Just the name Lady Chatterley comes with baggage, the echo of past generations' shock 'n' awe at the aristocratic woman who begins an affair with her estate's gamekeeper. No longer do you need to flip through your parents' dusty copy of D.H. Lawrence's book, searching for sex scenes; director Pascale Ferran brings sensuality to the forefront of this lush, seductive film.
I admit my MTV-addled brain mometarily cringed when I realized the running time was almost three hours long, but Ferran's ability to immerse her lens in Lady Chatterley's woodsy otherworld makes each minute worthwhile. (Just don't order that large soft drink.) Played by the lovely Marina Hands, Constance Chatterley is wasting away in her marriage to an invalid husband, who lost part of his spirit — and lower-body function — at war. She begins an affair with Parkin (Jean-Louis Coullo'ch, only a few cheeseburgers shy of Depardieuian girth). What happens next doesn't involve the animalistic heavy breathing or perfectly plumped breasts of typical costume-drama sex: in each of the film's six sex scenes, both lovers are by turns loving, hungry and selfish. These encounters deepen their relationship and are at times awkward and hilarious. (After their first encounter, taciturn Parkin says only: "These things happen." Thanks for the emotional support, dude.)
Ferran based her film on the second of Lawrence's three versions of the novel, the more tender John Thomas and Lady Jane. She aims her camera with the same focus and admiration regardless of the subject: Constance's creamy naked thigh, rainwater falling from the leaves, the pines creaking at dusk. The visuals are gorgeous, and with some of the lovemaking playing out in what feels like real time, you are easily drawn into Ferran's slowed-down natural world. More than anything, this film is about awakening: to the wonders of the world, and of the body. (And thank God it's French, because we get male full-frontal nudity, too.) It's won five Césars (the equivalent of the Oscar in France), including a Best Actress award for Hands. Indeed, though the love story unfurls in the woods, she is the most wild and bird-like presence on the screen. While the story itself may not be transgressive by today's standards, the absence of shame — over nakedness, sex and taking a lover — still pushes boundaries. And there's enough tension as to whether the secret relationship will be revealed, especially as the lovers get bolder, to keep you on the edge of your seat. As one young woman near me whispered to her friend, "They're gonna get so busted!" Either way, this is three hours of gorgeous, exuberant, uninhibited sex, with heart and soul. — Nicole Ankowski