OVID.tv Presents LADY CHATTERLEY’S LOVER Film Review — Prohibited Passion

Posted on by Tyler Holland-Kasparov

A weathered shack appears. It’s not entirely dilapidated; instead, it exudes a tranquil coziness. Along the outskirts of the small yard is a fence lined with chicken coops. In the background, among the trees, a man and woman walk into the scene while baby chicks chirp in the rural black-and-white setting. The woman is composed and possesses a polished demeanor, a stark contrast to the man who, despite being in uniform, has the rugged aura of someone who toils in the sun. 

The camera focuses on the front yard, with each character in their respective positions. The woman, whom we know as Constance Chatterley, immediately takes an interest in the chicks. She strides over to a small henhouse and kneels down, engrossed by the peppy baby birds. The man notices her interest and kneels beside her, reaching into the pen and presenting Lady Chatterley with a chick. The camera moves in for a close shot, capturing both their faces on the screen. Lady Chatterley, absorbed by the chick in her hand, is unaware of the man’s passionate gaze toward her. The man is oblivious to Lady Chatterley’s deep desires driven by her husband’s paralysis, namely a craving for physical intimacy. A tinge of sadness appears on her face as she gently cradles the baby bird. All her attention is on the baby chicken as she coddles it and rubs it against her cheek. Amid the chirping, the soft melody of violins and trumpets that has been setting the scene begins to crescendo. The infatuation on the man’s face starts to wane as he realizes the complexity of his situation: his attraction to a married woman whose husband he works for. A sudden diminuendo in the music occurs as he breaks his gaze and stands up. 

Lady Chatterley struggles with the isolation that has become dominant in her marriage. Marital strife, isolation, and sex all weigh heavily on Constance Chatterley. This issue is further complicated by the intricacies of social class, agitating the sordid liaison. This becomes especially evident when Constance confesses her affair to her sister Hilda over drinks. 

Lady Chatterley’s Lover is a 1955 French film based on the highly controversial novel by D.H. Lawrence. The film revolves around Lady Chatterley and her love affair. Despite her aristocratic husband’s encouragement to secure a pregnancy from a stranger and raise the child together after he is left disabled in a war accident, Lady Chatterley instead engages in a passionate love affair with her husband’s hired gamekeeper, Oliver Mellors. 

 

OVID.TV’S LADY CHATTERLEY’S LOVER Presents A Classic Film Surrounded By Controversy.  

 

 

Two demure women, dressed lavishly with bejeweled brooches and pearls, sit across each other in intricate chairs with opulently designed cushions. The tops of expensive liquor bottles on the table before them peek up into the scene’s bottom frame. This atmosphere contrasts starkly with an earlier scene in which Constance Chatterley has her first sexual encounter with the gamekeeper in a bed of hay on a dirt floor. Constance is canceling the trip to Venice with her sister, revealing she would much prefer to spend the time with her lover. Lady Chatterley appears poised and confident, stating she can’t even tell her lover about the trip to Venice until after tomorrow because he will be at the market buying grain. Classical music plays in the background. “My lover is a gamekeeper,” she says. “A gamekeeper?” Hilda responds, a level of shock settling over her as her poised demeanor begins to crack. The lightheartedness and girlish charm she exhibited earlier in the film when encouraging Constance to find a lover are no longer present. “Risque, isn’t it? Like something out of a French novel,” Constance remarks, remaining collected. Hilda, trembling, reaches for the liquor bottle and pours herself a generous drink. A nervous laugh escapes her, “You’re crazy!” 

Lady Chatterley’s Lover is a French romantic drama film directed by Marc Allégret based on D.H. Lawrence’s novel of the same name. Released in 1955, the film is relatively tame by today’s standards, yet its themes are refreshingly modern. The narrative surrounding female sexual pleasure in this movie remains only shocking, in this reviewer’s opinion, in how ahead of its time it comes across. If you enjoy classic films, French cinema, D.H. Lawrence, or want a highly entertaining black- and- white film for movie night, this cinematic classic is for you. 

Cast: 

Danielle Darrieux: Constance Chatterley 

Erno Crisa: Oliver Mellors 

Leo Genn: Sir Clifford Chatterley 

Jean Murat: Baron Leslie Winter 

Director- Marc Allégret

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For more information visit the OVID.tv webpage for LADY CHATTERLEY'S LOVER.

Photos Courtesy of OVID.tv

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