A Celine Sciamma film (Portrait of a Lady on Fire)
Plot (Spoiler Alert)
A middle school girl, Marie, develops a crush on the synchronized swimming team captain, Floriane. Meanwhile, Anne is trying to get close to a boy she likes.
Blaine: A lot of us look back to what it was like to have our first crush and I think that’s what Celine Sciamma was thinking of when she had the idea for “Water Lilies”. Celine Sciamma said you can also get jealous when you develop feelings for someone you like and you see that someone around other people. What Celine had in mind wasn’t a romance. It was more about what young girls are going through when they are at a young age. Celine Sciamma wanted to write a story that was completely new for a teen drama. She was trying to figure out what people haven’t seen yet.
This was the first film Celine Sciamma took on as a director and she knew it was a lot to take on, but she wasn’t nervous. Celine was so focussed on the work that fear never entered her system. Celine also had faith in herself. Celine was having a good time in making a movie. By the time the film came to a wrap, Celine was surprised and asked herself where the time had gone.
The main character, Marie, doesn’t talk much. Celine described it more as the audience seeing things through Marie’s eyes. Marie goes to a securitized swimming competition to support her friend, Anne, and one of the swimmers, Floriane, really grabs Marie’s attention. After that, Marie sees Floriane everywhere she goes. Marie’s not too shy to at least speak to Floriane. Marie just plays things cool and she gets to spend a lot of time with Floriane. Marie’s the only girl Floriane has ever been close with because Floriane doesn’t get along with others. There is one thing that bothers Marie and that is seeing Floriane with a boy. Marie wants to have Floriane all to herself.
“Water Lilies” also is about Anne and her situation. Anne has a crush on the same boy Floriane wants. So there’s a love connection here. I feel “Water Lilies” doesn’t focus on Anne as much as Marie and Floriane.
Celine Sciamma wanted women who were the exact age of the characters, which is middle school or high school age. Celine had visited high schools, and she would also go to the mall, knowing that it is a place where teenagers hang out. But Celine found one somewhere else. Celine was at a public garden and noticed someone who had what she wanted to see in the character, Marie. Her name was Pauline Acquart. The other two girls who would play Anne and Floriane actually came to Celine. Louise Blachere was responding to an ad Celine had put on a magazine about looking for teenaged girls for a movie. And Adele Haenel had some experience in acting after being in “The Devils” five years earlier. Celine felt connected with all three of these girls. Celine and the girls worked as a team to do their best in making “Water Lilies” look good, and that was another thing that helped Celine get through the project was she wasn’t doing it alone.
Celine thought it would be best to not have adults, like parents, be involved because she thought these girls should go through these things by themselves without having to ask for any advice from anyone else. Celine knew that boys would be involved, but more as extras than characters. “Water Lilies” is about getting to know these three young girls,...and only them.
Marie spends time around the pool watching Floriane and the other swimmers practice, probably because she has nothing else to do. Marie is impressed with their moves in the water. Marie even gets invited to see them compete in another competition. The girls win and Floriane gives Marie her medal, so she can have a piece of her. Celine Sciamma read something about synchronized swimming as she was putting the idea for “Water Lilies” together and she thought that the characters should hang around a pool instead of showing another movie about teenagers hanging out at school.
There’s a scene where Marie and Floriane are at a club and there’s a close up shot of Pauline Acquart and Adele Haenel face to face. Pauline’s character, Marie, is in a still position, while Adele’s, Floriane, is dancing. The tint of that scene is red. Floriane is coming in close on Marie and it’s the moment where Marie has a chance to kiss her. Floriane is wide open and Marie really wants to kiss her, but she’s nervous. Floriane closes in on Marie and Marie is waiting for this magical moment to happen. But just as it’s about to happen, a boy comes in and gets in the way. Another shot I like is at the end. The last shot of Adele shows her dancing. The tint is blue and Adele is lit up as if the moon is lighting her. And the people in the background are silhouettes.
The reason Floriane doesn’t get along with the other girls is because they think she’s a slut, but she has never had the experience of having intercourse before. Floriane does however want to be prepared for when she does it with this boy she likes. Floriane feels she needs practice, but no boy seems right to her. Marie assists Floriane and Floriane is happy to have someone like her be there whenever she needs it. Floriane doesn’t treat Marie as if she were invisible, but she is unaware how strong Marie feels about her. Floriane enjoys the relationship they’ve developed, but that’s all it is to her, just a friendship. The girls attend another party and that’s when Marie finally makes a move and expresses how she really feels. Marie kisses Floriane and Floriane doesn’t resist, nor is this unexpected for her. What she feels is a mystery to me. She’s hard to read in that scene. But I do know that Floriane may not have felt anything in that kiss. When they were both at that club, Floriane might have just been fooling around.
Floriane goes back to the party and Marie goes for a swim and Anne joins her. It is disappointing for Marie that things didn’t go as she had hoped they would be.
Who knows what the future holds in store for both her and Floriane, like if they remain close friends or not. But at least Marie got a chance to kiss Floriane and see what it feels like. And Marie’s not alone in the end. Marie has her friend, Anne.
It was big for Celine Sciamma that “Water Lilies” was chosen to premiere at the Cannes Film Festival. It was Celine's first feature and she didn’t know where it would turn up. In the beginning it was about bringing an idea to life and taking on a job as a director.
My rating on “Water Lilies” is five out of five stars.
