Priest of Love

At the start of the Great War in 1914, Lawrence and his new wife Frieda live a bohemian life in rural Cornwall. They face hostility because Frieda is German, and Lawrence feels persecuted as his books are deemed obscene by authorities. The looming conflict adds pressure to their already precarious freedom.

In November 1915, 1,011 copies of The Rainbow are seized for obscenity by the censor Herbert G. Muskett and burned in front of the Royal Exchange in London. The act sharpens the sense that Lawrence's work will always meet official hostility. The public spectacle underscores the price of artistic rebellion.

Following the invitation of patroness Mabel Dodge Luhan, Lawrence, Frieda, and Brett leave for New Mexico. They are offered an old ranch by Mabel in exchange for the manuscript of Sons and Lovers. The trio begins an unsettled sojourn far from Britain that will shape their lives.

In New Mexico Frieda recounts the story of her romance with Lawrence and explains why she believes she is the right woman for him. Lawrence bluntly warns that their life together will bring fear and pain as well as passion. Their conversation frames the emotional core of the journey.

The couple travels further south to Oaxaca, where Lawrence's fascination with the ancient Mayan 'Dark Gods' intensifies and threatens his health. Frieda insists on seeking a doctor in Mexico City, hoping for relief. The trip marks a turning point as illness begins to dictate their choices.

The prognosis is dire: Lawrence is diagnosed with tuberculosis and given only a year or two to live. Frieda's resolve wavers as the reality sinks in, and they decide to return to England seeking care and steadiness. The news drives a shift from exploration to arranging his last creative phase.

Back in Lawrence's native Nottingham, the couple revisits the places of his childhood that had influenced his writing. Lawrence laments that even a prolific life yields little lasting peace. The visit rekindles memory and restlessness as they move on again.

The couple then moves to Tuscany, renting the top floors of an old villa where Lawrence finds renewed inspiration. He resumes writing, and his creativity flourishes in this luminous landscape. He also paints during this period, using canvases Aldous and Maria Huxley left behind.

In Tuscany Lawrence finds a local printer to publish Lady Chatterley’s Lover and it soon reaches London. When the book is released in London it is condemned as obscene and banned by the authorities. The controversy cements the work's notoriety and fuels Frieda's determination to defend him.

An exhibition of Lawrence's paintings is mounted in a London gallery, drawing huge crowds. Herbert G. Muskett reappears, ordering a police raid that interrupts the show. Frieda rushes to defend the works while Lawrence endures a crushing coughing fit.

Frieda telegraphs the news of the raid to Lawrence, deepening his frailty as his coughing worsens. Frieda travels back to England to protect the paintings and oversee the upheaval. The raid and the news hasten Lawrence's move toward a sanitarium.

Frieda returns to France and helps arrange a final home for Lawrence’s last days. Friends and family nurse him as illness tightens its grip and the end slowly approaches. The couple faces the end with intimate, shared resolve.

After his death and burial, Lawrence appears in a flashback, writing in a letter: 'I shall always be a priest of love. And a glad one.' The scene seals his legacy as a writer and romantic icon. The message leaves Frieda and others with a final, lyrical reflection on their life together.