Firelight (1997)

46% of critics liked it
(13 reviews)
81% of users liked it
(2,781 ratings)

A woman is torn by both romantic and maternal love in this period romantic drama set in the 1830s. Elisabeth (Sophie Marceau), a Swiss governess, is the beautiful daughter of a once-prosperous landowner who has fallen deeply into debt. Charles Godwin (Stephen Dillane) is a prominent British… More A woman is torn by both romantic and maternal love in this period romantic drama set in the 1830s. Elisabeth (Sophie Marceau), a Swiss governess, is the beautiful daughter of a once-prosperous landowner who has fallen deeply into debt. Charles Godwin (Stephen Dillane) is a prominent British aristocrat whose wife has suffered a crippling accident; doomed to spend the rest of her life in a semi-comatose state, she cannot bear Charles the child he so desperately needs. So Charles strikes an agreement with Elisabeth; she will conceive a child with him and hand it over after it is born in exchange for him paying off her father's debts. Elisabeth and Charles set aside three nights to make a baby, and while the matter is supposed to be purely functional and not romantic, Elisabeth finds it difficult to feel that way at the end of the third evening. She is heartbroken when she has to give up the child, and her obsession with the daughter she gave away is reflected in her journals and sketchbooks. Seven years later, Elisabeth discovers the whereabouts of Charles and their daughter, Louisa (Dominique Belcourt); when she learns they need a governess, she is hired for the position by Charles's sister-in-law Constance (Lia Williams), who is unaware that Elisabeth is Louisa's birth mother. When Charles discovers that Elisabeth is the new governess, he is furious, but he eventually takes pity on her and allows her to stay with the child for one month. However, before long, Elisabeth's attraction to Charles resurfaces, and their clandestine romance forces a number difficult questions. Firelight marked the directorial debut of noted screenwriter William Nicholson. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi

Rating, Runtime: R, 1 hr. 43 min.
Directed By: William Nicholson
Written By: William Nicholson
Genres: Drama, Romance, Art House & International

In Theaters: Sep 14, 1997 Wide
On DVD: Apr 26, 2005

Critic Reviews

Jeffrey M. Anderson, Combustible Celluloid
I wish someone would explain to me why all these 19th Century costume dramas need to be so cheerless, so formal, and so godawful boring.

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Fresh (60% or more critics rated the movie positively)

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Featured Audience Ratings

Jeremy S

"It's a kind of magic. Firelight makes time stand still. When you put out the lamps and sit in the firelight's glow there aren't any rules any more. You can do what you want, say what you want, be what you want, and when the lamps are lit again, time starts again,… More
"It's a kind of magic. Firelight makes time stand still. When you put out the lamps and sit in the firelight's glow there aren't any rules any more. You can do what you want, say what you want, be what you want, and when the lamps are lit again, time starts again, and everything you said or did is forgotten. More than forgotten it never happened."
Leigh R

Beautiful movie.
Mark K

My wife and I enjoyed this a lot more than the critics did, obviously. It has its flaws, and some people can't get past the low-key nature of this romantic drama. Firelight takes you through a wide vareity of highs and lows as you follow the life path of Sophie Marceau's… More
My wife and I enjoyed this a lot more than the critics did, obviously. It has its flaws, and some people can't get past the low-key nature of this romantic drama. Firelight takes you through a wide vareity of highs and lows as you follow the life path of Sophie Marceau's governess character. The casting is excellent, and this period piece has a lot of romantic and redemptive moments. It's not Jane Austen level, or a Bronte novel, but its effective and detailed. The social mores of the time are difficult to understand now, but Marceau gives a sympathetic performance. The twist is easy to unravel, but the suspense of what's going to happen, and how it will all play out, for good or ill, is the interesting journey this film takes.