Portrait of a Lady on Fire

Play trailer

2:15

Portrait of a Lady on Fire

R

2019

2h 1m

History

Drama

LGBTQ+

Play Trailer

Watchlist

Watchlist

Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

97%

Tomatometer

338 Reviews

92%

Popcornmeter

250+ Verified Ratings

In 1770 the young daughter of a French countess develops a mutual attraction to the female artist commissioned to paint her wedding portrait.

Critics Consensus

A singularly rich period piece, Portrait of a Lady on Fire finds stirring, thought-provoking drama within a powerfully acted romance.

Read Critics Reviews

Andrea Thompson

Chicago Reader

06/21/2023

Things kick off simply, if not innocently, in Céline Sciamma’s masterful period film.

Go to Full Review

Drew Gregory

Autostraddle

09/10/2021

Once in a while there is a work of art so specific, so complex, so new in its oldness and old in its newness, that it moves the craft, our craft, to another level of seeing.

Go to Full Review

Leah Greenblatt

Entertainment Weekly

01/22/2021

A-

There's almost no single moment in Portrait of a Lady on Fire that couldn't be captured, mounted, and hung on a wall as high art.

Go to Full Review

Calum Baker

Radio Times

08/30/2024

5/5

With elements of the surreal and supernatural dotted in among the erotic, the film's panoply of extraordinary images adds up to a haunting melancholic masterclass.

Go to Full Review

Bianca Garner

InSession Film

07/31/2024

A

Claire Mathon’s stunning cinematography is achingly beautiful to gaze upon. Each frame is worthy of being hung in an art gallery, and each shot conveys so much meaning.

Go to Full Review

Calum Cooper

Source (Scotland)

07/14/2024

5/5

They say memory is the poet’s choice of love. After watching this masterpiece, I suspect that the present moment is the artist’s choice of love.

Go to Full Review

Read all reviews

Saul F

03/15/2020

Slow moving - boring

See more

Peter B

03/12/2020

A gorgeous period piece, this film lacks nothing in direction, acting, and camera work. I was charmed by the characters, the stern landscapes, and the lighting in this movie. It’s a must-see.

See more

Aurolyn

03/12/2020

Too long. Could have cut 30.

See more

Tristan

03/11/2020

An absolutely amazing story of women. We need more incredible queer film like this. An emotional rollercoaster of love, joy, and the lack there of. Just brilliant!

See more

Emilio

03/10/2020

A beautifully shot film. Terrific acting from the 2 main characters. Slow at certain points, but overall a fine film

See more

Robert F

03/09/2020

Beautiful, touching.

See more

Read all reviews

Read More

Read Less

WRITE A REVIEW

EDIT REVIEW

POST RATING

Céline Sciamma

Director

Noémie Merlant

Marianne

Adèle Haenel

Héloïse

Luàna Bajrami

Sophie

Valeria Golino

La Comtesse

Christel Baras

La faiseuse d'anges

Best-Reviewed Movies & TV 2020

Best-Reviewed Movies by Genre 2020

The Indie Fresh List: A Young Chef, Teen Cliques, and a Darkly Comic Murder Gone Awry

5 LGBTQ Films to Watch for Pride Month

4:26

Portrait of a Lady on Fire: Trailer 1

2:15

View more videos

View more photos

Synopsis

In 1770 the young daughter of a French countess develops a mutual attraction to the female artist commissioned to paint her wedding portrait.

Director: Céline Sciamma
Producer: Bénédicte Couvreur, Véronique Cayla
Screenwriter: Céline Sciamma
Distributor: Neon
Production Co: Hold Up Films, Lilies Films, arte France Cinéma
Rating: R (Some Nudity and Sexuality)
Genre: History, Drama, LGBTQ+
Original Language: French (France)
Release Date (Theaters): Dec 6, 2019, Limited
Rerelease Date (Theaters): Feb 14, 2020
Release Date (Streaming): Apr 3, 2020
Box Office (Gross USA): $3.8M
Runtime: 2h 1m
Sound Mix: Dolby Digital
Aspect Ratio: Flat (1.85:1)