The French Lieutenant's Woman Page #3

Synopsis: A film is being made of a story, set in 19th century England, about Charles, a biologist who's engaged to be married, but who falls in love with outcast Sarah, whose melancholy makes her leave him after a short, but passionate affair. Anna and Mike, who play the characters of Sarah and Charles, go, during the shooting of the film, through a relationship that runs parallel to that of their characters.
Genre: Drama, Romance
Director(s): Karel Reisz
Production: MGM Home Entertainment
  Nominated for 5 Oscars. Another 9 wins & 15 nominations.
 
IMDB:
7.0
Metacritic:
64
Rotten Tomatoes:
72%
R
Year:
1981
124 min
584 Views


for children and old men...

...that means that, outside of marriage...

...your Victorian gentleman could

look forward to 2.4 fucks a week!

(humming)

(whistling)

(twig snaps)

I'm very sorry to disturb you.

(knocking)

All right. I'm comin'!

For the lovely young lady upstairs.

And... for the even more lovely one down.

How much do I owe you?

- A penny?

- Mm.

Thank you very much.

- Do you know that lady?

- Aye.

- Does she come this way often?

- Often enough.

But she be no lady.

She be the French lieutenant's whore.

From Mr Charles, Miss Tina,

with his compliments.

- Did he bring them himself?

- No, Miss.

- Where is Mr Charles?

- Dunno, Miss. Didn't ask him.

Ask who?

- His servin' man, Miss.

- But I heard you speak with him.

- Yes, Miss.

- What about?

Oh, it was just the time of day, Miss.

You will kindly remember

that he comes from London.

Yes, Miss.

If he makes advances,

I wish to be told at once.

Now bring me some barley water.

Madam?

Madam?

I'm very sorry to have

disturbed you just now.

I gather you've recently become...

secretary to Mrs Poulteney.

May I accompany you? Since

we walk in the same direction.

I prefer to walk alone.

- May I introduce myself?

- I know who you are.

- Ah. Then...

- Kindly allow me to go on my way alone.

And please tell no one that

you have seen me in this place.

"Miss Woodruff."

Wait a minute. I lost the place.

Page 50. I suddenly see you. You've

got your dress caught in the brambles.

I see you, then you see me. We look at

each other, and I say "Miss Woodruff."

All right.

Right. I see you.

Get your coat caught in the brambles.

Right.

Now I'm looking at you.

You see me.

- "Miss Woodruff."

- I'm looking at you.

But now you come

towards me to pass me.

It's a narrow path, and it's muddy.

- You slip in the mud...

- Ow!

...and I help you up.

- Let's just do it again, OK?

- All right.

- Let's just do it again.

All right...

I've got my dress caught in the brambles.

Suddenly you see me.

Then I see you.

"Miss Woodruff."

I dread to think what would happen...

...if you should one day

turn your ankle in a place like this.

I must go back.

Permit me to say something first.

I know I am a stranger to you, but...

(dog barking)

Down here, here in this hollow.

Come on.

Here. Here.

Heel!

It's really not necessary to hide.

No man who cares for his good name can

be seen with the scarlet woman of Lyme.

Miss Woodruff... I've heard

something of your circumstances.

It cannot be any great pleasure

being in Mrs Poulteney's employ.

Why don't you leave Lyme? I understand

you have excellent qualifications.

- I should be happy to make inquiries...

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Harold Pinter

Harold Pinter (; 10 October 1930 – 24 December 2008) was a Nobel Prize-winning British playwright, screenwriter, director and actor. One of the most influential modern British dramatists, his writing career spanned more than 50 years. His best-known plays include The Birthday Party (1957), The Homecoming (1964), and Betrayal (1978), each of which he adapted for the screen. His screenplay adaptations of others' works include The Servant (1963), The Go-Between (1971), The French Lieutenant's Woman (1981), The Trial (1993), and Sleuth (2007). He also directed or acted in radio, stage, television, and film productions of his own and others' works. Pinter was born and raised in Hackney, east London, and educated at Hackney Downs School. He was a sprinter and a keen cricket player, acting in school plays and writing poetry. He attended the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art but did not complete the course. He was fined for refusing National service as a conscientious objector. Subsequently, he continued training at the Central School of Speech and Drama and worked in repertory theatre in Ireland and England. In 1956 he married actress Vivien Merchant and had a son, Daniel, born in 1958. He left Merchant in 1975 and married author Lady Antonia Fraser in 1980. Pinter's career as a playwright began with a production of The Room in 1957. His second play, The Birthday Party, closed after eight performances, but was enthusiastically reviewed by critic Harold Hobson. His early works were described by critics as "comedy of menace". Later plays such as No Man's Land (1975) and Betrayal (1978) became known as "memory plays". He appeared as an actor in productions of his own work on radio and film. He also undertook a number of roles in works by other writers. He directed nearly 50 productions for stage, theatre and screen. Pinter received over 50 awards, prizes, and other honours, including the Nobel Prize in Literature in 2005 and the French Légion d'honneur in 2007. Despite frail health after being diagnosed with oesophageal cancer in December 2001, Pinter continued to act on stage and screen, last performing the title role of Samuel Beckett's one-act monologue Krapp's Last Tape, for the 50th anniversary season of the Royal Court Theatre, in October 2006. He died from liver cancer on 24 December 2008. more…

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Submitted on August 05, 2018

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