Intro to Film 2025 • Professor Gregory Zinman • Emory University

Utopia

Written by

Andrew Cai

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Celine Sciamma’s Portrait of a Lady on Fire (2019) is a wonderfully wistful film, following the painter Marianne as she paints and begins a love affair with the reclusive bride-to-be, Heloise. Through long takes and the almost exclusive usage of diegetic sound, we viewers are transported into this quiet world of longing.

Typically, a utopian film portrays “a setting that is idyllic or a society that strives for perfection” (Hellerman, No Film School – https://nofilmschool.com/utopian-fiction). A good example of a utopia within a film is The Truman Show, where Truman lives in a perfect, scenic neighborhood. Though Portrait of a Woman on Fire doesn’t depict a perfect society –

(sidebar) In fact, Sciamma makes a point of highlighting the imperfections of the society in the film, especially when Marianne discusses her inability to paint male nudes due to her gender.

– The film does take place in the idyllic setting of an isolated island off the coast of France. The color and mise-en-scène of this film reinforce this picturesque setting as well. Sciamma utilizes many softer colors throughout the film, such as the blues, reds, and greens of the women’s dresses, or the offwhite/cream colored walls of the mansion. This muted color scheme is often associated with feelings of gentleness and tranquility. The sound design is the same, with the avoidance of non-diegetic sound. We’re fully immersed in the story and feel as though we’re walking the cliffs with Marienne and Heloise ourselves. This also makes the scenes that utilize non-diegetic sound more meaningful and attention-grabbing, such as the bonfire scene. Lastly, each character’s positioning and blocking is done so intentionally in this film, and makes every frame a painting. These three aspects of the movie make Portrait of a Lady on Fire as utopian as possible.

The utopia is also shown through the film’s material. Left alone on their own island, Marienne and Heloise are given a utopian freedom like never before. As Michael Brzezinski writes for The DePaulia, “she [Sciamma] makes a utopia of femininity for her characters in this world…even though it’s temporary…it’s almost elegiac in that nature”(https://depauliaonline.com/46466/artslife/film-tv/review-portrait-of-a-lady-on-fire-is-utopia-of-femininity/).

An example that stands out to me is the unwanted pregnancy section of the film, where Sophie (the maid) chooses between keeping or aborting her baby. It was very meaningful to see a world in the 1700s where woman could make their own choices regarding their body and sexuality. Ultimately, this utopia is shown as temporary when Marianne leaves her room on her last day on the island and sees a man eating at the dinner table while Sophie serves him.

Ultimately, the two women must leave their feminist utopia and return to the oppressive patriarchal society that they came from, where women lack autonomy and equality.

Portrait of a Lady on Fire provides us with a look into a utopian world, where women are given freedom over their own decisions and health. Sciamma further emphasizes this through using almost unrealistic, picturesque colors in setting, set, and costume to make this world feel perfect and otherworldly.

Comments

3 responses to “Utopia”

  1. Alina Avatar
    Alina

    I like how you mentioned that the film Portrait of a Lady on Fire does not depict a “perfect society.” There are clear signs of discrimination and societal expectations or constraints placed upon women in the film. As you mentioned, the movie’s softer color scheme, quiet atmosphere, and careful blocking make the world look peaceful and otherworldly. It presents a feeling of bittersweet longing, which feels dream-like. I believe that the colors blue, green, and red are repeatedly used to symbolize sadness, growth, and passion.

    While Portrait of a Lady on Fire does create an environment that feels almost utopian for Marianne and Heloise, this sense of freedom is only temporary and surrounded by obstacles. Their time together on the island lets Marianne and Heloise explore their passionate desires and make choices usually denied to them; it is like a dream. And like all dreams, it is clear from the beginning that it will not last. We are constantly reminded of the reality of life – Marianne’s struggle to be recognized as an artist and Heloise’s looming marriage. We know that the dream won’t last, but we still hope. In the ending scene, we still hope that Heloise will see Marianne, even though we are told she will not. Even though they are not able to stay together in the end, they have lasting memories. Connections are made along your life’s journey, but they do not always last. That does not mean they are any less meaningful. Portrait of a Lady on Fire gives us a brief look at a time and place where two women could be free from societal expectations. The film was like a dream that lingers long after it ends.

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  2. Kaitlin Keil Avatar
    Kaitlin Keil

    This is a great analysis and topic to write about, as I was thinking about the question of whether “Portrait of a Lady on Fire” depicts a utopia frequently throughout watching the movie as well. I agree that while Sciamma definitely makes a point to mention many of the flaws of 18th century society, the island the film takes place on is definitely a utopia, as short lived as it may have been.

    As you wrote, the mise-en-scène and cinematography in each scene, such as the blocking and low contrast, create an otherworldly effect which emphasizes the utopian setting. It’s interesting that Sciamma does this not by showing a perfect society, but by carving out a pocket of freedom within an imperfect one. Beyond the fact that Marianne, Héloïse, and Sophie are alone on the island without a man in sight, every single scene in the movie is composed like a painting. The low contrast effect makes it feel as if Sciamma is blurring reality itself.

    Throughout the film, I kept forgetting that the movie was set in the 1700s because the conversations being had and decisions the characters were able to make all felt so contemporary. Although, as with all utopian worlds, it felt a little too magical and dream-like and too good to be true, and it was clear that the paradise Héloïse and Marianne were living in would not last forever. I think your post highlights the crucial point that Sciamma’s utopia is not permanent, but cinematography allows us to dwell in it, to feel its gentleness, and to experience its loss. This is what makes the end scene so devastating.

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  3. Ethan Curtis Avatar
    Ethan Curtis

    I really like that you detail the tonal shift that occurs in Portrait of a Lady on Fire right after a man is seen at the dinner table. An immense buildup of femininity and freedom has been rising all throughout the movie, ultimately reaching its peak with Sophie making her own choice on whether or not to abort her baby. In just a few scenes following, it is Sophie who is serving the man at the table, completely undermining the buildup of the “utopia” that existed on that island. Just a single glance from a man shocks Marianne – so much so that she rushes back to Heloise. From that point on, Portrait of a Lady on Fire turns from a romantic tone to a tragic tone. This tragic tone is reinforced from that point in the movie. Power is immediately given back to Heloise’s mother, someone who accepts the repressive patriarchal society of the mainland. Their love will never be the same.

    Overall, I appreciate your commentary on the mise-en-scene of Portrait of a Lady on Fire, especially the color in the midsection of the movie that highlight its dreamy qualities and utopian sense. But mostly, I appreciate that you note that one small glance in a quick scene quickly unravels all the effort and progress that the characters build up throughout the film. It is quick moments like the scene at the dinner table which are easy to overlook.

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