Ammonite (2020) Movie Review

『A Deep and Healing Love Between Two Women Blossoming in Restrained Silence』

🎥 Movie Overview

🎬 Title: Ammonite (2020)
🌍 Country: 🇬🇧 UK / 🇺🇸 USA Co-production
🎞️ Genre: Romance / Drama / Historical
🗓️ Production & Distribution: Netflix, Single Film
⏳ Running Time: 117 minutes
📢 Director: Francis Lee
🖋️ Screenplay: Francis Lee
📺 Platforms: Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, and other major streaming services

👩‍💼 Cast: Kate Winslet – Mary Anning
Saoirse Ronan – Charlotte Murchison

🧩 In-Depth Story Exploration (Spoilers)

🌊 The Solitary Paleontologist and the Upper-Class Woman’s Chance Encounter

In mid-19th century coastal England, Mary Anning lives by collecting fossils, yet as a woman she is not recognized in the scientific community and leads a solitary life. She shields herself firmly from a cold world and societal prejudice, focusing on her research and livelihood. In contrast, Charlotte is an upper-class woman visiting with her husband for leisure due to failing health, having lost the vigor of life and fallen into deep melancholy.

💬 “She speaks so little.” – Understanding and Bonding Through Silence

As Mary cares for Charlotte, the two gradually communicate through glances and small gestures rather than words. Charlotte begins to rely on Mary, awakening desires and a sense of freedom she had not previously recognized. Mary, in turn, finds Charlotte’s presence a catalyst to heal long-hidden loneliness and wounds. Together, they search for fossils on the beach and grow closer during quiet moments.

🌿 Expression of Love Through Restraint Instead of Emotional Outbursts

Rather than explosive or dramatic emotions, the film focuses on nonverbal expressions such as silence, eye contact, and subtle tremors of the hand. This restrained approach deeply conveys the complex inner emotions of the two women, delicately portraying queer female love suppressed by 19th-century society. After Charlotte departs, Mary’s sorrow before the fossils displayed without her name symbolically reflects the historical marginalization of women scientists.

🦋 Emotional Resonance and Significance

🏞️ Restoring the Voices and Love of Historical Female Scientists

Mary Anning was a real historical figure, though overshadowed in male-centered history. Director Francis Lee focuses on restoring the voices, emotions, and desires of women erased from history. The film portrays Mary as a scientist and independent woman, while simultaneously telling a story of her growth into someone capable of healing and loving herself. There are no records of Mary Anning’s romantic or same-sex relationships; this narrative serves as a dramatic device to depict her loneliness and social isolation.

🎥 Warm Love Blooming in a Cold Era

The greatest virtue of Ammonite lies in portraying love not as romanticized fantasy but as emotions rooted in fundamental human loneliness and longing. Mary and Charlotte’s love emphasizes the process of two solitary souls discovering solace in each other rather than social taboos or class differences. Their touches, glances, and quiet silences convey deeper emotional exchange than any dialogue could.

Scenes such as Mary carefully cleaning ammonite fossils for Charlotte, or Charlotte gently touching Mary’s dress, symbolically show the preciousness and delicacy of their love. Like ammonite fossils surviving tens of thousands of years, Mary and Charlotte’s love becomes a valuable record enduring the cold barriers of their era.

🔎 Emotional Surges Hidden Within Quietness

Ammonite moves steadily, following the emotional evolution of its characters. Some viewers may find it slow, but within this calmness, the emotional waves of two women discovering and falling in love leave a strong impact. The actors’ restrained performances fully convey the characters’ inner lives, adding depth to the film. Beyond a queer romance, it critiques societal prejudice and oppression through the life and love of a historical female figure. This connects to the broader context of contemporary queer cinema, highlighting social struggles that do not end with love, and serves to excavate women’s queer voices.

🎯 Personal Rating

💕 Love Scene Intensity: ♥♥♥♥♥
⭐ Rating: ★★★★★