THE FRENCH LIEUTENANT'S WOMAN

UK, 1981, 127 minutes, Colour.
Meryl Streep, Jeremy Irons, Peter Vaughan, Liz Smith, Patience Collier, Leo Mc Kern.
Directed by Karel Reisz.

The French Lieutenant’s Woman was a striking film of the early 1980s, nominated for five Oscars, winner of many awards around the world. It marked the emergence of Meryl Streep as a top star of the screen. She had already won an Emmy for Holocaust and had appeared in supporting roles in such films as Manhattan, The Seduction of Joe Tynan. The next year she was to make Sophie’s Choice and win a second Oscar (the first being best supporting actress for Kramer vs Kramer in 1979). The film also saw the emergence of Jeremy Irons as a top film star. At the same time he was appearing in the celebrated Brideshead Revisited on television. He was to win an Oscar in 1990 for Reversal of Fortune.

The film is based on a novel by John Fowles, author of The Collector (filmed by William Wyler with Terence Stamp and Samantha Eggar in 1965) and The Magus (filmed by Guy Green with Michael Caine and Candice Bergin in 1969).

The novel is one of those considered unfilmable. It operates at two levels and two times, the contemporary period with the making of a film as well as the 19th century with the story in the film itself.

Harold Pinter, celebrated playwright and Nobel Prize winner, adapted the novel for the screen, moving the action in between the two periods. The central actors also played two roles: Sarah and Charles Henry Smithson in the 19th century, Anna and Mike in the 20th century.

The film is a film about relationships, brittle 20th century relationships, caught up in the atmosphere of the film industry with its pressures and the tantrums of stars.

The 19th century action, however, is very much in the tradition of Jane Austen – even with some settings the same as Persuasion – but more sophisticated in the presentation of a wider world, an openness to soldiers, their passing through towns, the effect on women – and especially the effect of Sarah and her infatuation with the French lieutenant.

The film was directed by Karel Reisz, one of the directors of the kitchen-sink era in the UK, especially with his Saturday Night and Sunday Morning. He made comparatively few films but in the 60s he made Night Must Fall, Morgan: A Suitable Case for Treatment with Vanessa Redgrave who also starred in Isadora, the life of the flamboyant Isadora Duncan. He made only two films in the 70s, The Gambler with James Caan and Who’ll Stop the Rain with Nick Nolte, both in the United States. In 1985 he made a biography of Patsy Cline with Jessica Lange, Sweet Dreams.

1 The reputation of John Fowles' novel? Its structure: 19th. century story, 20th. century story? The background to writing novels? The transition from novel to screenplay? The adaptation to the background of making films? The retaining of the spirit and insights of Fowles' novel? The impact of the film - the 19th. century story and the audience response? Transition to the response to the 20th. century story? The intercutting of the episodes and their relationship? The two endings and their being presented in the two endings of the film?

2. The 19th. century atmosphere: Lyme Regis, Exeter, Lake Windermere? The locations and the atmosphere? the sea, the towns, railways, hotels, homes, countryside? Costumes and decor? 19th century-style score?

3. The contrast with 20th. century atmosphere? The atmosphere of the sets, machinery and technology, the same places and the contrast with their 19th. century look? The focus on the sets as sets? Lyme, Exeter, railway stations and trains, London, homes and parties, the party at Lake Windermere? Contemporary music?

4. The background of Harold Pinter and his plays and what he brought to the writing of this screenplay? His retaining the atmosphere, basic plot and characters, structure of the novel? His reliance on words as well as silence? The importance of the atmosphere of the pause? The highlighting of the making of the film, the rehearsals, the discussions and study? The transition from rehearsal to film? The audience's attention continually being shifted? The breaking-in to audience response? The importance of the editing, pace? The proportion of each story? The parallel thrust of the plots? The contrasts?

5. The credits and the focus on the making of the film? The withdrawal of 20th. century atmosphere? The focus on the woman, the sea, the long walk almost into the sea? The involving of the audience as well as the distancing of the response? The self-conscious response?

6. Meryl Streep's performance as Anna and Sarah? Her acting skills? The tour de force of presenting both characters? The importance of the American actress portraying the British character? The emphasis on Anna's American contemporary style? Her skill at becoming British, even to accent? The contrast with appearance, hair styles, make-up, clothes? The film highlighting the skill of the actress? The actress transformed into character? The importance of rehearsal and study of the role? The transition from role to performance - in mid-action? Jeremy Irons and his portrayal of Mike and Charles? As an actor in contemporary Britain? Relationship with Anna. family, career? The contrast with Charles as the 19th. century gentleman? The passionate but repressed gentleman? The highlighting of the skill of the actor? The complementarity of Irons with Meryl Streep?

7. The intricacy of the plot: the separate strands as well as their intercutting? The 19th. century atmosphere of melancholy, repression, manners and good form, the emerging of psychology and its scientific study, responsibility, choices, sense of honour? The place of woman in the 19th. century and the move to individual freedom? The happy ending? The contrast with Anna and Mike together, intimate relationship, shallowness, the exchange of words, functional intimacy, less honour, no code, the glib relationships, sense or no sense of betrayal, people passing and encountering one another, the unhappy ending?

8. The focus of the 20th. century story: film-making, the skills and devices, the art and the deception, the insight? The characters of the actors themselves? Their study of their roles? The importance of rehearsals? What the actors bring to their performance and the performance affecting their lives? Their living their roles? The themes implicit in their roles affecting them? The intimacy at the opening? The hotel, the beach scenes? David phoning and Anna's offhand response? The visit to the family? Mike's wife and children? The invitation to the film cast, Anna and David and their presence? The tensions of the party? The comments on the garden and the envy of Anna for Mike's wife? The background of the sequences in which Anna and Mike are glimpsed together and the insight into their relationship? hotel, the beach? The train journey? The quality of the relationship? no inhibitions but no consequences? Freedom? The background of the rest of the cast and their being glimpsed? Leo McKern? and his joviality, Patience Collier and her primness, Lindsay Baxter and her listening to the actor playing classical piano? The background story of Anna and David? The final party and the end of the film? Mike's relationship with Anna and wanting to follow it through? Anna's hasty departure? Mike's calling "Sarah" from the upper window? How credible was this identification of Anna with Sarah? Mike with Charles?

9. The 19th. century story and the Victorian atmosphere, manners, style of society, repression, judgments and judgmental attitudes? Speech styles, codes of behaviour and etiquette? Behaviour? The seeming artificiality? The contrast with 20th. century freedom of manner? The implicit question about the artificiality of 20th. century manners?

10. The introduction to Miss Woodruff, her melancholic walk along the sea mole, the storm atmosphere, the waves? Her melancholic face? Her cape and hood? Her place in the town? Outcast? The melancholy of her drawings? The offer by Mrs. Poulten for her being a companion? The interview, her rules, her insinuations about her relationship, the reading of the Bible? Miss Woodruff becoming Mrs. Poulten's companion? Sharing her life style? The formality of the visits? Her wandering and looking out to sea? The enigmatic character and her attractiveness?


11. The introduction to Charles ? seeing him at work, his scientific background, his progressive attitudes and writings on Darwin? Tina and her preparation for Charles' visit? Her wilfulness? The build-up to the proposal in the garden? Their outings together? Charles attracted to Miss Woodruff on the mole? His going through the waves to rescue her? His leaving Tina? Symbol of what was to follow?

12. The background story of Sam and Mary? The ordinary couple, their work, flirtation, their knowledge of the relationship between Charles and Sarah, their walk and Charles forbidding them to talk? Their comments on what happened? Sam and his service to Charles., messages, the go-between? His wanting to branch out on his own? His following Charles in Exeter? The blackmail as regards money for the store? The final clash and his leaving?

13. Mrs. Poulten as a 19th. century type? Prim and puritanical? Censorious? The interview with Sarah and her laying down rules? Her visit to the household? Her maid? Dismissing Sarah? The contrast with Tina's father and the background of the 19th. century wealthy businessman? His pride in his empire? His wanting to pass it on to Charles? His later antagonism towards Charles?

14. The visits to the professor? The allusions to Darwin and changes in scientific attitude? The relevance of Darwin's evolutionary theory and survival of the fittest to this story? The emergence of the modern scientific era? The jokes about monkeys? e.g. by Mrs. Poulten? The background of 19th. century change and the transition from 19th. to 20th. centuries influences by scientific breakthroughs? The background of psychology? The discussions of psychological behaviour: melancholy, motivation? Analyses of behaviour? The professor's analysis of miss Woodruff's state? His enlisting Charles' help? His giving advice? His comments on the truth of Sarah's story? Her reliance on Charles? Her wanting to be seen by Mrs. Poulten's maid? Her wallowing in her sorrow? Her relying on her melancholy? Her relationship to Charles and falling in love with him? The mole meeting, the awkwardness of the cliff meeting (and the rehearsal for it, including the chase)., the visit to the household and her leaving a note? The important sequence of her explaining her story ? and the focus on Meryl Streep's face and delivery? The truth and non-truth of the story? Her encounter, the love affair, her following the French Lieutenant? The irony of Charles discovering that she was a virgin and the truth about her infatuation with the French Lieutenant? The impact of her telling her story and Charles' response? Leaving Mrs. Poulten's and spending the night in the shed?

15. Charles and fascination, infatuation., love? The money arrangements for her to leave Lyme? Setting her up in Exeter? His rationalisation of his visit to Exeter? Falling in love, the lovemaking, his discovering her virginity, the truth of the story? His visit to Tina to tell her the truth and withstanding her anger? His willingness to sign the agreement freeing Tina and her father to use evidence against him?

16. The irony of Sarah's departure? Her motivation for this? Her being lost for so many years? The collapse of Charles' world? The solicitor and the insinuations, the harsh encounter with Tina and her father? The support of his own solicitor? The three years? lapsing and the emptiness of his life?

17. His discovery of Sarah? The visit to lake Windermere? The dramatic build-up to his finding her again? The house, the children, the family in the household? His antagonism towards her and his love? Her explaining her way of behaviour. the sincerity of her code of behaviour? Her allowing herself to be discovered? Her place in the household, her strength, her heart? The credibility of the permanence of their love? Their outing on the lake together? The happy ending? The contrast with seeing the same room for the end-of-filming party? Seeing the characters enjoying themselves dancing? Mike's focus on Anna? Her rolling up the film, visit to the dressing room? The car leaving? Mike/Charles calling "Sarah" from the upper window?


18. The film's insight into human nature, human needs, motivation, love, freedom control? Images of society and acceptable and non-acceptable behaviour? 19th. century Victorianism, repression, the need for freedom? What did the 19th. century have to say to the 20th.? Which is better in terms of behaviour, relationships?