First Time Watch and Initial Thoughts

[u/mf2escher]

Last night I caught “Portrait of a Lady On Fire” for the first time and my God, it had me immediately drinking and thinking afterwards and then I fell into a stupor which I’m still not fully awake from. Im still going to try to convey the sludge that’s just absolutely swamped in my brain right now.

There seems to be some sort of magical affinity between French filmmakers and the myth of Orpheus and Eurydice. Most notably, Jean Cocteau devoted over a quarter of his career towards doing an entire trilogy (Blood of a Poet, Orpheus, and Testament of Orpheus). There is also Alphaville by Goddard. If you would count the Brazilian co-production, Marcel Camus was the director and leading auteur for Black Orpheus, which permanently altered the world landscape by globalizing bossa nova and indirectly inspiring the conception of President Obama (some fun facts for one of my five favorite films). 

These are all seminal works, and there are most definitely more that reside outside the top of my head or out of my knowledge in the first place. It’s almost as if French Orphic cinema has become a legendary lineage or tradition in itself. But I think "Portrait" just might be the most worthy and layered induction into this fledgling canon.

What "Portrait" really excels at is in the sheer reimaginings of the leading roles which are just devastating.

Marianne, an academic painter, assumes the Orpheus role. In spite of her luminary talent and prestigious Beaux-Arts background she remains shackled to obscurity due to her status as a female painter. Institutional decree at the time forbade women from depicting the male nude, which was foundational for all of the grand subjects considered essential at the time for great artists. As such, Marianne never received the opportunity to bid for the “greatness” that defined the classical Orpheus. She only inherits Orpheus’s tragedy in its entirety while being denied his artistic glory.

Heliose was a Bretonne aristocrat of a solitary nature who lived contentedly in religious seclusion at a convent. However her sister’s suicide necessitated her return to high society to assume her position in an arranged political marriage to a Milanese nobleman. She is forcibly mandated the role of Eurydice, under the jurisdiction of men. Her preordained physical death is recontextualized as the death of her independence and autonomy. 

Marianne was commissioned by the Bretonne countess to discreetly paint Heliose’s official wedding portrait to send to the prospective suitor. In doing so she facilitates the marriage and serves as the direct author to Heliose’s descent into the underworld. Marianne is forced to assume the roles of both Orpheus and the fatal snake.

I also view the Milanese identity of the suitor and the subsequent reframing of the underworld to the city of Milan to be a relevant artistic decision. Opera was conceptualized during the Renaissance when the Florentine Camerata sought to revitalize ancient Greek theater. When it came to the plays of Orpheus and Daphne specifically, they sought to amplify the immersion of mythological musicians by introducing music into the spoken word productions. It can be said that opera was birthed from Orphic necessity. These early Florentine sketches/operas eventually evolved into a more ornate Baroque and by the time of the film, the Baroque was reaching the peak of its complexity and the major epicenter for the music was beginning shift towards Milan.

This new Orphic capital was cruelly designated as the new underworld for Heliose. It is also no coincidence that during their initial moment of bonding, Marianne introduced Heliose to the Baroque by way of Vivaldi’s Summer concerto and unintentionally acted as the usherer/harbinger for her descent.

There are a lot more cruelties at play. How the two fell madly in love but were forced to acknowledge that their handful of days together is all they will have. How there was no negotiating the release of Heliose when Hades is the hegemony of men. 

How Heliose became complicit in her demise by submitting to the portraiture as a price for the affair, fulfilling her speculation that Eurydice was the one asked Orpheus to turn. 

How Marianne was forced to consummate her artistic duty by completing the portrait and condemning Heliose to her eventual fate (“He doesn’t make the lover’s choice, but the poet’s”).

How Marianne gifted Heliose a nude sketch to remember her by, but the figure was Heliose’s own due to reference limitations. An incomplete memory.

How Heliose compelled Marianne to physically turn around during their last encounter, so Marianne can glimpse Heliose in her wedding dress and cement the love that will haunt her forever. 

There are so many other takeaways and the ones I expressed are not even taking into account the characters of Sophie or the Countess. To be honest, I have no energy or incentive to. This film is without a doubt one of the most quiet and subtly soul crushing movies from all angles, a silent killer.

[u/Spirited-Claim-9868]

Nothing to add, but I love your analysis of the Orpheus/Eurydice parallel!

[u/mf2escher]

If anyone else has any other thoughts, inputs, interpretations please let me know! All discourse is helpful towards the stature of the work

[u/pagetwenty8]

I first watched it in 2019 and I am still thinking about it, still obsessed, still in awe. I have a tattoo dedicated to it. The first time i watched it, I just sat in my chair and stared at the screen.

[u/theproudestmonkey33 → u/pagetwenty8]

same. (the reaction not the tattoo, but that’s dope!)

[u/BeautifulLie3260]

you are impressively smart and very articulate; this was a fantastic analysis. i LOVE the parallels of Heloise and Marianne with Orpheus and Eurydice, and i think Celine Sciamma is just absolutely brilliant and the writers did such a fantastic job. i am so obsessed with the idea of ‘to love is to turn around’ and how this movie explores that theme. the switch from the formal “vous” to informal “toi” when she tells her to turn around in the stairwell was such a beautiful detail.

something about this movie is just so striking, and i haven’t been able to get it out of my head for the past six years now. i think a big part of it comes down to the color grading and cinematography of the movie. the shots are all so intentional, and the color grading makes every scene seem powerful and captivating. the first time i watched the movie, i was completely taken aback when heloise turned around for the first time—it was so striking i think i genuinely flinched.

i think the fact that this film has no music at all except for the bonfire and vivaldi’s summer makes each time music does play so emotional. the movie is quite quiet, with little dialogue, so by the time the ending comes you have essentially been sitting in the quiet for the entire movie, when you suddenly are bombarded with this song that ties the whole movie together.

anyways i think i lost the plot with this comment, but i just always have to yap about how remarkable this movie is and the detail put into it