There is only one movie that I wish I could erase from my memory, simply to have the pleasure of watching it again for the first time. That film is Portrait of a Lady on Fire, Céline Sciamma’s 2019 masterpiece of forbidden love, tension, drama and enough historical period reverie to make my costume-loving heart soar. I can count on one hand the number of times I’ve finished watching a film for the first time and immediately turned around to rewatch it again, and this film makes the cut. Best of yet, it streams for free on Kanopy, so seriously, what are you waiting for?
OK, fine. If you need a little more convincing, Portrait of a Lady on Fire is a visually stunning, relevant and surprisingly modern film that absolutely brims with slow-burn passion. And that’s before you throw in the breathtaking cinematography. From the moment I saw the movie as an undergraduate film student at UNC Chapel Hill, I’ve racked up at least a dozen viewings. And I’m hooked.
The best option, in my not-so-humble opinion, is to watch it for free on Kanopy, but it’s also available on HBO Max — one of CNET’s picks for best streaming service — with a paid subscription or available to rent on Prime Video, but the easiest option is to watch free right now on Kanopy with your (also free) public library login or university ID credentials.
Almost every scene in Portrait of a Lady on Fire looks like a masterpiece painting.
Set in 1770 Brittany, in northern France, Portrait of a Lady on Fire tells the story of Marianne, a middle-class painter commissioned by a countess to paint the wedding portrait of her daughter, Héloïse, a young woman forced to leave the convent to enter an arranged marriage with a Milanese nobleman.
Opposing the marriage, Héloïse refuses to sit for any portrait, which would guarantee her marriage, so Marianne must produce the portrait in secret. Having already exhausted other painters, the Countess instructs Marianne to act as Héloïse’s companion, accompanying her day to day while silently memorizing her features to paint in secret.
Through these meetings, the two women form a friendship and eventually a romance that transcends boundaries of class and sexuality. Tragically, Marianne is forced to create the one object that will ensure the end of her blossoming relationship with Héloïse.
Noémie Merlant and Adèle Haenel deliver engrossing and elegant performances.
Starring Noémie Merlant and Adèle Haenel, accompanied by an almost entirely female cast, the film is a powerfully acted LGBTQ+ romance that studies power, memory, passion and desire through the eyes of women. Despite its 18th century setting, the film unflinchingly examines modern themes of gender, class, sexuality and reproductive rights — all of which suffocate under a repressive patriarchal society, yet flourish when those strict confines are removed. Noted as a feminist film that banishes the male gaze, reinterprets the classic Greek myth of Orpheus and Eurydice, and subverts expectations of the master/muse relationship, Portrait of a Lady on Fire is a rare feminist triumph.
With its nuanced themes, exquisite cinematography and emotionally resonant performances, it’s a beautifully moving film, and you’re sure to have a profound and unforgettable cinematic experience. Or, if you’re like me, you’ll just sob in front of a theater full of strangers and not even care. Either way, you’re in for a treat. (And while you’re at it, I will probably be watching it for the umpteenth time.)
Portrait of a Lady on Fire won the Queer Palm at the 2019 Cannes Film Festival.
Portrait of a Lady on Fire was selected to compete for the Palme d’Or at the 2019 Cannes Film Festival. The film lost that top honor to Bong Joon-ho’s Parasite, but won the Queer Palm, becoming the first film directed by a woman to win the award. Sciamma also won the award for Best Screenplay at Cannes in 2019.
Portrait of a Lady on Fire is just one of our CNET experts’ favorite movies that’s available to stream now. You should also explore our full rundown of the best movies on Max, Netflix and Amazon Prime. Plus, stream our favorite horror double feature on Netflix.
