The Letter
1999, French. Directed by Manoel de Oliveira.
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.
- Runtime
- 1h 47m
- Post-credits
- None listed
- Language
- French
- Rated
- Check local
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Where to watch The Letter
The Letter isn’t streaming on any OTT platform in India yet; it released on 22 September 1999.
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Cast & crew
- Manoel de OliveiraDirector
- Chiara MastroianniMme de Clèves
- Pedro AbrunhosaPedro Abrunhosa
- Antoine ChappeyM. de Clèves
- Leonor SilveiraLa religieuse
- Maria João PiresMaria João Pires
- Luís Miguel CintraM. da Silva
- Stanislas MerharFrançois de Guise
- Ricardo TrêpaIntrus
- Anny RomandMme de Silva
- Françoise FabianMme de Chartres
- Alain GuilloLe directeur de Jouillerie
- Claude LévèqueLe médecin de Mme de Chartres
Details
- Released
- 22 September 1999
- Original title
- La Lettre
- Country
- France, Portugal, Spain
- Written by
- Manoel de Oliveira, Jacques Parsi
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News & fan talk
What The Letter is based on
The Letter is based on La Princesse de Clèves (1678) by Madame de Lafayette.
1678
La Princesse de Clèves
By Madame de Lafayette
Source details from Wikidata and TMDB.
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The Letter: quick answers
Is The Letter worth watching?
The Letter doesn’t have enough ratings for a verdict yet.
How long is The Letter?
The Letter runs 107 minutes (1h 47m).
Does The Letter have a post-credits scene?
None is listed for The Letter. Viewers tag these on TMDB, so a brand-new film may not be tagged yet.
The Letter parents guide: is it suitable for kids?
No age rating is listed for The Letter yet.
Which OTT platform is The Letter on?
The Letter isn’t streaming on any OTT platform in India yet; it released on 22 September 1999. (Checked 9 November 2026.)
What movies are like The Letter?
If you liked The Letter, try The Young One, Chaos, Hounddog.
Who directed The Letter?
The Letter (1999) was directed by Manoel de Oliveira and stars Chiara Mastroianni, Pedro Abrunhosa, Antoine Chappey.
What is The Letter based on?
The Letter is based on La Princesse de Clèves (1678) by Madame de Lafayette.