My earliest memory of the film "The French Lieutenant's Woman" comes from my childhood. I vaguely remember that I saw this movie on TV shows like "Zhengda Variety", but I was probably a primary school student at that time, and I only vaguely remember Meryl Streep With the big cloak and the deep, affectionate eyes of Jeremy Irons, the storyline is completely unknown. What I knew about Jeremy's superb acting came from this 1981 film. After more than 30 years, I finally found this film, allowing me to enjoy such a shocking, heart-broken, and hauntingly touching story of the pursuit of spiritual freedom and love.
The protagonist is Sarah played by Meryl Streep. She is loyal to her heart and soul, and with her passion, she wants to find the life and freedom she wants. The French soldier she met at the beginning was a little provocative to her, which made her cherish his admiration. She ignored the feudal and conservative social atmosphere at the time and took the initiative to go to the town to the hotel to find the French soldier, but she did not expect that he found a prostitute , I don't have her at all. But her inner fire has been ignited, she likes what she can pursue, and she is addicted to the feeling of being loved by others, even if it goes against the requirements of the secular society for a lady, even if the world says she is a lunatic and a prostitute, and she She is also a low-class person with no social status. Everyone abandons her, but she acts as if nothing happened. She promises on the surface and insists on her own opinion, because she feels that she pursues the freedom that the world does not understand - the freedom of the soul. This freedom is reflected in the oppression of her by the society. The more the outside world slanders and abuses her, the stronger she must be, the more she can feel the joy of breaking through barriers and being free in her heart, so the doctor said that she has no reason. "Depression".
She dreams of having a love that is ardent and fiery, and she dreams of being able to paint as she pleases, expressing her calm and cowardly emotions on the surface, but actually suppressing excitement. Luckily, she runs into high-class Charles, played by Jeremy Irons. Charles's wealthy family does not need to consider living expenses at all, and he digs fossils for his own entertainment. In those days, marriage was for strong alliances, a bit like today's China, as long as the family matches, the family wealth and age are similar, this is a natural marriage, no need to consider whether there is really love, it's all for life. . But Sarah's startling glance plundered Charles' heart. After that, he turned from curiosity to sympathy, and gradually became obsessed with Sarah, until the doctor asked him in person, "Do you wish to hear her, do you wish to see her, do you wish to touch her?" It turned out that he had fallen in love with her, and even tore up the marriage contract for her and insulted his reputation. This is the magic of love, I believe that Charles really fell in love with Sarah. At that time, the reputation of a gentleman was comparable to life, but he still gave up his reputation because he found love that opened his heart, and he was no longer willing to lie A fake marriage. And his fiancee kept saying that she loved him and was willing to do everything for him, but when she learned that he had abandoned her for a "whore", she immediately became his enemy, and she wanted to kill him quickly, how hypocritical! How terrible! Their date in the shed, their first kiss, and their inability to help themselves in the hotel are all very touching and real. They are all virgins, but they have the stigma of being a boy and a girl; while those gentlemen are doing things behind their backs, and the ladies are gossiping behind their backs.
As for Sarah and Charles, I feel a little more complicated. She wants to dedicate herself to such a fire of love. She is good at seducing Charles with self-pity and self-mutilation. She hopes that he will be captured by her, knowing that she may destroy him, but she is still like a moth to a flame. Throwing in, she wished he would too, and he did. But after getting him, she retreated completely, maybe because she felt guilty, maybe because she was obsessed with the bitterness and sweetness of "resistance", maybe she knew that this love was not what she wanted most, so she walked away, opened up a new life. For three years, she knew that he had been looking for her, but it was not until 3 years later that she found the life she wanted, and she finally calmed down and contacted him. I feel a little chill for this woman's bewitching charm, self-control, and ruthless decision. A man is still a wealthy upper-class man who is willing to abandon everything for a low-level woman. After waiting for three years, husband and wife begging? He loves her, in my opinion, far outweighs her feelings for him, and when he asks "Are you saying you never loved me?" she replies "There was madness in me at that time." Obviously , she did not simply answer "I loved you. It was not until she found her freedom that she came to seek his forgiveness. At the end of the film, the two of them descended from a dark bridge to the sunny lake, symbolizing the inability to see from the past. The underground of people can finally be bathed in sunshine and live freely under the blue sky and white clouds. I don't know if their lives will be happy or not. She is very fond of his passionate love; he is mysterious, pitiful and lovely to her It's a dream, but if they live together like ordinary couples, the mystery and enthusiasm will slowly disappear in the trivial consumption of firewood, rice, oil and salt. I hope they can cherish their hard-won happiness and live happily ever after, but I really do not know!
This is a story about having the courage to face the inner call of oneself, daring to tear up the social and secular moral rules, and pursuing spiritual freedom. The acting skills of the two leading actors are very good. Meryl Streep was so beautiful when she was young, with lake green eyes like clear pool water, with the flickering of a deer; Jeremy Irons' eyes are small but deep and powerful, and he expresses Charles' complex emotions. The true nature of the story makes people very sympathetic to this man who can't stop being trapped in love. I haven't written such a long film review for many years, but it's just not moving. I hope It is worthy.
Not only is the double-structure mode of the movie in the movie refreshing, but more importantly, the love between them is heartfelt. The characters are full and real, and the complex psychology is also well interpreted. It is a five-point movie in my mind.
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