The Sexiest, Most Banned Book Is Now A Hit Movie On Netflix
Lady Chatterley's Lover is climbing up the Netflix charts and is based on a book that was once widely banned.
With Christmas right around the corner, it comes as no surprise that a slew of holiday titles are currently dominating various streaming charts. What is somewhat shocking, however, is that this year’s filmization of Lady Chatterley’s Lover has managed to break into the top 10 on Netflix this week, joining other chart-toppers like How the Grinch Stole Christmas and I Believe in Santa. According to Flix Patrol, the romantic drama, which is based on the novel of the same name by D.H. Lawrence, is #5 on the streaming platform.
Lady Chatterley’s Lover centers on a woman born into a life of privilege and wealth, who finds herself married to a man she falls out of love with over time. She engages in an affair with a gamekeeper on their English estate, discovering more desire and intimacy than she thought possible. When she realizes she has fallen for his heart and soul, she breaks all traditions of the day and seeks happiness with the man she loves.
When Lawrence first published his novel in 1928, English officials declared it permanently banned in that country. It was also banned by other countries including the United States for its explicit language and sex scenes. The ban on Lady Chatterley’s Lover was eventually revoked in 1959 after a US Court of Appeals judge overturned it.
The first motion picture adaptation of Lady Chatterley’s Lover was released in 1955, and there have been several filmizations of Lawrence’s book since then. The most recent adaptation, which is streaming exclusively on Netflix, was directed by Laure de Clermont-Tonnerre from a screenplay by David Magee. It stars Emma Corrin, Jack O’Connell, Matthew Duckett, Joely Richardson, Faye Marsay, Ella Hunt, and Anthony Brophy.
Last year, Corrin received a Primetime Emmy nomination for her turn as Princess Diana on the Netflix series The Crown. In Lady Chatterley’s Lover, she plays Connie, who is the wife of Duckett’s character, Clifford. O’Connell stars as Oliver, the gamekeeper with whom Connie has an affair.
Although Joely Richardson portrays Mrs. Bolton in the latest movie adaptation of Lady Chatterley’s Lover, the 57-year-old actress played the titular character in the 1993 BBC TV serial Lady Chatterley. The show reflected Lawrence’s focus not only on casting away sexual taboos, but also the examination of the British class system. In addition to Richardson, the 1993 show starred Sean Bean, James Wilby, Hetty Baynes, and Ken Russell.
This year’s adaptation of Lady Chatterley’s Lover was initially released in select theaters on November 25, 2022, before debuting on Netflix on December 2. The film was well-received by both critics and everyday audiences. On the review aggregation website Rotten Tomatoes, it has a score of 87% based on 79 reviews by critics and a score of 81% from traditional viewers.
Both critics and audiences seem to agree that Lady Chatterley’s Lover is arguably the best screen adaptation of Lawrence’s book to date. The film has been praised for its compelling performances, engrossing love story, and superb direction. The acclaimed romantic drama is now streaming on Netflix.
