers towards the coast of Brittany. Her materials fall into the sea, the men do not move, and she jumps into the water to retrieve them. She arrives at her destination, wholly soaked and tired.

The artist's mission is, in one week, to paint a portrait of Héloïse (Adèle Haenel), the second daughter of a wealthy merchant. The painting must be sent to the appreciation of a suitor in Milan who may if he likes, marry the girl. Héloïse's older sister does not seem to have agreed to this fate and chose to kill herself.

The younger sister's strategy is different: she refuses to pose for the portrait. Therefore, Marianne should do the painting from memory, presenting herself as a chaperone, assisted by the maid Sophie (Luàna Bajrami).

The two young women start walking together and exchanging experiences. At the end of the week, Marianne reveals that she is a painter and shows the painting to Héloïse, who rejects for considering it lifeless. The painter feels extremely frustrated and ends up burning the painting and asking for another week to complete the work.

What follows is a love story. Marianne explores all the intimacy of Héloïse, and she surrenders with calm pleasure. There is no space for male conventions. Lovers know that they cannot change their destinies, but they discover that there is room for desire. And for art.

#thomas #review