Every so often, a period drama comes along that's so good you simply can’t stop thinking about it and Lady Chatterley’s Lover is a prime example. Featuring a standout performance from Jodie Comer, as well as the likes of James Norton and Holliday Grainer, the 90-minute film was called the period drama of the year by fans when it first aired on the BBC in 2015 – and it’s easy to see why.
The perfectly-cast adaptation of DH Lawrence’s scandalous novel of the same name takes us to 1920s England where Lady Chatterley’s (Holliday Grainger) husband, Clifford Chatterley (James Norton), is wounded serving in World World I and finds himself confined to a wheelchair – and impotent. So what does Lady Chatterley do? Seek comfort in the arms of her gamekeeper Oliver Mellors (Richard Madden), of course.
With the drama available to watch on Channel 4 tonight (or now, if you please!), here’s everything you need to know about Lady Chatterley’s Lover before you tune in, including the plot, cast and how to watch it.
What is Lady Chatterley’s Lover about?
As we mentioned, the 90-minute drama is an adaptation of DH Lawrence’s pioneering 1928 novel of the same name. One of the most sexually pioneering novels of the 20th century, the book was censored in Britain for over 30 years after it was written.
Directed by Line of Duty’s Jed Mercurio, the film tells the romantic story of Lady Chatterley’s (Holliday Grainger) affair with her gamekeeper Oliver Mellors (Richard Madden). Lady Chatterley has enjoyed a happy marriage to the dashing aristocrat Sir Clifford Chatterley (James Norton), until he’s severely wounded serving in the First World War.
Confined to a wheelchair and impotent, he becomes more distant, and Constance seeks comfort elsewhere – namely in the company of the estate’s brooding gamekeeper. But let’s not forget our setting – this is England in the 1920s when the social divide between the upper class and their servants was unbreakable, and an affair between a lady and a working man is the ultimate scandal.
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With the affair threatening to scandalise society and ostracise them both, Lady Chatterley is faced with a choice between propriety and love. Oliver, on the other hand, risks his safety as they both strive to evade the growing suspicions of her jealous - and vengeful - husband.
The film has a fantastic cast, including Jodie Comer as Ivy Bolton who's hired to take care of Clifford Chatterley. Ivy is a local widow who deeply resents the aristocracy, and her relationship with Clifford is genuinely fascinating to watch.
Speaking about film’s scandalous themes for the time, Jed Mercurio told Wales Online: “D.H. Lawrence chose to use a certain kind of language in the book because it was groundbreaking and he was making a point about artistic expression, but that battle’s been won,” he said.
“The idea was to tell it as a love story, a love triangle, and focus on the emotions of the characters.”
Holliday Grainger revealed that she’d never read the book before she took on the role of Lady Chatterley, explaining: “All I knew was that it was a really steamy, racy read and my grandparents had always said that the copy was well thumbed in libraries, and one particular middle central page!
“But as a modern reader, post-Fifty Shades of Grey, I was like, ‘Oh, I don’t see what all the fuss is about!”’
Who’s in the cast of Lady Chatterley’s Lover?
The cast of Lady Chatterley’s Lover includes:
- Holliday Grainger (The Capture) as Lady Chatterley
- Richard Madden (Bodyguard) as Oliver Mellors
- James Norton (Happy Valley) as Sir Clifford Chatterley
- Jodie Comer (Killing Eve) as Ivy Bolton
- Edward Holcroft (London Spy) as Duncan Forbes
- Eve Ponsonby (The White Queen) as Hilda Reid
- Howard Ward (Downton Abbey) as Betts
- Elizabeth Rider (True Things) as Mrs. Betts
- Tony Pritchard (Two Weeks to Live) as Field
- Enzo Clienti (Free Fire) as Victor Linley
- Ian Peck (Peaky Blinders) as Harry Dale
- Sebastian Gray (Hitler) as Reverend Massey
- Chris Morrison (Wonder Woman) as Ted Bolton
Is Lady Chatterley’s Lover any good?
Yes – there’s a reason it was called the period drama of the year when it first aired. For starters, it’s a brilliant love story with a truly spectacular cast. Then you’ve got the costumes, the passion… and the scandal! If you fancy an emotional period drama with a decent helping of racy scenes thrown in, we’d highly recommend giving Lady Chatterley’s Lover a watch.
How can I watch Lady Chatterley’s Lover?
You can watch Lady Chatterley’s Lover now on Channel 4.
What other Jodie Comer dramas can I watch now?
For a series with a real emotional core, we’d recommend The End We Start From. Not only does Jodie give an incredible performance as a new mother fighting for survival in a flooded city, she also served as executive producer on the film alongside Benedict Cumberbatch. You can watch The End We Start From now on BBC iPlayer. For something even darker, we’d suggest Thirteen. The drama features a fantastic central performance from Jodie as 26-year-old Ivy Moxam, who escapes her kidnapper after 13 years spent confined in a cellar – and it’s as brutally honest as it is fascinating. Thirteen is also available to watch on BBC iPlayer.
