‘Masterpiece’ forbidden love period drama on ITVX | Films | Entertainment

“A perfect film, flawlessly executed in every regard,” reads one review of this stunning period drama written and directed by Céline Sciamma — and each review theron is better than the last.

A 2019 historical romantic drama, this film stars actresses Noémie Merlant and Adèle Haenel in the lead, and it was Haenel’s last film before she decided to quit the film industry as a political statement back in 2023.

In a letter published in the magazine Telerama, Haenel wrote: “I decided to politicise my retirement from cinema to denounce the general complacency of the profession towards sexual aggressors and more generally the way in which this sphere collaborates with the mortal, ecocidal, racist order of the world such as it is.”

Fans of Wuthering Heights (2026) will love this brilliant period drama, which also explores the tropes of forbidden love, passion, and relationships.

Currently available to stream for free on ITVX, French period drama Portrait of a Lady on Fire, has been hailed a ‘masterpiece’ by critics and fans alike.

It was even selected to compete for the Palme d’Or at the Cannes Film Festival in 2019, and bagged the Queer Palm award at Cannes, creating history as it became the first female-directed movie to have ever won the prestigious honour. Sciamma also took home the Best Screenplay award at the famed French film festival.

Luàna Bajrami, Valeria Golino, Christel Baras, and Armande Boulanger join Merlant and Haenel to round out a stellar supporting cast, and the movie’s official plot summary says: “In 1770 the young daughter of a French countess develops a mutual attraction to the female artist commissioned to paint her wedding portrait.”

With a near perfect 97% critics’ approval rating and smashing 92% audience approval rating on review aggregator site Rotten Tomatoes, Portrait of a Lady on Fire has garnered immense praise from all avenues.

An impressed critic said of the French masterpiece: “Claire Mathon’s stunning cinematography is achingly beautiful to gaze upon. Each frame is worthy of being hung in an art gallery, and each shot conveys so much meaning.”

While another reviewer heaped high praise on the film: “Add two tantalizing performances from Noémie Merlant and Adèle Haenel, and you have yourself one of the most romantic, beautiful films of the decade…”

A third critic was visibly dazzled: “Every artist begins with a blank canvas. It is what they do with it that defines them. With Portrait Of A Lady On Fire, Céline Sciamma has painted her masterpiece.”

While another reviewer said: “An elegant, endlessly gorgeous piece of film that hits you right in the centre of your heart.”

Dubbing it one of cinema’s greatest ever love stories, one critic wrote: “Portrait of a Lady on Fire has been crafted with a painter’s eye, a poet’s tongue and a musician’s control over emotion. As art imitates life, and life imitates art, Sciamma gives us arguably the greatest love story ever told on cinema.”

While yet another reviewer said: “Beautifully shot, perfectly timed, and with breathtaking performances from the two leads, this film is a masterpiece in cinema.”

Audience reviews followed in a similar vein, with one fan writing in a glowing testimonial: “The most perfectly crafted piece of cinematic brilliance to ever be produced. We are lucky to live in a lifetime where we get to witness this. From opening note to closing shot, every piece of this masterpiece was sheer perfection.

“Perfect cast, flawless script, beautifully shot, cinematography was divine. Art and cinema meet in a glorious union. Never will there be anything quite like this again. A fascinating insight into love, art and human nature. Beauty, beauty, a thing of beauty.”

While another audience review said: “This is a masterpiece, should have won an Oscar, my new favourite movie.”

A third fan of the film added: “Literally the best period drama movie I’ve ever seen! Love the characters, the story, the dresses, the beautiful places, and all! must watch! 10/10”

Portrait of a Lady on Fire is streaming for free on ITVX.

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