Firelight - 1997

Firelight (1997) is a period romance/drama film written and directed by William Nicholson. It was Nicholson's first, and to date only, film as director. I'm sorry the video preview has no audio. It's a must-see film. Sophie Marceau is absolutley wonderful in this romantic period masterpiece. In 1838, Swiss governess Elisabeth Laurier agrees to bear a child for an anonymous Englishman. In return, the Englishman will pay all of her father's debts. They meet over three nights at a lonely island hotel. Despite their wish for detachment, they develop a deeply passionate connection during their lovemaking by firelight. Their feelings grow after they converse on the beach and at the hotel. Elisabeth gives birth to a girl, Louisa, nine months later. As agreed she gives the child away, but never forgets her. She begins to keep a journal of watercolor flowers and plants, adding a page for each holiday and birthday they are apart. The anonymous Englishman is Charles Godwin, a landowner and struggling sheep farmer. He can barely keep the debtors of his philandering father, Lord Clare, at bay. Charles's wife, Amy Godwin, is paralyzed and catatonic due to a horseriding accident. Amy's sister, Constance, runs the Godwin household. Never having forgotten the voice of her daughter at birth, Elizabeth manages to track her down seven years later, and get herself hired as Louisa's new governess. Charles rejects Elisabeth, and demands she leave immediately. However, Constance insists that he give the new governess a month in order to find a new situation. Showing Elisabeth the catatonic form of his wife, Charles forces Elisabeth to swear never to reveal to Louisa or anyone the nature of their previous relationship.