Search - The French Lieutenant's Woman

John Fowles' original novel The French Lieutenant's Woman was distinguished by a literary technique that involved telling a story of Victorian sexual and social oppression within the bounds of a 1970s viewpoint. How does one convey this time-frame dichotomy on film? The decision made by director Karel Reisz and Harold Pinter was to frame Fowles' basic plot within a "modern" context of their own making. While we watch as Sarah (Meryl Streep), a 19th-century Englishwoman ruined by an affair with a French lieutenant, enters into another disastrous relationship with principled young Charles (Jeremy Irons), we are constantly made aware that what we're seeing is only a film. This is done by surrounding the story with a modern narrative, focusing on a movie production company which is on location--filming The French Lieutenant's Woman. Meryl Streep doubles in the role of Sara and the American actress who plays her, while Jeremy Irons essays the dual role of Charles and the handsome Briton playing Charles. Likewise, everyone else in the cast is seen as "themselves" and as their French Lieutenant's Woman characters. Not surprisingly, the "real" Streep and Irons enter into an affair which closely parallels their characters' relationship. The commercial TV version of French Lieutenant's Woman eliminates 30 minutes' worth of "extraneous" scenes. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Meryl Streep - Sarah Woodruff/Anna
Jeremy Irons - Charles Smithson/Mike
Hilton McRae - Sam
Emily Morgan - Mary
Charlotte Mitchell - Mrs. Tranter

1981	Anthony Asquith Award (winner)	British Academy of Film and Television	Carl Davis
1981	Best Actress (winner)	British Academy of Film and Television	Meryl Streep
1981	Best Sound (winner)	British Academy of Film and Television	Don Sharpe
1981	Best Sound (winner)	British Academy of Film and Television	Ivan Sharrock
1981	Best Actress (winner)	Los Angeles Film Critics Association	Meryl Streep
1981	Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture - Drama (winner)	Golden Globe	Meryl Streep
1981	Best Screenplay (nominee)	Golden Globe	Harold Pinter
1981	Best Actress (nominee)	Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Scie	Meryl Streep
1981	Best Adapted Screenplay (nominee)	Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Scie	Harold Pinter
1981	Best Art Direction (nominee)	Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Scie	Assheton Gorton
1981	Best Art Direction (nominee)	Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Scie	Ann Mollo
1981	Best Costume Design (nominee)	Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Scie	Tom Rand
1981	Best Editing (nominee)	Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Scie	John Bloom
1981	Best Cinematography (nominee)	British Academy of Film and Television	Freddie Francis

Karl Reisz's The French Lieutenant's Woman contains one of Meryl Streep's best performances, and comes to DVD with a widescreen anamorphic transfer that preserves the original theatrical aspect ratio of 1.85:1. English, Spanish, and French soundtracks are rendered in Dolby Digital Mono. Spanish and French subtitles are accessible, and the English soundtrack is closed captioned. Supplemental materials are limited to the original theatrical trailer. This is an acceptable though unspectacular release from MGM/UA. Fans of the film and Streep will certainly enjoy the disc, but there may not be anything here to interest the average DVD consumer. ~ Perry Seibert, All Movie Guide

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15	Sophie's Choice (R)
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2	Two English Girls (NR)
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4	Damage (NR/R)
16	The Blue Lagoon (R)
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These movies cover the same subjects as The French Lieutenant's Woman...
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