The title of this film caught my eye when I saw it on the streaming site. It was familiar to me but I couldn't place where I had seen it before. Then I remembered D. H. Lawrence, an English writer famed for writing erotic stories to the extent that his books were banned from some countries a long time ago.
I studied English literature in secondary (high) school and remembered Sons and Lovers (1913) by D. H. Lawrence was one of the recommended books for study. Somehow, I did not read the book then because it did not appeal to me! 😂 Now, this film appealed to me because I see a man and a woman holding each other on the poster and the word 'lover' is part of the title. I became curious and watched it.
Before I review this film, it's noteworthy that D. H. Lawrence was a novelist who existed ahead of his time. His most celebrated novels such as Sons and Lovers (1913), Women in Love (1920), Lady Chatterley's Lover (1928) among others were focused on romance and gay relationships which were unacceptable in the 1900s.
I wondered why these books were censored in the 1900s when they reflected the reality of many relationships. Or maybe it was a prudish era then.
Over time, writing about these sort of relationships has become acceptable. There have been some film adaptations of D. H. Lawrence's Lady Chatterley's Lover but this one by Netflix is the first I'll watch.
Lady Chatterley's Lover (2022) is a romance that focuses on a young woman, Constance Reid (played by Emma Corrin) who marries sir Clifford Chatterley (played by Matthew Duckett) before the war. They look happy together until Clifford returns from the war wounded and bound to a wheelchair.
The new couple moves from London to the family estate in Wragby and things turn sour for the couple when Clifford is unable to make love to his wife due to his injury. Life becomes lonely for Constance as she undertakes mundane activities like pushing her husband's wheelchair, typing his fiction, helping him to take bath, carrying him into bed at night etc.
Then Constance sets her eyes on the estate's gamekeeper and life becomes a rollercoaster from there.
Source: YouTube
Review: Women And Sensuality
If there's one obvious theme in the film, it's one of romance and sensuality for women. The novel was written in a period when it was believed that women were not sexual and to have such a feeling was taboo. I believe this was Clifford Chatterley's thought and therefore he saw no need to provide this satisfaction to his wife.
This prudish (taboo) behaviour was well displayed in some scenes in the film like when the affair was discovered by the villagers, some of the women who were friends with Lady Chatterley shunned her. It was like they were trying to avoid getting an infection.
D. H. Lawrence wrote to change the narrative of his time but sadly it wasn't accepted in most social circles and women were left to suffer in silence. Women who were bold and unwilling to accept the norm, like Lady Chatterley, found a solution to their problem which became an awakening for this main character. In this instance, sir Clifford opened the doorway. Hehe.
Cast And Cinematography
I'm sure David Magee‘s script did not capture everything in the book because no filmmaker ever does but this adaptation is fascinating and compelling with memorable main characters, that is Constance, Clifford and Oliver Mellors. Their performance was great and believable. Constance and Oliver Mellors displayed fantastic chemistry considering they engaged in some nude scenes, perfectly selling their love and desire for one another.
However, I was not pleased with the cinematography. The film was visually dull and displeasing. The mix of colours was shady and melancholic. I have watched many British period dramas and seen some lovely landscapes that make you long for such in reality but not in this film. I feel the cinematographer should have done a better job. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder after all so I'll content myself with the plot and acting.
I enjoyed watching this film adaptation and recommend it for romance and British historical lovers. Be warned though, there are some steamy erotic scenes in this film which means children cannot be allowed to watch.
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Other images are screenshots from the movie
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