The French Lieutenant's Woman
“She was lost from the moment she saw him.”
Synopsis
In this story-within-a-story, Anna is an actress starring opposite Mike in a period piece about the forbidden love between their respective characters, Sarah and Charles. Both actors are involved in serious relationships, but the passionate nature of the script leads to an off-camera love affair as well. While attempting to maintain their composure and professionalism, Anna and Mike struggle to come to terms with their infidelity.
Trailers, Teasers & Extra Featurettes
Official promotional previews, behind-the-scenes footage, and exclusive clips.
How Meryl Streep’s Costume Made Her More Mysterious!Official
Type: Featurette • Published 2026-10-07
Top Cast
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Meryl Streep
Sarah / Anna
Jeremy Irons
Charles Henry Smithson / Mike
Hilton McRae
Sam
Lynsey Baxter
Ernestina
Emily Morgan
Mary
Penelope Wilton
Sonia
Jean Faulds
Cook
Charlotte Mitchell
Mrs. Tranter
Peter Vaughan
Mr. Freeman
Colin Jeavons
Vicar
Liz Smith
Mrs. Fairley
Patience Collier
Mrs. Poulteney
John Barrett
Dairyman
Leo McKern
Dr. Grogan
Arabella Weir
Girl on Undercliff
Ben Forster
Boy on Undercliff
Richard Griffiths
Sir Tom
David Warner
Murphy
Release History & Theatrical Window
Belgrade Film Festival
Festival / Special Debut
September 18, 1981
Wide Cinema Exhibition
February 17, 2022
Physical Home Media
Financials & Box Office Performance
Production Budget
$8M
Filming & production cost
Worldwide Gross
$26.9M
Total global ticket sales
Box Office Return
3.36x
+$18.9M net gain
Theatrical Status
Mega Hit
Box office tier
Key Information & Fast Facts
- Director
- Karel Reisz
- Screenplay & Story
- Harold Pinter
- Original Score
- Carl Davis
- Original Title
- The French Lieutenant's Woman
- Country of Origin
- United Kingdom
- Spoken Languages
- English
- Runtime
- 2h 4m
- Production Budget
- $8M
- Worldwide Gross
- $26.9M
- Production Studios
- Juniper Films
Creative Leadership & Key Crew
Karel Reisz
Harold Pinter, John Fowles
Carl Davis
Freddie Francis
John Bloom
Leon Clore
Department Leadership Roster
Karel Reisz
Director
Harold Pinter
Screenplay
Leon Clore
Producer
Carl Davis
Original Music Composer
Freddie Francis
Director of Photography
John Bloom
Editor
Assheton Gorton
Production Design
Tom Rand
Costume Design
Age Classification & Content Advisories
Official viewer rating standards and content warnings across international classification boards.
R: Restricted — Under 17 requires accompanying parent or adult guardian.
International Certification Matrix
FSK 12 — Restricted to viewers aged 12 and older.
Suitable only for 12 years and over.
Restricted — Under 17 requires accompanying parent or adult guardian.
Production Stills & Gallery
Official cinematic photography and background stills for The French Lieutenant's Woman.
Featured In Curated Collections
Editorial lists, community rankings, and cinematic collections featuring The French Lieutenant's Woman.
Movie Collection
Movies
***Dramă***
Criterion Collection
The Complete Criterion Collection. The Criterion Collection is a video distribution company that sells 'important classic and contemporary films' in editions that offer the highest technical quality. This list contains only the featured films released on DVD, BluRay and 4K Criterion releases — no supplements are included. Organized by spine number with the newest releases first. CC标准收藏完整收录版： 收录标准收藏（Criterion Collection）发行的重要经典及当代电影。仅包含正片（涵盖 DVD、蓝光及 4K 版本），已排除花絮补充内容。按 CC 发行编号倒序排列（最新发行在前）。 *注：榜单源数据中包含部分剧集/迷你剧，由于本片单只收录纯电影，故不再收录以下非电影条目：* • [#214] Mangrove (2020) • [#215] Lovers Rock (2020) • [#216] Red, White and Blue (2020) • [#217] Alex Wheatle (2020) • [#486] Eight Hours Don’t Make a Day (1972) • [#647] Dekalog (1989) • [#944] World on a Wire (1973) • [#1187] Berlin Alexanderplatz (1980) • [#1338] Fanny and Alexander (1984) • [#1341] Tanner '88 (1988) • [#1371] Scenes from a Marriage (1973) *注：以下影片因 TMDB 尚未收录，暂不在此片单中展示：* • [#531] First (2012) • [#1699] Ulysse (1983) *(Updated via Automated ETL Pipeline: 2026-10-11 07:39:08 UTC+8)*
Prime Video - History Movies
Curated list of History on Prime Video (US). Updated frequently. Last updated October 14, 2026.
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Frequently Asked Questions About The French Lieutenant's Woman
Quick factual answers about cast, synopsis, director, box office, and release information.
What is The French Lieutenant's Woman about?
In this story-within-a-story, Anna is an actress starring opposite Mike in a period piece about the forbidden love between their respective characters, Sarah and Charles. Both actors are involved in serious relationships, but the passionate nature of the script leads to an off-camera love affair as well. While attempting to maintain their composure and professionalism, Anna and Mike struggle to come to terms with their infidelity.
Who directed The French Lieutenant's Woman?
The French Lieutenant's Woman was directed by Karel Reisz.
Who stars in The French Lieutenant's Woman?
The principal cast of The French Lieutenant's Woman includes Meryl Streep, Jeremy Irons, Hilton McRae, Lynsey Baxter, Emily Morgan.
When was The French Lieutenant's Woman released and how long is it?
The French Lieutenant's Woman was released in 1981 with a total runtime of 2h 4m.
What was the box office and production budget of The French Lieutenant's Woman?
The French Lieutenant's Woman had a reported production budget of $8M and grossed $26.9M at the worldwide box office (3.36 return on budget, classified as a blockbuster success).
Who composed the musical score for The French Lieutenant's Woman?
The original motion picture soundtrack for The French Lieutenant's Woman was composed by Carl Davis.
Is The French Lieutenant's Woman based on a book or true story?
The French Lieutenant's Woman is adapted from the following source material: Novel: "John Fowles".
What is the age rating and content advisory for The French Lieutenant's Woman?
The French Lieutenant's Woman holds official age classifications: CA: R; DE: 12 (FSK 12 — Restricted to viewers aged 12 and older.); GB: 12 (Suitable only for 12 years and over.); US: R (Restricted — Under 17 requires accompanying parent or adult guardian.).