Cinema Dissection: Portrait of a Lady on Fire
March 29, 2025
Céline Sciamma’s Portrait of a Lady on Fire is a ravishing exploration of forbidden love, captured through the lens of a painter and her subject. Set in 18th-century France, the film follows Marianne, a portrait artist, as she falls in love with Héloïse, a young woman whose portrait she’s been hired to paint in secret.
In this Cinema Dissection, we’ll delve into the intimate world Sciamma crafts—a world where every frame is a brushstroke, every gaze a revelation. Local filmmaker Jeremy Cropf will guide students through the film's masterful script and impeccable use of visual storytelling, from the striking close-ups to the symbolic use of fire and water.
As we dissect each scene, we’ll delve into the film’s exploration of agency, identity, and the politics of the gaze, analyzing the evolving power dynamics between the characters. This session will offer an in-depth examination of how Portrait of a Lady on Fire uses the cinematic medium to craft a love story that is both timeless in its emotional depth and strikingly contemporary in its themes.
Tickets on sale Wednesday, February 5.
