BY: Amanda Jane Stern

Think of your favorite lesbian film. There’s a good chance it’s set against a historical backdrop and the word lesbian is never actually uttered. You may be wondering why the majority of movies that center on lesbian relationships, especially the awards-bait films, are all period pieces. There has actually been quite a bit of discourse about this recently with the release of the new movie, Ammonite. If you are interested in reading these thinkpieces, check out the onbese from Collider, Buzzfeed, and Screen Queens. With all this talk of lesbian period flicks, we’ve decided to list our favorites. So, without further ado, here are 11 bodice-rippingly great sapphic period pieces.

 

Ammonite

We obviously had to start with the film that has kicked off this renewed discussion of the lesbian period drama. In Francis Lee’s new film, Kate Winslet stars as real-life paleontologist Mary Anning. When she is asked to take young housewife Charlotte Murchison (Saoirse Ronan) under her wing, the last thing she expected was for them to become lovers.

 

Carol

Cate Blanchett, although not actually gay, is a lesbian icon for a reason, and this film only serves to illustrate why. Based on Patricia Highsmith’s novel The Price of Salt, Carol follows the blossoming romance between shopgirl Therese Belivet (Rooney Mara) and the elegant, worldly Carol Aird (Cate Blanchett).

 

The Favourite

Set in the early 18th century at the court of Queen Anne (Olivia Colman), the movie follows the close relationship between Anne and her lover/confidante Sarah Churchill (Rachel Weisz). When Abigail (Emma Stone) arrives, she comes between the two lovers by introducing the Queen to a few new things…

 

The Handmaiden

This incredibly sexy Korean movie follows a pickpocket (Kim Tae‑ri) who is hired by a conman (Ha Jung‑woo) to pose as a handmaiden to a Japanese heiress (Kim Min‑hee) in order to defraud her. But, when the two women fall for each other, they devise their own scheme. This movie is a taut, sexy crime thriller.

 

Portrait of a Lady on Fire

Marianne (Noémie Merlant), is hired to paint a portrait of Héloïse (Adèle Haenel) to be used for a marriage proposal. However, Héloïse does not want to get married and refuses to sit for it. Marianne poses as a lady’s maid to get close to Héloïse so she can paint the portrait in secret. As the two women grow closer, they fall in love.

 

Aimée & Jaguar

Set in 1943 Berlin, a romance develops between Jewish woman, and activist Felice Schragenheim/Jaguar (Maria Schrader) and Lily Wust/Aimée (Juliane Köhler), who is married to a Nazi officer. This Max Färberböck movie was Germany’s 1999 entry for Best Foreign Language Film at the Academy Awards.

 

Bessie

This Dee Rees film follows the career of influential blues singer Bessie Smith (Queen Latifah). The movie does not shy away from Smith’s bisexuality, and prominently features her relationship with her girlfriend Lucille (Tika Sumpter). Bessie became the most watched HBO original film of all time, and won four Primetime Emmys.

 

Elisa & Marcela

This biographical Spanish movie explores the romance between two women, Elisa (Natalia de Molina) and Marcela (Greta Fernández), in the early 1900s. With same-sex marriage illegal, the two women come up with a plan for Elisa to disguise herself as a man. It is the story of the first same-sex marriage in Spanish history.

 

Farewell, My Queen

Set during the last few days of Marie Antoinette’s (Diane Kruger) reign, the film is told entirely from the perspective of her servant Sidonie Laborde (Léa Seydoux). With the French Revolution almost at their doors, servants start to flee the palace, but Sidonie, so infatuated with the Queen, remains until the end.

 

The Girl King

A loose biopic of Queen Kristina of Sweden (Malin Buska), who was crowned at the age of six, as she navigates court life. Kristina strives to modernize Sweden, but her advisors push for her to marry a prince. However, Kristina has no interest in any of the princes, instead, she has her eyes set on Countess Ebba Sparre (Sarah Gadon).

 

The World Unseen

Set in 1950s Cape Town, South Africa during apartheid, free-spirited cafe owner Amina (Sheetal Sheth) and housewife Miriam (Lisa Ray) find themselves drawn to one another. When Miriam’s husband asks Amina to plant a flower bed for them, their new constant proximity forces Miriam to reevaluate her life.