Movie

The Portrait of a Lady

1996 · 144 min

A lavish, slow descent into a gilded trap, rich in texture and feeling but emotionally bruising.

Directed by: Jane Campion
Genres: Drama, Romance
Starring: Nicole Kidman, John Malkovich, Barbara Hershey

Overview: Ms. Isabel Archer isn't afraid to challenge societal norms. Impressed by her free spirit, her kindhearted cousin writes her into his fatally ill father's will. Suddenly rich and independent, Isabelle ventures into the world, along the way befriending a cynical intellectual and romancing an art enthusiast. However, the advantage of her affluence is called into question when she realizes the extent to which her money colors her relationships.

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Directed by: Jane Campion
Genres: Drama, Romance
Starring: Nicole Kidman, John Malkovich, Barbara Hershey

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How it feels

Written by AI. It can be wrong.

Tone: melancholicstrength 3 of 3
darkstrength 2 of 3
tensestrength 2 of 3
romanticstrength 1 of 3
Pacing: slow-burn, 1 of 4, from slow-burn to relentless
Attention: demanding, 4 of 4, from background-friendly to demanding
Themes: betrayal
identity
love
isolation
class
Places: single country house
big city
countryside
Era: period
Audience: adult
Form: nonlinear
Content intensity: Gore none
Language mild
Violence mild
Sex mild

All scales, 0 to 10

Scales, 0 to 10
Scale	Value	0 to 10
Action	1
Horror	1
Humour	2
Realism	8
Romance	6
Tension	6
Darkness	7
Complexity	7
Emotional weight	8

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Details

Genres: drama, romance
Directed by: Jane Campion
Written by: Laura Jones
Starring: Nicole Kidman, John Malkovich, Barbara Hershey, Mary-Louise Parker, Christian Bale, Shelley Winters, Richard E. Grant, Shelley Duvall
Music: Wojciech Kilar
Cinematography: Stuart Dryburgh
Runtime: 144 min
Country: Italy, United Kingdom, United States of America
Languages: Italian, English

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The Portrait of a Lady

How it feels

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Titles like The Portrait of a Lady

The Piano

The Age of Innocence

The Heiress

Phantom Thread

The Wings of the Dove

Jane Eyre

The Power of the Dog

The House of Mirth

The Handmaiden

Portrait of a Lady on Fire

Anna Karenina

La Notte

Cast

Where to watch in the US

Details