The French Lieutenant's Woman

1981 124 min ★ 6.4 Drama, Romance, History

In this story-within-a-story, Anna is an actress starring opposite Mike in a period piece about the forbidden love between their respective characters, Sarah and Charles. Both actors are involved in serious relationships, but the passionate nature of the script leads to an off-camera love affair as well. While attempting to maintain their composure and professionalism, Anna and Mike struggle to come to terms with their infidelity.

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Cast

Meryl Streep

Sarah / Anna

Jeremy Irons

Charles Henry Smithson / Mike

Hilton McRae

Sam

Lynsey Baxter

Ernestina

Emily Morgan

Mary

Penelope Wilton

Sonia

Jean Faulds

Cook

Charlotte Mitchell

Mrs. Tranter

Peter Vaughan

Mr. Freeman

Colin Jeavons

Vicar

Details

Director

Karel Reisz

Screenplay

Harold Pinter

Tagline

"She was lost from the moment she saw him."

Status

Released

Original Language

EN

Revenue

$2,689,068

Production

Juniper Films

Reviews

C

CinemaSerf

January 17, 2025

★ 7/10

Usually if there are two separate timelines featured in a story, the director tries to ensure that we cannot readily distinguish between one that might be true and one that might be artificial. It's the complete opposite that really works well here as we mingle the story of an 18th century woman living within the constraints of high Victorian society with a more profligate 1970s one. To fit out th...