Maxim Ford’s 2017 film, Picture of Beauty, is a tender period drama that derives intimacy from pictorial poetry. It takes place in early twentieth-century Europe and centers on the intersection of eroticism, art, self-expression, and sexual awakening. Rather than a straightforward plot, it offers an immersive experience—framed by self-discovery through art, nature, and interpersonal connections—slow and meditative in nature as two young women uncover their identities.
The film simultaneously captures the essence of a sensual drama and a coming-of-age story. It features soft lighting alongside natural scenery, providing a visual framework for the film’s narrative. It stands at the precipice of cinematography and fine art photography, focusing on emotion and transformation rather than a conventional plot progression.
Setting and Premise
The film opens in a conservative village with strict gender roles. Stephanie and Julia, two young women, live under the rigid confines of a patriarchal social structure. Within this small community, women’s roles are circumscribed and any form of individuality, sexual expression, or personal deviation is heavily suppressed.
Into this inflexible atmosphere comes a portrait painter who has been asked to capture the beauty of Stephanie and Julia. Unlike the villagers, the artist is gentle and broad-minded, and is captivated by their beauty and the inner glow he feels radiates from them. His urging for nude sittings is scandalous to the local population but provides the women a chance to begin discovering themselves beyond the boundaries imposed by society.
Self-discovery accompanies the painting sessions. Stephanie, who remains hesitant and shy at first, starts to embrace a different vision of herself. Energized by Julia’s spirited nature, she is encouraged to shed her doubts. Their friendship evolves into intimacy, and their experiences come to be accompanied by great liberation, which is fundamentally sensual in nature, deeply personal, and defiant of morals.
Main Characters
Stephanie (portrayed by Taylor Sands)
Stephanie is a reserved and introverted young woman. She is the first character who comes to mind for us as someone who does not wish to strongly dispute the social norms reigning over her life. She begins to change profoundly through Julia and the painter.
Julia (played by Danielle Rose)
Julia serves as the more assured counterpart to Stephanie. She is self-expressive, curious, artistic, and adventurous, which makes her the spark that ignites Stephanie’s awakening. Unlike Julia, who embraces life’s opportunities with both confidence and fearlessness, Stephanie prefers a more reserved approach.
The Painter (Played by Pawel Hajnos)
Although he is one of the key characters in the film, the painter functions largely as a passive observer. His gaze upon his subjects is not exploitative but rather reverential. He does not control or impose limits with the framing of his artwork, but instead facilitates change that is already happening within Stephanie and Julia.
Themes and Symbolism
- Erotic Liberation
The film depicts eroticism as a way of exploring bodily autonomy and emotional connection, rather than purely as indulgent content. Nudity is employed not as a titillating act but rather as a demonstration of true vulnerability. The portrayal of women undressing, swimming, or reclining in nature is tender, capturing acts of liberation from cultural and spiritual constraints.
- Art’s Function
Art, notably painting, serves as a modality for eliciting the transformation of the characters. Within the confines of a painter’s studio, which is filled with canvases, brushes, and light, a woman is allowed to ‘exist’ outside the judgment of society. By becoming the subjects of art, these women are enabled to reclaim their bodies.
- Female Affection and Homosexual Relations
The gradual shift in Stephanie and Julia’s relationship from friendship to romance is both empathic and natural. The film captures this progression without any haste and with emotional depth. Their bond is filled with a tasteful absence of categorization and is instead presented as a gentle bloom from shared trust and burgeoning curiosity.
- Constraint versus Liberation
The disparity between the natural realm of the women’s running is juxtaposed against the closes village with its lace-like, constrictive culture. This contrast is some of the areas that the cinematography beautifully depicts. The world indoors is filled with bound, cold light, rigid people, and confinement. In contrast, outdoors is filled with open fields and water where light dances, suggesting possibilities and escape.
Setting, Composition, and Style
The aesthetics of the film are by far the most remarkable. The cinematography captures golden sunsets, misty forests, and idyllic landscapes that are oil paintings in motion and serve as striking visuals. As the film uses natural light, the settings provide soft and nuanced to-ning to the cinematography.
The portrayal of character’s emotions matches the film’s pacing which is intentional and dreamlike. Its slow pace coupled with the use of framing encourages viewers to take a deeper look at individual moments, glances, or even breaths throughout the film to immerse one into the emotions of the characters.
Sound and Dialogue
Dialogue, alongside voiceovers in the film, is very subtly used and serves to provide context and not information. The overall absence of dialogue is balanced with pervading ambient sounds like wind blowing through trees harmonywith water splashing and birdsong. Within the moments where dialogue exists, it is soft and calm in its nature focusing more on emotion than words.
Visuals are complemented acoustically through the film’s score. The acoustic and piano pieces are kept simple yet capture moments of deep reflection and connection seamlessly.
Criticism and Controversy
Even though Picture of Beauty has received criticism by a certain audience for its pacing, its artistry continues to be admired. Some viewers question whether some erotic scenes overshadows the narrative, others mention shallow portrayals devoid of significant development intertwined with slow plot progression.
Not striving for conventional drama structure, the film instead aims as a meditative experience. For an audience in sync with its frequency, those “weaknesses” augment its emotional layers and its philosophical depth.
Final Thoughts
Beauty has its picture but not for everyone. A soft-spoken plot that unfolds gracefully, with a measured pace. Above all, it prioritizes feeling rather than intellect, experience rather than rationalization. It may lack intricately woven plots and rapid sequences. However, for the receptive, it delivers a kind of profound cinematic closeness difficult to find elsewhere.
Female connection, together with artistic fragility and social repression defiance, receives attention in the film’s portrayal that is both gentle and striking. The film’s stillness, quiet, grace, and remaining motion transform the human body into a canvas. Its ability to transform silence into sentiment achievs profound beauty.
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