Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #8474 in DVD
• Released on: 2004-05-31
• Rating: NR (Not Rated)
• Aspect ratio: 1.33:1
• Formats: Color, DVD, Import, NTSC
• Original language: English
• Number of discs: 1
• Running time: 104 minutes

Album Description
Asian exclusive DVD (NTSC/Region 0) of award winning 1997 film directed by William Nicholson & starring Sophie Marceau & Stephen Dillane. 'Fireflight' tells the story of a Swiss governess who has an affair with a British aristocrat to pay off her father's debts by having the Englishman's child. Original English dialog. 104 minutes.

Customer Reviews

"The Fire Gives More Light Than One Expects" ~ Love And The Power Of Desire
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.

Don't bother waiting around for a U.S. version to be released, the Asian all region DVD is perfect. Order a copy while they're still available.

A Truly Beautiful Gothic Tale
This hauntingly beautiful movie has stuck with me ever since I saw it on the big screen when it first came out in the local "art" theatre in 1997. Superbly cast, acted, directed and filmed, down to the finest detail, even the child, in my opinion was just right for the daunting task of the total story line.

In today's cinema the challenge of including nudity and sex seems to be something offered more for either the tittilation of the director, or for the hoped for prurience of the intended audience. It is usually justified by "being essential to the story line". Lo and behold -- in this film it actually is. The ensuing relationship between the governess and the laird could not be fully understood were it not for the well presented early scene aboard the trysting ship.

Perhaps the only oddity I found in the entire tale was the presence of the American character who appeared to have been inserted to meet some Union requirement, and had a slightly "hammer to fit" feeling about his presence. Otherwise I have often described this as the almost perfect movie.

MY ENGLISH DAUGHTER...
This is a well acted, quirky period piece with an unusual story line. Here, an English gentleman (Stephen Dillane) is looking for a weekend of fairly anonymous sex in hopes of fathering a child, as his invalid wife is not up to the task. An impoverished Swiss miss (Sophie Marceau) is desperate for money due to her family's circumstances. She passes muster during the initial interview with the English gentleman and is hired for the job of potential surrogate mother. Their nights of anonymous sex turn out to be a surprise for both of them, yet they part with the understanding that they will never again meet. Their union having proved fruitful, she ultimately gives birth to a child, their daughter, who is taken from her immediately after birth and given to the father, as contracted. For seven long years they are separated. They are then all brought together, causing upheaval and tumultuous changes in all their lives.

This is a well acted drama with fine performances by the entire cast. The only wrong note is struck by the child who plays the seven year old daughter. She is simply odious and obnoxious, making the viewer itch to slap her. There is nothing that the child does that makes the viewer feel the child's desire for a mother. The other performers, however, more than make up for this one dimensional child actress. Moreover, the cinematography is quite beautiful, with stunning shots of a fairytale lake house. All in all, this is a film that those who love period pieces will enjoy.