The French Lieutenant's Woman (1981)

Director:

Karel Reisz

Writers:

John Fowles (novel)
Harold Pinter (screenplay)

Release Date:

August 1981 (UK)

Genre:

Drama | Romance

Tagline:

She was lost from the moment she saw him.

Plot:

A film is being made of a story, set in 19th century England, about Charles, a biologist who's engaged to be married...

Plot Keywords:

Melancholy | 19th Century | Love | Behind The Scenes | Class Differences

Awards:

Nominated for 5 Oscars. Another 10 wins & 12 nominations

Cast

Meryl Streep	...	Sarah / Anna
Jeremy Irons	...	Charles Henry Smithson / Mike
Hilton McRae	...	Sam
Emily Morgan	...	Mary
Charlotte Mitchell	...	Mrs. Tranter
Lynsey Baxter	...	Ernestina
Jean Faulds	...	Cook
Peter Vaughan	...	Mr. Freeman
Colin Jeavons	...	Vicar
Liz Smith	...	Mrs. Fairley
Patience Collier	...	Mrs. Poulteney
John Barrett	...	Dairyman
Leo McKern	...	Dr. Grogan
Arabella Weir	...	Girl on Undercliff
Ben Forster	...	Boy on Undercliff
Catherine Willmer	...	Dr. Grogan's Housekeeper
Anthony Langdon	...	Asylum Keeper
Edward Duke	...	Nathaniel
Richard Griffiths	...	Sir Tom
Graham Fletcher-Cook	...	Delivery Boy
Richard Hope	...	3rd Assistant
Michael Elwyn	...	Montague
Toni Palmer	...	Mrs. Endicott
Cecily Hobbs	...	Betty Anne
Doreen Mantle	...	Lady on Train
David Warner	...	Murphy
Alun Armstrong	...	Grimes
Gérard Falconetti	...	Davide (as Gerard Falconetti)
Penelope Wilton	...	Sonia
Joanna Joseph	...	Lizzie
Jude Alderson	...	Red Haired Prostitute (as Judith Alderson)
Cora Kinnaird	...	2nd Prostitute
Orlando Fraser	...	Tom Elliott
Fredrika Morton	...	Girl
Alice Maschler	...	2nd Girl
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Harriet Walter	...	(scenes deleted)
Georgina Hale	...	Actress at Wrap Party (uncredited)
Vicky Ireland	...	(uncredited)
Janet Rawson	...	(uncredited)
Clare Travers-Deacon	...	(uncredited)

Directed by
Karel Reisz

Writing credits
John Fowles		(novel)
Harold Pinter		(screenplay)

Produced by
Leon Clore	....	producer
Geoffrey Helman	....	associate producer
Tom Maschler	....	associate producer

Original Music by
Carl Davis

Cinematography by
Freddie Francis		(director of photography)

Film Editing by
John Bloom

Casting by
Patsy Pollock

Production Design by
Assheton Gorton

Art Direction by
Allan Cameron
Norman Dorme
Terry Pritchard

Set Decoration by
Ann Mollo

Costume Design by
Tom Rand

Makeup Department
Sue Barradell	....	makeup artist
Simon Thompson	....	hairdresser

Production Management
Chris Burt	....	production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Richard Hoult	....	assistant director
Peter Kohn	....	second assistant director
Mathew Simmons	....	third assistant director
Paul Tivers	....	third assistant director

Art Department
Trisha Edwards	....	property buyer (as Tricia Edwards)
Dennis Fruin	....	property master
Toddy Roche	....	property buyer (as Toddie Roche)
Sally Scott	....	artist: Sarah's drawings
Fred Walker	....	construction manager
Andy Aitken	....	plasterer (uncredited)
Mark Fruin	....	stand-by propman (uncredited)
Peter Russell	....	junior draughtsman (uncredited)

Sound Department
Rocky Phelan	....	sound assistant
Bill Rowe	....	sound re-recordist
Don Sharpe	....	sound editor
Ivan Sharrock	....	sound recordist
Ken Weston	....	boom operator
Don Banks	....	sound camera (uncredited)
Lionel Strutt	....	adr mixer (uncredited)

Special Effects by
Alan Bryce	....	special effects
Nobby Clark	....	special effects (as Nobby Clarke)
Paul Corbould	....	special effects (uncredited)
Ricky Farns	....	special effects (uncredited)
John Humphreys	....	sculptor (uncredited)
Garth Inns	....	special effects (uncredited)
Michael White	....	special effects technician (uncredited)

Visual Effects by
Nick Wass	....	optical cameraman (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department
Alan Annand	....	clapper loader
Frank Connor	....	still photographer
Jim Dawes	....	grip
Gordon Hayman	....	camera operator
Roy Larner	....	gaffer
Tim Ross	....	focus puller
Steve Blake	....	electrician (uncredited)
John Matthews	....	best boy (uncredited)

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Maureen Booth	....	wardrobe assistant
Austin Cooper	....	wardrobe assistant
Brenda Dabbs	....	wardrobe supervisor
Joanna Johnston	....	assistant to costume designer

Editorial Department
Jeremy Hume	....	assistant editor
Chris Kennedy	....	second assistant editor
Chris Ridsdale	....	assistant editor

Music Department
Carl Davis	....	conductor (uncredited)
Brian Gascoigne	....	music arranger: additional arrangements (uncredited)
Christopher Palmer	....	music assistant: Carl Davis (uncredited)

Transportation Department
Richard Booz	....	transportation captain
Colin Morris	....	personal driver

Other crew
David Barron	....	location manager
Barry Beckett	....	location manager
Len Cave	....	production accountant
Peter Dolman	....	location manager
Kay Fenton	....	continuity
Mon Mohan	....	title designer
Julia Robinson	....	production assistant
Mark Mostyn	....	runner (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Juniper Films

Distributors

• United Artists (1981) (USA) (theatrical)
• United Artists (1982) (France) (theatrical)
• United International Pictures (UIP) (1982) (Sweden) (theatrical)
• CBS/Fox Video (1984) (USA) (VHS)
• Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment (2002) (Netherlands) (VHS)
• Svensk Filmindustri (SF) (2004) (Sweden) (DVD)
• Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment (2006) (Netherlands) (DVD)
• MGM Home Entertainment (2007) (USA) (DVD)
• Chapel Distribution (1997) (Australia) (theatrical) (35mm print)
• Argentina Video Home (19??) (Argentina) (VHS)
• Argentina Video Home (2005) (Argentina) (DVD)
• Argentina Video Home (2005) (Argentina) (VHS) (re-edited)
• Criterion Collection, The (2010) (USA) (DVD)
• Warner Home Vídeo (Brazil) (VHS)

Other Companies

• Cinefex Ltd.  title opticals (as Cinefex)
• Cosprop  supplier: period costumes
• DRG Records  soundtrack (uncredited)
• Film Wheels Ltd.  transportation
• Lee Lighting  grip and lighting equipment (uncredited)
• Lightflex America Inc.  photographed with (as the Lightflex System)
• Mayflower Recording  adr recording (uncredited)

Also Known As:

Runtime:

124 min

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Argentina:16 (original rating) | Finland:S | Norway:16 | Sweden:11 | UK:12 (video re-rating) (2001) | UK:15 (video rating) (1986) | UK:AA (original rating) | USA:R (certificate #26244) | West Germany:12 | Iceland:12 | Canada:PG (Ontario) | Singapore:M18 | Australia:M | Peru:14 | Argentina:Atp (re-rating)

Filming Locations:

Borough Market, Borough, London, England, UK

Company:

Juniper Films

Trivia:

Wendy Morgan was offered the role of Mary but accepted a stage play instead.

Goofs:

Continuity: Charles approaches the shore on a steam powered launch from the north. The next shot is also a shot in motion, suggesting from Charles' viewpoint, of Broad Leys, a white house high up on the shore where Sarah is working. Except the view of Broad Leys is as though from the south.

Quotes:

Sarah:Do what you will. Or what you must. Now that I know there was truly a day upon which you loved me, I can bear anything.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Ban the Sadist Videos! (2005) (V)

Soundtrack:

Adagio from Sonata in D, K 576

More than just a great film. It's an experience of seeing how reality and fiction works

Beautiful, original and intelligent of using a certain source (a book written by John Fowles), changing the perspective presented in it and turning it into a fresh cinematic experience that is as much satisfying than the original source, the film version of "The French Lieutenant's Woman" escapes the sometimes overused routine of following the literature step by step by creating a nice way to compare life with reality, mixing two stories into basically the same context.

Harold Pinter's screenplay takes the story from the book, told in the Victorian England, and adds the element of the movie within a movie, dividing it into two segments: the actors playing in a romantic film and the actors life in a current period. Let me organize the situation: in the modern times, two actors (played by Jeremy Irons and Meryl Streep, are shooting a movie whose story takes place in 1800's, with Irons playing an respected biologist engaged to a rich woman who ends up falling in love by the mysterious French Liutenant's woman (Streep), who awaits for his lover to return. During those times where moral was above anything else their romance seems to be faded to failure, almost impossible to exist since she isn't seen with good looks by society constantly called as crazy or as the French Lieutenant's whore. This is practically an unhappy story at first glance. Later, we'll notice the actors life following the same path as the characters they play except the times are other, things are a lot easier for them; they're in love with each other but they're married with other people. And this story seems a happier story than the other, also at first glance.

The intersection of both stories serves to show us not only which couple (the real one or the fictional one) might last together but also the period contrasts (there's a scene in which the actors are reading a paper with informations of how things were during the Victorian Era and they are surprised by the facts they learn) The examination one must have of both stories is the relationship between the characters played by Streep and Irons, and the way both have similarities even one being a work of fiction and the other being the reality. The only problem with the film directed by Karel Reisz is the fact we spend more time following the movie within the movie instead of following more of the actors life and their romance, which only had a notable importance when the other story was concluding as well. I'm not saying that the other story wasn't interesting but we should spend an equally balanced time with both segments so that we could see things more fairly, properly presented. Even so, the screenplay is brilliantly written and very original in terms of developing a story that goes to show the distinction between fiction and reality without playing tricks or use of excessive surprises to impress the viewers.

But a film is not only its script. "The French Lieutenant's Woman" has an fascinating and careful art direction and sceneries, beautifully made, recreating England of the 19th Century is great details; costumes and clothes are also great; the cinematography is impeccable and one of the most wonderful works I've ever seen. At last, the most interesting aspect of the film is the acting delivered by Meryl Streep (Oscar nominated for this roles, after all she plays two roles) and Jeremy Irons (he deserved a nomination that year, playing one of his first leading roles showing a great talent in carrying the whole film). I've seen them playing another couple in the underrated "The House of the Spirits" and I loved them in that film just as much as in this film. They make acting seem easy whether playing complicated characters like the ones played here or in blockbuster films as well. And their characters go through everything here, love, hate, insanity, possession, kindness, a high range of emotions that very few actors can be natural and have a certain simplicity in playing it. Sparks fly high when they're together!

Where do we have the chance to be really happy? In fiction or in reality? True love is that same kind of love we see in pictures or it's different in life? See it for yourself and think of some conclusions by watching this absolutely great film. 10/10