In 1979, a film crew came to the coastal town of Lyme in the south of England to shoot the film "The French Lieutenant's Woman".
The story of this film takes place in the Victorian era more than one hundred years ago. At that time, a young gentleman who loves geological surveys, Charlescame to Lyme from London to visit the daughter of a wealthy businessman who had become engaged to him. Freeman. One day, when Charles was out for a walk with his fiancée, he suddenly found a woman in black standing at the end of the breakwater, looking at the sea fascinatingly. Charles learned that the woman was named Sarafrom his fiancée .
The actors who play Charles and Sara in the film are Mikeand Anna. I don't know if they are in need of filming. After shooting, they live a life like a couple.
Sara was born in poverty. She was educated and loved painting, but her social status did not allow her to display her artistic talents, nor did she allow her to have the freedom to love and think. A woman of her status either marries a farmer to have children, or lives as a prostitute in a big city. Sara resisted the arrangement of fate and loved a French lieutenant who was in a shipwreck, but when she found that the lieutenant was not worthy of her love, she resolutely cut off contact with him. She came to Lyme town alone, arrogant and silent, she often stared at the sea blankly. However, in this feudal and conservative village, people thought she was still missing the romantic Frenchman who abandoned her, and therefore contemptuously called her "The French Lieutenant's Woman".
The parish priest introduced Sara to Madam Botany's house as an escort, and the lady asked Sara to forget the French lieutenant completely and not be allowed to look at the sea anymore. Sara feels more depressed and lonely at his wife's house. She keeps her secret from her, and she still often walks along the beach. She meets Charles who collects specimens on the beach again and again. Charles is sympathetic to her fate.
Charles is about to have his wedding with Freeman soon, but he is already obsessed with the extraordinary temperament of Sarah, and he is determined to help Sara get out of her current situation. He suggested that Sara leave this suffocating town and go to London, but Sarah refused. Charles was puzzled by Sara's words and deeds, but he had fallen into feelings for Sara and couldn't help himself. He asked Dr. Grogan for help, who believed that Sarah was suffering from "hidden depression."
Sarah, who has a peculiar personality, once despaired of the world, determined to accept the manipulation of bad luck in loneliness, and obtain comfort in the freedom of heart, but the appearance of Charles made her unable to conceal her inner excitement. When Sara was fired for deliberately defying Madam Botany's teachings, it was rumored that Sara was missing. Only Charles received a note from Sara which revealed Sara's invisibility.
Charles did not heed Dr. Grogan’s suggestion to send Sara to a mental hospital for treatment. Instead, he persuaded Sara to go to Exeter and asked his lawyer to give her the living expenses. Charles drove to Exeter to find Sarah, and the two couldn't help falling in love. Charles was surprised to find that Sara was still a virgin, she had been silently enduring the slander and misunderstanding of her. Sara's sincere and peculiar feelings made Charles very excited, and he was determined to cherish it.
Charles returned to Lyme and offered to dissolve his engagement with Freeman. Freeman's father asked the lawyer to draft an insulting confession, asking Charles to sign the confession as a condition for dissolving the marriage, and this thing will be published at any time. Charles resolutely signed the confession, and then drove away. However, when Charles came back to find Sarah, she had already left the hotel and disappeared.
Charles spent three years searching for Sara, and finally received a telegram from his lawyer from Windermere, learning that Sara had found a job as a tutor in an architect’s house. The owner was very kind to her and encouraged her. Paint freely. Charles and Sara finally reunited. Charles blamed her for having been silent for three years, and Sara asked Charles to forgive him for the pain caused by her pursuit. Charles finally forgave Sarah, and they hugged each other in the bright sun.
The film was almost finished. Mike felt distressed because of breaking up with Anna, so he managed to get his wife to come forward and invite the crew to dinner. He took this opportunity to beg Anna to have a serious conversation with him, but Anna only said the word "Windermere", which was the name of the last location of the film.
The last shot was finished, and all the crew members held a party in the garden. Mike hurried to Anna's dressing room, but found that when people went to the building, he could only taste the loneliness after passion.
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