The French Lieutenant's Woman

Name: The French Lieutenant's Woman
Genre: Drama, Romance
Released: October 16, 1981
Duration: 124 min
Rating: 64
Cast: Charlotte Mitchell, Colin Jeavons, Emily Morgan, Hilton McRae, Jean Faulds

1981

METASCORE

Generally favorable reviews based on 10 Critic Reviews

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USER SCORE

Generally favorable reviews based on 9 Ratings

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6.8

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6.8	User Score Generally favorable reviews based on 9 Ratings

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The French Lieutenant's Woman

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Movie Details & Credits

United Artists | Release Date: October 16, 1981 | R

Starring: Charlotte Mitchell, Colin Jeavons, Emily Morgan, Hilton McRae, Jean Faulds, Jeremy Irons, Liz Smith, Lynsey Baxter, Meryl Streep, Peter Vaughan

Summary: A film is being made of a story, set in 19th century England, about Charles, a biologist who's engaged to be married, but who falls in love with outcast Sarah, whose melancholy makes her leave him after a short, but passionate affair. Anna and Mike, who play the characters of Sarah and Charles, go, during the shooting of the film, through aA film is being made of a story, set in 19th century England, about Charles, a biologist who's engaged to be married, but who falls in love with outcast Sarah, whose melancholy makes her leave him after a short, but passionate affair. Anna and Mike, who play the characters of Sarah and Charles, go, during the shooting of the film, through a relationship that runs parallel to that of their characters.… Expand

Director: Karel Reisz

Genre(s): Drama, Romance

Rating: R

Runtime: 124 min

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Critic Reviews

Roger Ebert

The French Lieutenant’s Woman is a beautiful film to look at, and remarkably well-acted. Read full review

TV Guide Magazine Staff (Not Credited)

Though occasionally jarring, the intercutting between the parallel stories, aided immeasurably by Streep's disparate characterizations, succeeds in conveying the complexity of Fowles' novel. Read full review

Vincent Canby

The film's beauty is dazzling. It stands with—or perhaps a little ahead of—Stanley Kubrick's Barry Lyndon and Roman Polanski's Tess, but it also must be conceded, quickly and without too stern a reproach, that there is less to The French Lieutenant's Woman than meets the dazzled eye. Read full review

Pauline Kael

Meryl Streep gives an immaculate, technically accomplished performance as Sarah Woodruff, the romantic mystery woman of John Fowles' novel, but she isn't mysterious. We're not fascinated by Sarah; she's so distanced from us that all we can do is observe how meticulous Streep -- and everything else about the movie -- is.

Empire Kim Newman

Aesthetically beautiful and superbly acted, a sure sign of things to come from the leads. Read full review

Gary Arnold

Sufficiently attractive and absorbing to sustain the fond delusion that Charles' pursuit of the mystifying Sarah might culminate in a revealing, conclusive confrontation. [02 Oct 1981, p.C1]

Jay Scott

Two great beginnings disappoint in the end. If the novel is a dying form, film treatments are the poison. [21 Sep 1981]

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Trailesque

Oct 9, 2022

This is a flawlessly done "twofor" film. It focuses on a Victorian era romantic drama between a proper but somewhat eccentric young gentleman and a woman with a troubled history, and pairs that with the story of an affair between two actors playing those parts in a film. Everything aboutThis is a flawlessly done "twofor" film. It focuses on a Victorian era romantic drama between a proper but somewhat eccentric young gentleman and a woman with a troubled history, and pairs that with the story of an affair between two actors playing those parts in a film. Everything about it is right - the sets, the locations, Streep, Irons, Pinter's screenplay adapted from Fowles's novel - it all clicks into place. The climactic revelation is superb - it is unexpected, but in retrospect it makes perfect sense. One could complain that, like a lot of British films, it focuses too much on the issue of class (and gender roles) in British society and how those things undermine a person's individuality, but it does so in the context of an affecting story.… Expand

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The3AcademySins

Nov 8, 2018

This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. A great period piece with remarkable performances by Jeremy Irons and Meryl Streep. While the time shifting and two endings may be confusing at first, the film does make it work. If you are in to period pieces or are a Meryl Streep fan at all, this is definitely worth a watch.… Expand

1 of 1 users found this helpful10

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