TheLittleSongbird The other versions were the 1981 film with Nicholas Clay and the 1993 Ken Russell-directed mini-series. The mini-series was very good, the music was inconsistent and the ending was too open-and-shut and tacky but it looked gorgeous, was very well-written with great acting and it was surprisingly restrained for a director notorious for divulging into excess. The Nicholas Clay film was not so good, in fact aside from the beautiful visuals and score as well as a decent performance from Clay it was very dull and underwritten with a lead who shows little acting talent. This by a mile is the best version of the three. As an adaptation, it is a good one and apart from some cutting things out, the odd name change it is quite close to the book, the essence in fact beautifully realised. And unlike the Clay film, not in a way that takes the sexual nature of the narrative to trashed-up extremes. The sex scenes and nudity are very steamy but also sensual and incredibly passionate, not resorting to gratuity. The film's writing doesn't feel underwritten or banal, the characterisations are believable and consistent at least and the dialogue flows well. The storytelling here maintains the steaminess and passion of the book without overdoing it, most of all even with the cuts it is also coherent. It also contrasts the natural word and aristocratic stuffiness beautifully, and while the ending is rather ambiguous(more so than the book) it is incredibly moving too. Lady Chatterley looks stunning too with evocative period detail and some of the most colourful yet moody scenery of any French film I've seen. Some of the shots are lengthy but not to self-indulgent levels, but each frame flows effortlessly into the next. The score is charming and sympathetic to the mood(s) of the story. Pascale Ferran directs remarkably and the acting is without an obvious problem. Marina Hands has natural beauty and has heartfelt acting skills to match while Jean-Louis Coulloc'h makes for an authoritative yet sensitive lover, the chemistry between the two tender and passionate. And Sir Clifford thankfully is a complex character rather than a caricature. Overall, a wonderful film, one of the finer French films personally seen, and easily the best version of an interesting but understandably controversial(a must read for anybody who is studying the subject of love in literature in English). 10/10 Bethany Cox

mymallbox-662 I have never read the book, but have always been fascinated by the story, which is, of course, famously known.Having never seen the other movie adaptations, I can't compare. However, I thought this version was terrific. Maybe it is more of a "woman's movie" but I could put myself into their shoes throughout the story. The initial love scenes were so much more sensual than in today's US movies where nothing is left to the the imagination. My favorite scene is of them unabashedly dancing in the rain, naked, happy, free and all with their boots on!!! It might be too "fairytale-ish" for some, but I say "Bravo!" and thank you Pascale Feran for creating this visual and sensual masterpiece.

lastliberal Six times this film has been made. This is the first with a woman as director (Pascale Ferran). It won five Césars (French Oscars), but surprisingly none for Ferran. The Best Director award went to Guillaume Canet for Tell No One, which also featured Marina Hands. She returns the following year in the Oscar nominated The Diving Bell and the Butterfly.She starred in this film as Lady Chatterley, a woman whose husband (Hippolyte Girardot) was confined to a wheelchair.The film was originally short of three hours, but this is the Director's Cut, and it runs 3 hours and 21 minutes.It features outstanding cinematography of the French countryside, and beautiful music. In fact, as Lady Chatterley likes to take long walks in the woods, we get to see a lot of scenery.She decides she wants to stop and rest in the gamekeeper's (Jean-Louis Coullo'ch) hut. He is not too thrilled with this, as he is a loner.A loner and a lonely woman. Will events transcend social status? Soon, the hut becomes more than a resting place, as she starts to plant flowers. She is visiting almost every day. It is the gamekeeper that makes a bold move that results in sex. One would not think that a Lady would be interested in sex on a hard wooden floor with nothing but a blanket, but she does. It is hard to believe she was happy as the foreplay was nonexistent and he finished in less than a minute, but she said she'll be back.The second meeting was the mirror of the first, and it was on the third time in the woods that she finally got satisfaction.The running naked in the rain and doing it in the mud was special. Afterwards, back in the hut, he decorated her with flowers. She looked like a wood nymph. She crosses the line here declaring her love for him.She takes a vacation with her father and sister and her whole world changes. But, the love they had for each other doesn't change and the expression at the end was magnificent.

jo-658 One of the worst movies I have ever seen. We kept on thinking that it must get better due to it's good score of over 7 points on IMDb. But no. I just wonder what made the actors choose to be in the film after reading the script " two sentences. She walks in the forest. sex scene. Two lines and She looks through the window and Sex scene." Really boring and slow. The sex scenes are particularly disturbing. It starts of very stiff, no kissing, he just takes off his trousers and "does it", then stands up an puts them back on. Not the best performance by the actors and it just does not flow. Nothing ever happens. And it just goes on and on and on. a true waste of time I would say.