This latest, French version of the well known story starts right away with a distinct flavour of its own screen captions as those used in the silent era. But that signature is only superficial. The real difference is in the treatment of the subject matter: sex.
Those who go far back enough will remember the first publishing in the 1970s of "The joy of sex", which is not unlike the "Field Guide" in "The Spiderwick Chronicles" (2008) except for the subject matter. That book which unreservedly hailed sex as a natural, joyous experience was rather courageous at the time. This movie follows very much on the same spirit. The plot is simple the story of Lady Chatterley's affair with the gamekeeper when her husband Lord Clifford is wheelchair bound, being a war casualty.
Unlike Hollywood movies that take the audience in a split second fast cut from initial encounter to hot steaming sex in bed, Lady Chatterley takes its good time. The first 45 minutes, looking more like National Geographic or Discovery Channel, takes the audience through long-range and close-up shots of flowers, plants, squirrels, chicken, rustling leaves all part of an idyllic setting centered in the gamekeeper Parkin's humble hut far away from his master's mansion. There Lady Chatterley goes daily, initially following the doctor's instructions that the serene outdoors is the best prescription for her failing health. What follows is something "that is bound to happen" as Parkin puts it, to which the Lady completely agrees.
The remarkable thing about this movie is the innocence that embraces the protagonists. It is not quite like Mrs Robinson and Benjamin Braddock "shaking hands" in "The graduate" (1967), if you remember that movie. While it started more as physical attraction than anything else, the relationship between Lady C. and Parkin evolves, through deepening affection, into genuine love. But even at the very beginning, there is something quite remarkable. The proliferation of sex scenes in movies today needs no exaggeration, but I don't think I've ever seen anything like the look of the quiet pleasure on Lady C's face right after their first love-making. She did not reach orgasm this first time; that is quite clear (that came later in another encounter, under a tree in the forest). But there is such a simple, grateful satisfaction on her face that she almost glows and that look of childlike innocence. Marina Hands is perfect for the role.
The story of Lady Chatterley became famous (or infamous) in the hands of D.H. Lawrence as a tale of insatiable lust. In this winner of five Cesars (France's Oscar) including best film and best actress, the French movie makers have rendered it into a gentle, tender love story of sheer beauty and joy. Even the unhappy ending elicits only a sigh rather than a sob. This is a delightfully refreshing cinematic experience one least expects from the title.
Those who go far back enough will remember the first publishing in the 1970s of "The joy of sex", which is not unlike the "Field Guide" in "The Spiderwick Chronicles" (2008) except for the subject matter. That book which unreservedly hailed sex as a natural, joyous experience was rather courageous at the time. This movie follows very much on the same spirit. The plot is simple the story of Lady Chatterley's affair with the gamekeeper when her husband Lord Clifford is wheelchair bound, being a war casualty.
Unlike Hollywood movies that take the audience in a split second fast cut from initial encounter to hot steaming sex in bed, Lady Chatterley takes its good time. The first 45 minutes, looking more like National Geographic or Discovery Channel, takes the audience through long-range and close-up shots of flowers, plants, squirrels, chicken, rustling leaves all part of an idyllic setting centered in the gamekeeper Parkin's humble hut far away from his master's mansion. There Lady Chatterley goes daily, initially following the doctor's instructions that the serene outdoors is the best prescription for her failing health. What follows is something "that is bound to happen" as Parkin puts it, to which the Lady completely agrees.
The remarkable thing about this movie is the innocence that embraces the protagonists. It is not quite like Mrs Robinson and Benjamin Braddock "shaking hands" in "The graduate" (1967), if you remember that movie. While it started more as physical attraction than anything else, the relationship between Lady C. and Parkin evolves, through deepening affection, into genuine love. But even at the very beginning, there is something quite remarkable. The proliferation of sex scenes in movies today needs no exaggeration, but I don't think I've ever seen anything like the look of the quiet pleasure on Lady C's face right after their first love-making. She did not reach orgasm this first time; that is quite clear (that came later in another encounter, under a tree in the forest). But there is such a simple, grateful satisfaction on her face that she almost glows and that look of childlike innocence. Marina Hands is perfect for the role.
The story of Lady Chatterley became famous (or infamous) in the hands of D.H. Lawrence as a tale of insatiable lust. In this winner of five Cesars (France's Oscar) including best film and best actress, the French movie makers have rendered it into a gentle, tender love story of sheer beauty and joy. Even the unhappy ending elicits only a sigh rather than a sob. This is a delightfully refreshing cinematic experience one least expects from the title.