actors Anna and Mike followed the crew to the small town of Lyme in southern England to film. In the play, Sarah, the governess played by Anna, met the French lieutenant at the host's house. Her heart was quickly captured and she followed the lieutenant. But seeing the reality clearly, she immediately woke up and realized that this was just a show. After returning to the town, people often saw her wearing a black robe, stopping by the embankment. Everyone mistakenly thought that she still cared about the French lieutenant, talking about her with contempt and disdain, and secretly calling her "the French lieutenant's woman". The death of the old master forces Sarah to work at the new master's home. The new owner, Mrs. Botany, was pedantic and conservative. She ordered Sarah not to go to the woods in the suburbs alone to relax, believing that it was exposing her own shame, and asked her to read the Bible aloud to show compliance.
Second,
the archaeologist Charles played by Mike and his wife saw Sarah on the bank of the embankment. He persuaded him out of kindness, and Sarah's glance made him instantly attracted to this woman. Later, he met Sarah in the forest. After a brief conversation, he felt that this woman was unusual, and he became more curious about her. People in the town are full of prejudice against her, but no one knows her true experience and inner thoughts. Charles, who knew the truth, found out that he had fallen in love with her, but by then he was engaged. Sara was very worried after revealing her sincerity. She didn't want her lover to give up the engagement for her, so she chose to leave without saying goodbye. Charles couldn't go against his sincerity, and frankly confessed his thoughts to his fiancée. His fiancée was heartbroken and hated because of this, and his actions were published in the newspapers, which made him disgraced.
Although actors Anna and Mike each have a partner, they cannot restrain the passion that erupts after the strong emotional entanglement in the play. The difference from the play is that the two are emotionally integrated after a physical relationship. After the small town scene, Mike invites the crew to a party at his house in order to meet Anna. Perhaps it was influenced by the character "Sarah". Her sincerity and frankness about her relationship in the play made Anna full of confusion about the direction of her relationship with Mike. Their love might just be a dream attached to the outside of the play. In the end, Anna felt unable to transcend reason, and her departure brought the relationship to an end.
three. free new woman
Although she has been criticized all the time, Sarah still sticks to herself. In the process of telling the truth to Charles, Sarah is tangled and struggling. She is very aware of her situation. She is a traitor who does not deserve happiness in the eyes of the world. She is a little distorted by the prejudice of the outside world, and pain haunts her. But she still resisted silently: deliberately breaking the promise of Mrs. Botany, after returning from the forest, she walked on the path that the housekeeper passed by every day. But now she didn't have enough strength to free herself from the whirlpool. She turned to Charles for help, and she was keenly aware that this man understood her. And she found out uneasy that her love for Charles was against the external environment, because at this time Charles was engaged, and she told Charles her choice without saying goodbye. Three years later, she saw the news of Charles breaking the engagement and sent him the address. Charles found that Sarah had changed her past worries and became bright and happy. She told the reason why she left in the past, and now she has found her own life position. She asked Charles' forgiveness and confided the truth to him. People eventually have lovers and finally get married.
Even if the director narrates the story through two lines, the editing techniques and the use of lines allude to the connection inside and outside the play. Whether it is the seamless connection between the rehearsal and the two people in the play, or the various hints of the dialogue between the two people outside the play, they remind the audience of their inner connection. Sarah's jealousy prompted her to leave Charles for three years, and Anna's jealousy made her choose to return to her boyfriend. Perhaps, Sarah is a portrayal of Anna's inner ideal. Her inner pursuit of freedom and courage, but it cannot be realized in reality. Or maybe, she was just inspired by Sarah in the play and evoked the most real appeal in her heart.
The classic status of this film is unquestionable. Its rich color of the times depicts the deep-rooted secular prejudice in the Victorian period, as well as the ethics and morality respected by the society at that time. Its confinement is terrifying, and it also kidnaps the freedom of human nature. A signal that ethics cannot be challenged. Outside of the play, although Britain is a modern society, the invisible boundaries of ethics and morality are still insurmountable in people's hearts. At the same time, the emergence and attempt of new ideas represented by Sarah in the play also let us see a wonderful old and new game of human liberation.
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