Overview
A poignant exploration of love and commitment amidst the complexities of human relationships.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Measured
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Layered
- Violence
- Mild
- intense
- sensual
- melancholic
- classic film night
- literary adaptation night
What critics said
Critics broadly regard Ken Russell's lavish, highly stylized adaptation as an intense and well-acted interpretation of D. H. Lawrence, with Glenda Jackson's performance a particular strength.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Ken Russell translates D. H. Lawrence's relationships and ideas through extravagant imagery and emotionally charged staging.
Rupert and Ursula move toward mutual commitment while Gerald and Gudrun remain divided by withdrawal and challenge.
Rupert and Gerald's close friendship and discussions of platonic love complicate the two heterosexual pairings.
The industrial Midlands and Swiss Alps frame contrasting states of desire, freedom, isolation, and connection.
Films like Women in Love, and why
The Go-Between
period literary romance centered on emotionally volatile relationships and social convention
The Servant
stylized period drama exploring sexuality, class, and forbidden intimacy
The French Lieutenant's Woman
lavish literary adaptation focused on erotic tension, marriage, and emotional repression
The Last Picture Show
psychologically intense romance examining commitment and sexual freedom in a historical setting
Movie Details
- Director
- Ken Russell
- Release Date
- 1969-09-13
- Runtime
- 131 min
- Rating
- 6.6 / 10 (141)
Cast
- Alan Bates
- Oliver Reed
- Glenda Jackson
- Jennie Linden
- Eleanor Bron
- Alan Webb
- Vladek Sheybal
- Catherine Willmer
- Phoebe Nicholls
- Sharon Gurney
Common questions
- What is Women in Love about?
- Two intertwined couples confront the limits of desire, friendship, and commitment amid the industrial landscapes and alpine expanses of postwar Britain.
- What is Women in Love like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Women in Love as measured, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as layered.
- Is Women in Love violent?
- Only mildly. Ember rates the violence in Women in Love as mild.
- What did critics think of Women in Love?
- Critics broadly regard Ken Russell's lavish, highly stylized adaptation as an intense and well-acted interpretation of D. H. Lawrence, with Glenda Jackson's performance a particular strength.
- Which films are like Women in Love?
- Films with a similar feel include The Go-Between, The Servant, The French Lieutenant's Woman, and The Last Picture Show.
- How long is Women in Love?
- Women in Love runs 131 minutes.
