Queer representation on screen can be found in many places - from campy comedies like The Rocky Horror Picture Show to realistic coming-of-age narratives like Love, Simon. As with any artform, over time, trends begin to emerge.
Sapphic period pieces are often filled with longing glances and repressed desires. With its bleak and brooding aesthetic, they can tend to deny their characters a happy ending. While tragedy very much has a place in LGBTQ+ stories, it's equally important to depict queer stories that don’t end in tragedy.
‘Summerland’ (2020)
Set during the 1940 Battle of Britain, Summerland follows the reclusive writer Alice Lamb (Gemma Arterton) and her days spent in her seaside cottage after reluctantly taking in a young London boy - Frank (Lucas Bond) - as part of the war effort. After a time, Alice begins warming up to Frank and recalls the happiest time in her life with the woman she loved before she broke her heart when she ended their relationship not because it was considered taboo but because she wanted to be a mother.
Directed by Jessica Swale, Summerland offers a unique wartime story about love, hope, and found family. While the relationship isn’t the film's main focus, it is nonetheless an integral aspect of the overall story, and a sapphic war era period piece with a happy ending is as unique as it comes.
‘Carol’ (2015)
Directed by Todd Haynes, Carol is an adaptation of Patricia Highsmith’s 1952 romance novel The Price of Salt. It tells the story of the forbidden love affair between the young department store worker and aspiring photographer Therese (Rooney Mara) and an older woman named Carol (Cate Blanchett), who is going through a difficult divorce.
The tension in the film arises from the forbidden romance between the two women to the extent that Carol’s right to custody over her child is in danger due to her controversial romance with another woman. Still, it is the love between Carol and Therese - despite the consequences - that endures throughout.
‘Ammonite’ (2020)
Set in 1840s England and inspired by the life of British paleontologist Mary Anning, Francis Lee’s Ammonite follows Anning (Kate Winslet) and the young woman Charlotte (Saorise Ronan) who has come into her care due to her depression. Coming from two social circles, the two women seemingly have very little in common and often spend their time silently walking along the beach searching for fossils.
However, as time passes, the two women discover they each offer something that the other has been searching for - the realization that they are not alone. While the film's ending is intentionally ambiguous, it remains optimistic and open about the future.
‘Portrait of a Lady on Fire’ (2019)
From French filmmaker and proponent of the female gaze Celine Sciamma, Portrait of a Lady on Fire is a tale of emotion, desire, and the intimacy of the look. Set in the 18th century, it follows a painter named Marianne (Noémie Merlant) who is commissioned to paint the wedding portrait of Héloïse (Adèle Haenel).
As they spend time together, their romance grows. However, the impending end of their relationship grows closer as Héloïse’s wedding is approaching and Marianne is close to finishing her portrait. Although the two don’t end up together, their love endures the tests of time, with Marianne finding traces of Héloïse in painting, and Héloïse reminded by Marianne through a song they shared all those years ago. Portrait of a Lady on Fire’s bittersweet ending captures an enduring sapphic romance that transcends time and place.
‘The Handmaiden’ (2016)
Set during the 1930s Japanese occupation of Korea, The Handmaiden interweaves the narratives of a revenge thriller and lesbian romance in Park Chan-wook’s re-imagining of Sarah Water’s novel Fingersmith. The film is an intricate plot, following Sook-hee (Kim Tae-ri) a pickpocket disguised as a handmaiden to the rich heiress Lady Hideko (Kim Min-hee). Under the guidance of counterfeit count “Fujiwara” (Ha Jung-woo), Sook-hee is tasked with ensuring Lady Hideko’s seduction by the Count to rob her of her fortune.
While The Handmaiden follows the general storyline of many heist narratives, what unfolds is a series of newfound emotions and shifting allegiances that constantly contorts this narrative with a new revelation after each chapter. At its core, it becomes a tale of romance and revenge,
‘Colette’(2018)
Based on the life of French novelist Colette, Wash Westmoreland’s film Colette tells the tale of the established writer Sidonie-Gabrielle Colette (Keira Knightley) and the many tribulations she encountered on her literary journey at the hands of her husband Willy (Dominic West). Willy considers Colette as his ghostwriter, publishing her writing under his name, unaware as to how much she is bearing her soul on the page.
Set during the 19th century, Colette explores the author as an empowering figure who wasn’t afraid to break both the intellectual and sexual boundaries of the time. Colette doesn’t just have a happy romantic ending, but likewise a fulfilling ending for a woman whose career was shadowed by her husband before she could become recognized as a writer in her own right.
‘The Girl King’ (2015)
The Girl King is a biographical historical drama about Kristina, Queen of Sweden, who reigned from 1632 until her abdication in 1654. Mika Kaurismäki's film follows Kristina (Malin Buska) throughout her life as she fights the conservative forces that are against her.
Kristina’s ideas to modernize Sweden were reflected in her political views that offered a stark contrast to tradition. Notably, she refused to marry, which stirred great controversy as it was expected she would provide an heir to the throne. However, her disdain for marriage wasn’t entirely a refusal of relationships, as she grew acquainted with Countess Ebba Sparre (Sarah Gadon). The Girl King brings Kristina’s life to film, revealing her to be a headstrong and modern woman ahead of her time.