‘Portrait of a Lady on Fire’ captures desire on film | movie review

Portrait of a Lady on Fire is a quiet period drama that follows an artist as she attempts to paint her enigmatic subject in secret

Quick review: Quiet yet filled with intensity, Portrait of a Lady on Fire nails the physicality and emotions associated with mutual unspoken attraction — the glances, the awkwardness, the frustrations. It’s a slow burn — pun intended — as it builds the relationship between the protagonists, but the pay off is absolutely worth the wait.

★★★★★

There’s nothing like a film from an auteur that speaks to their own experiences. And while director Céline Sciamma‘s Portrait of a Lady on Fire is set in the late 18th century, it feels so modern in its approach and themes as she explores what’s familiar to her as a queer woman. She’s not tapping into specific experiences, but a feeling.

A young painter Marianne (Noémie Merlant) is taken aback when one of her students discovers one of her paintings called “Portrait of a Lady on Fire.” We focus on the painting. It’s dark wi…