Trama

A French adaptation of the second (and much less well-known) version of D.H. Lawrence's erotic tale.

Sir Clifford has returned from the Great War to his estate near Sheffield, paralyzed from the waist down. Lady Constance, his young wife, cares for him, but she's lifeless, enervated. Her physician prescribes the open air, and she finds a quiet retreat at the hut - the workplace - of Parkin, the estate's gamekeeper. The rhythms of nature awaken Connie - daffodils, pheasant chicks - and soon she and Parkin become lovers. She's now radiant. Parkin, too, opens up. Class distinctions and gender roles may be barriers to the affair becoming more. Connie's trip to France, with her father and sister, bring the lovers to a nuanced resolution.—<jhailey@hotmail.com>

A woman of means, played by the transcendent Marina Hands, begins an affair with the gamekeeper on her husband's estate, opening herself up physically and emotionally in ways she never imagined possible. There is something electrifying and thrilling about Ferran's handling of the material, as nearly every frame is imbued with the tension and energy of discovery, of characters pushing the boundaries of their worlds and breaking through to new levels of self-understanding. At the same time, the action is overseen throughout by Ferran's frequent use of lovingly shot scenes of natureleaves, water, fields of waving grassto provide a contrast to the world of politesse and decorum. While the film grapples with emotions in turmoil and the sensual world that grows outside the door of society's rigid structures, there is also a sense that things are the way they should be, as Lady Chatterley undergoes a spiritual awakening and rebirth.