This is a movie for any fan of period stories, especially those interested in tales of love and romance. The performances in this film are exceptional. It's noteworthy that the love portrayed here is not only the deeply romantic love between a man and woman, but also the intense love between parent and child. It is a tremendous shame that this wonderful film is not yet available on DVD for American audiences!

Note: If you live in the America's you'll need a Multi-Region player to watch this DVD.

Released in '97 `Firelight' is a delicate, atmospheric and romantic period film that in my estimation is more than an equal to such well known English classics as `Wuthering Heights' and `Pride and Prejudice.' To compare it with something familiar to movie viewers I would say it has a lot in common with `Jane Eyre' with a little touch of the American tale `The Miracle Worker.'

Sophie Marceau is not only beautiful as expected, but delivers a very emotional, controlled performance as the new governess to a wealthy Englishman's child who also happens to be her own daughter. Stephen Dillane also provides a superior performance as the little girls Father and is the perfect choice for Sophie's love interest.

`Firelight' has it all; great acting, strong storyline, enchanting soundtrack and lush, sometimes breathtaking cinematography. The sequences filmed of the lake house are magnificent.

Great love story, strong drama, beautiful score and visuals;

POWERFUL, breathtaking performances by Marceau and Dillane;
as someone previously and so eloquently stated, "exquisitely-nuanced."

Indeed, an absolute genius endeavor and overall compelling, MUST SEE film!

How dare the industry keep this classic gem from the people at large for so long?!

Readily available and easily accessable opportunities much needed in place
for the masses to view and to OWN this obvious work of art!

A semi-widowed Englishman with a comatose wife contracts a surrogate mother in 18th century London. He finds a young Swiss woman whose father's debts have forced her into a position where she agrees to become pregnant, bear a child, and then dissappear. The initial agreement is that the two parents never see one another again. Brokered by a midwife in Europe the pairing over a week of the Englishman and the Swiss child breeder surprises both of them when they discover a chemistry underneath their business arrangement but the man's wife is still alive. They conceive a child and when born the mother gives her up as planned. Seven years go by and she finds out where her daughter Louisa is and becomes her governess in England. While providing discipline to her daughter the chemistry reignites between the parents but the man is still not widowed.

In 1838 young Swiss governess Elisabeth Laurier enters into a private arrangement with an unnamed British gentleman, brokered by the matronly Mrs. Jago, possibly a midwife. She will bear him a child in return for a large sum of money. Unable to have children with his incapacitated wife, he (Charles) chooses the surrogate mother with the care of one practiced in animal husbandry. Miss Laurier is an intelligent, healthy young woman whose father is in debt, perhaps in debtor's prison. She chooses to raise the sum to free her father by bearing a child rather than to "sell myself for life" in a marriage of convenience to a rich man. Subtle and beautiful, this carefully choreographed film doesn't waste words or gestures. Seven years have passed when the story resumes, and Elizabeth has finally traced her child to this estate and been hired as the latest governess. After minor setbacks, she quickly insinuates herself into a parental role with the misbehaving Louisa, despite Charles' unsuccessful attempt to see her off the property. Lord Clare, Charles' father, lives high in London, borrowing money against the estate and counseling Charles that living ones' life for pleasure is the only thing that matters. He polkas the property into the hands of the moneylenders (think "Scrooge and Marley" here!) Frank and drastic choices must be made by all.

It was unfortunate that the lion's share of published reviews were written by critics who clearly didn't understand the literary back story of British culture at the time this film is set. The trick to "getting it" is to be a reader of 19th century British novels. I recommend Bronte, Austen, Hardy, Dickens, and a smattering of the books by twentieth century British historian and Regency romance writer Georgette Heyer. This film isn't a bodice ripper, nor is it a knock-off of Jane Eyre; the presence of a comatose wife is not sufficient to hold up the comparison, unless Jane Eyre is allowed meld with The French Lieutenant's Woman. The screenplay is, instead, reminiscent of a story that could come from the pen of Thomas Hardy. Much remains unsaid in this film, but falls in the realm of "understood" by those familiar with the literature of the period. An unmarried pregnant gentlewoman cannot work as a governess and must keep her pregnancy secret, possibly in the country or confined indoors, out of the public eye. She would have been supported by the father, possibly in the company of Mrs. Jago, the midwife, for the year of pregnancy and recovery. Finding a chink to learn the identity of the father would not be impossible, and the story flows in a logical manner. I disagree with another viewer who doesn't like the child actor in the role of the daughter Louisa. She acts the role of a willful, spoiled child so well that I think the reviewer missed the fact that she was acting also. You're supposed to dislike this child in the beginning.

The staging of this film is as remarkable as the story. Prior to this film, I didn't know who Stephen Dillane was. Since viewing this one, I have discovered other of his performances, and am amazed at his natural movement from one character to another. I hear he is fabulous on stage. Unlike many actors who play themselves in every film, Dillane makes every performance original and entirely natural. Likewise with Marceau; her manner, speech, and gestures are unique to each film she makes. The supporting cast were exemplary, and the attention to set details must be credited, I think, to the screenwriter and director, William Nicholson. One would think that his ability to create such a movie would propel him into more directorial endeavors, but though he loved the resulting film, it failed at the box office, and he hasn't pursued any more directing. Too bad!

There are times in the film when British and French accents are slightly difficult to understand by this American ear. I found that viewing this film the first time with subtitles cleared up the problem. The only version of this film available to purchase today that will work in region 1 DVD players is a Hong Kong NTSC release that is formatted to TV. A recent wide-screen European Region 2 release is a hopeful sign of renewed interest--perhaps it will cross the pond and be available here again in its full theatrical format. Decryption software is available for download and purchase in order to watch this film on a computer's DVD player, masking the region code. It is an extra measure of work in order to view this film, but wide screen is definitely best. This sleeper deserves to be rescued and re-released.