A well-bred, lovely, spiritual, sad young woman marries an attentive physician who loves her. She feels affection but no love. Soon after, without design, she falls in love with Pedro Abrunhosa, a poet and performance artist. He also loves her. She keeps her distance from him, confessing her love to a friend who is a nun and, later, to her husband. Hunger for her love and jealousy consume him; she attends him as he wastes away. With his death, she can marry and express her passion, but what she does and how she explains herself, particularly to her cloistered friend, is at the heart of the film. Glimpses of convent life and of Abrunhosa on stage give contrast and mute comment.
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Cast
15 people
Chiara Mastroianni
Mme de Clèves
Known for
Persepolis
On a Magical Night
Pedro Abrunhosa
Pedro Abrunhosa
Also in
Midsummer Dream
Heart of Gold
Antoine Chappey
M. de Clèves
Known for
Drops of God
C'est la vie!
Leonor Silveira
La religieuse
Known for
The Strange Case of Angelica
Maria João Pires
Maria João Pires
Also in
The Divine Comedy
Maria João Pires performs Mozart Lucerne Festival 2023
Luís Miguel Cintra
M. da Silva
Known for
The Strange Case of Angelica
The Dancer Upstairs
Stanislas Merhar
François de Guise
Known for
Rogue City
The Count of Monte Cristo
Ricardo Trêpa
Intrus
Known for
The Strange Case of Angelica
Anny Romand
Mme de Silva
Known for
Diva
Lily Sometimes
Françoise Fabian
Mme de Chartres
Known for
Me, Myself and Mum
What's in a Name
Alain Guillo
Le directeur de Jouillerie
Known for
Family Resemblances
Around the World in 80 Days
Claude Lévèque
Le médecin de Mme de Chartres
Known for
The Apparition
Manoel de Oliveira Director · Jacques Parsi Writer Madame de La Fayette Author
Worldwide gross $767K · First release September 22, 1999 · Produced in France, Portugal, Spain
Box office
Worldwide gross
$766,920
Production
Gemini Films
Production
Wanda Films
Production
Madragoa Filmes
Production
France · Portugal · Spain
Produced in
Languages
Original title
La Lettre
Original language
French
Spoken on screen
French · Portuguese
Release dates
France · September 22, 1999
Theatrical
No release date listed for United States.
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Some details come from TheTVDB.