PORTRAIT OF A LADY ON FIRE/ Portrait de la jeune fille en feu

France, 2019, 121 minutes, Colour.
Noemie Merlant, Adele Haenel, Juana Bajramia budget around the, Valeria Golino.
Directed by Celine Sciamma.

The title sounds very elegant. And so is the treatment of this story of portraiture.

The setting is the late 18th century in France, full attention given to costumes and decor. At times, the film looks sumptuous. In fact, the look of the film is very important, the visual style, the invitation to the audience to appreciate colour, compositions, especially in posing at settings, close-ups of the portraits and their impelling realism and communication of character.

In fact, the word aesthetics comes to mind. With the focus on the portraiture and styles, this is an aesthetic study of aesthetics.

The initial focus is on the artist, Marianne (Noemie Merlant), quite a striking and beautiful presence, seen immediately posing herself for a group of young art students. One of them has found her picture of the lady on fire, which provokes audience curiosity as well as memories for Marianne and the flashbacks to the story itself - surprisingly glimpsed only briefly during a picnic on the beach.

The point is dramatically made as Marianne sits on a rowing boat, travelling to an island off the coast, her luggage falling into the water and she diving into retrieve it, left stranded on the beach, having to climb the cliffs, drenched, with her luggage, to go to the mansion where she has been employed to paint the picture of the young lady, daughter of the Countess, who is returning from a Benedictine convent and who has to enter into an arranged marriage with a gentleman from Milan.

Marianne is to act as a companion for Heloise, a reserved young woman, not prone to small talk or humour, not wanting to be painted so that Marianne has to note, sketch, paint, from memory.

There is a great deal of attention to Marianne and the way she paints, the details of the mixing of the paints themselves, the brushstrokes, the continued adjustments, and the extraordinary lifelike results in the portraits. Eventually, Heloise does pose for the paintings, various versions until Marianne is satisfied.

What follows is a slow-burning, initially restrained, mellowing between the two, Heloise smiling, and the awakening of initial affection which leads to passion. This is a theme in all of the films by the writer-director, Celine Sciamma (Water Lilies, Tomboy, Girlhood). Each of the women is transformed by the relationship and the experience. The film won the Best Screenplay at the 2019 Cannes Film Festival.

But, this is the 18th century, an age of arranged marriages, arrangements not to be broken.

The visuals at the end of the film are quite striking, the two women attending a theatre for a music recital, a close-up of Marianne but, demanding in its way, the camera tracking across the theatre to an extreme close-up of Heloise, taking quite some time, and the actress, Adele Haenel, going through the gamut of emotions of sadness and happiness as she listens to the music, the audience supplying what might be going through her mind and emotions, her memories, her present, her future…

1. A film of many nominations and awards? The work of the director, her writing and awards?

2. The title, arresting, the painting itself, the glimpse of the actual situation? Attention to Marianne as artist? Heloise as subject?

3. The late 18th century, lavish costumes and decor? The mansion on the island? The island, the cliffs and the sea? The interiors, the rooms, for painting? Kitchen? The sense of detail? The musical score?

4. The colour photography, the aesthetic compositions, the focus on the characters, posing, painting, the action of the film and the relationship like painting? The lifelike portraits and the vivid creation of close-ups and faces? The importance of aesthetics, aesthetically filmed?

5. The introduction, the girls at the painting class, Marianne posing, serious? The young girl bringing out the lady on fire? Marianne’s reaction? The flashbacks to the story?

6. The vivid close-up of Marianne on the boat, the box, overboard, the swimming? The men rolling, the island getting closer? Wet, on the beach, with her boxes and luggage, climbing the cliffs, to the house, Sophie and the door, the welcome, the accommodation, the reception room as her bedroom, settling in, questions of Sophie?

7. The situation in the house, the Countess, the daughter returning from the Benedictines, the preparation for the marriage in Milan? The mother wanting the painting, the daughter not wanting to be painted, Marianne having to observe, note, remember and paint?

8. The arrival of Heloise, her age, her experience of the Benedictines, regretting leaving, not wanting the arranged marriage? Not wanting to be painted? Her sombre dress, serious manner? Going for walks, running to the cliff, the sea? The companionship of Marianne, Heloise gradually mellowing? The picnic outing, her standing by the fire, her skirt catching Fire, her collapse – and the audience memory of having seen the painting?

9. Marianne, painting the portrait, from memory? Heloise relenting? Posing for the picture, sitting, her arms, the striking lifelike nature of the painting?

10. The mother being away, Sophie becoming a companion, Heloise and her posing, a gradual smile, Marianne serious, devoted, wanting Heloise to smile?

11. The growing intimacy, the delicacy of presenting the growing warmth, affection, beginnings of love, the kisses? The aftermath? Heloise and her encouraging Marianne? The sexual encounters? With the prospect of the arranged marriage?

12. Marianne, her being upset about the situation, Heloise’s reaction, Marianne’s later apology? The continued intimacy, literally letting their hair down?

13. Marian seeing the appearance of Heloise in the white dress, an apparition disappearing? And the final preparation for the marriage, Heloise wearing the white dress?

14. The final posing, the final touches to the portrait? The Countess’s return, approving the painting, the envelope and the money?

15. Marianne, the farewell, the last book at Heloise? The teacher and her painting herself from the reflection in the mirror, the gift to Heloise?

16. The return to the art school, the story of seeing Heloise at the music recital? The final image of Marianne looking? The long tracking camera take towards Heloise, the music,
the range of Heloise’s reaction, sadness and joy?