10 Movies Like The French Lieutenant’s Woman

Description: A lavish period piece examining the strict social codes of high society and the passionate love affair that threatens to disrupt them, told with exquisite attention to detail.

Fact: Martin Scorsese's first period drama, featuring over 1,500 period costumes. The film's elaborate dinner scenes required extensive research into 19th century dining etiquette.

Description: A restrained yet deeply emotional period drama about unspoken love and duty, set in a grand English estate, with themes of repression and missed opportunities.

Fact: The film was adapted from Kazuo Ishiguro's Booker Prize-winning novel. The house used for Darlington Hall is actually a blend of two different stately homes in England.

Description: A sweeping romantic drama set against the backdrop of war, featuring complex characters and a nonlinear narrative that explores themes of love, betrayal, and memory.

Fact: The film won nine Academy Awards, including Best Picture and Best Director. It was shot in Italy and Tunisia, with the desert scenes taking over 100 days to film.

Description: A sophisticated tale of love, manipulation, and moral ambiguity set in Edwardian England and Venice, featuring complex relationships and stunning period detail.

Fact: The Venetian scenes were filmed in the actual palazzo where Henry James stayed while writing the original novel. Helena Bonham Carter learned to smoke cigarettes for her role, using a long holder to appear more period-authentic.

Description: An epic wartime romance about separation and the enduring power of love, featuring breathtaking landscapes and a narrative that alternates between two lovers' journeys.

Fact: Renée Zellweger learned to butcher pigs and churn butter for her role. The film's battle scenes were shot in Romania, standing in for Civil War-era America.

Description: An intense exploration of forbidden love, faith, and jealousy set in wartime London, with a narrative that moves between past and present to reveal hidden truths.

Fact: The film's bombing sequences used real explosives rather than CGI for authenticity. Graham Greene's novel was based on his own real-life affair with Catherine Walston.

Description: A melancholic story of displaced aristocracy and unexpected connections in pre-war Shanghai, featuring themes of nostalgia, reinvention, and fleeting romance.

Fact: The film marked the final collaboration between producer Ismail Merchant and director James Ivory. Many of the Shanghai street scenes were recreated in England due to the rapid modernization of actual Shanghai locations.

Description: A story of personal transformation and rediscovery set in exotic locales, focusing on a troubled marriage that evolves through shared hardship and self-reflection.

Fact: The film was shot on location in China, with some scenes filmed in the exact same villages as the 1934 original adaptation. The piano score was composed by Alexandre Desplat, who won a Golden Globe for it.

Description: A poignant story of love and guilt, with a narrative that shifts perspectives and time periods, emphasizing the consequences of a single lie and the enduring power of love.

Fact: The famous five-minute Dunkirk evacuation scene was filmed in one continuous take. The film's iconic green dress worn by Keira Knightley became a fashion sensation.

Description: A morally complex story that moves between different time periods, exploring themes of guilt, shame, and the transformative power of literature in a post-war context.

Fact: Kate Winslet's performance made her the youngest actress to receive six Oscar nominations. The film's bathing scenes required over 100 gallons of milk to create the authentic look of 1950s baths.