Lady Chatterley (2006)

User Rating:

7.1/10   

Director:

Pascale Ferran

Writers:

Roger Bohbot (writer)
Pascale Ferran (writer)

Release Date:

1 November 2006 (France)

Genre:

Drama | Romance

Tagline:

Based on one of the most scandalous novels of our time

Plot:

A French adaptation of the second (and much less well-known) version of D.H. Lawrence's erotic tale.

Plot Keywords:

Estate | Daffodil | Lady | Affair | Class Distinction

Awards:

10 wins & 6 nominations

Cast

Marina Hands	...	Constance
Jean-Louis Coullo'ch	...	Parkin (as Jean-Louis Coulloc'h)
Hippolyte Girardot	...	Clifford
Hélène Alexandridis	...	Mrs. Bolton
Hélène Fillières	...	Hilda
Bernard Verley	...	Le père de Constance
Sava Lolov	...	Tommy Dukes
Jean-Baptiste Montagut	...	Harry Winterslow
Fanny Deleuze	...	Tante Eva
Michel Vincent	...	Marshall
Colette Philippe	...	Mrs. Marshall
Christelle Hes	...	Kate
Jade Bouchard	...	La jeune bonne
Joël Vandael	...	Field, le chauffeur
Jacques De Bock	...	Le médecin (as Jacques de Bock)

Also Known As:

Lady Chatterley et l'homme des bois (France) (TV title)

MPAA:

Rated R for sexuality and graphic nudity.

Runtime:

168 min | 220 min (TV version) (2 parts)

Country:

Belgium | France | UK

Language:

French

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.66 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital | DTS

Certification:

Switzerland:14 (canton of Geneva) | Switzerland:14 (canton of Vaud) | Portugal:M/16 (Qualidade) | Norway:11 | Ireland:16 | Finland:K-13 | Australia:M | UK:18 | South Korea:18 | USA:R | Taiwan:R-12 (original rating) | Brazil:16 | Sweden:15 | Japan:R-18 | Argentina:16 | Singapore:R21 | Hong Kong:III | Netherlands:16 | Germany:16 | New Zealand:R16

Filming Locations:

Château de Montmery, Ambazac, Haute-Vienne, France

Company:

Maïa Films

Trivia:

Director Pascale Ferran scheduled six weeks of intensive rehearsal to help put the actors at ease with each other in preparation for the explicit scenes.

Goofs:

Continuity: On the cabin porch, while drinking water, the two different glasses are switched from one character to the other between takes.

Movie Connections:

Version of Ang kabit ni Mrs. Montero (1999)

Soundtrack:

Well-tempered Clavichord, Book I, Fugue No.2, BWV.847

A beautiful movie about the awakening of a woman's senses!

I have seen the BBC adaptation of the DH Lawrence novel made by Ken Russell with Joely Richardson and Sean Bean and there is no comparison: I prefer the French adaptation even if the film is not always faithful to the book on some points (for example, in the book, Sir Clifford is having problems with his miners and his employees because he is very arrogant but in the film, Pascale Ferran does not mention these problems). The actors are maybe a little more good-looking in the BBC version but that's about it (sorry, Sean Bean). And if you want to see a film about a beautiful but bored, aristocratic woman whose sensuality is suddenly re-awakened by her meeting with the sullen, unsociable but virile Parkin/Mellors, then this film is for you. Pascale Ferran seemed to have focused her film on the love-story between Lady Constance/Connie and Parkin, the gamekeeper and the discovery or re-discovery of one's senses. That is why you have beautiful shots of nature, of magnificent trees in spring and why you have many scenes in which Constance is walking in the forest and just listening to the songs of birds. The forest is also the place where she discovers her own sensuality. The actors are brilliant, they magnificently show all sorts of emotions on their faces and the love-making scenes are all made with much reserve, with subtlety...It is all refined and very beautifully-done. I loved this Connie, I could relate to her and I loved the long pauses and the looks between the two leads, the big shots on the hands, on some legs or other parts of the body and some refined clothes. The costumes are also important. This movie reminds me a little of some scenes of The Piano by Jane Campion and if you enjoyed The Piano, I am sure you will like this French adaptation. Definitely a 'must-see'. It is a little long, more than 2 hours and a half, I think but if you are used to watching long BBC period dramas like me, you will have no fear in watching this!