Went into this blind and was surprised at how well crafted this film actually was, from the script and the cinematography everything is made with so much care and passion for the entirety of the runtime, that it adds a certain sense of uniqueness to it overall.  Every scene and set almost feels like a painting and the cinematography is no thanks to that.  Even the art aspect of it adds a sense of wonder to it all and makes Portrait Of a Lady On Fire feel like an art piece in itself.    

The acting from both characters is so great and tense that it turns the film into a romance which becomes the emotional heart of the rest of the film.  Although I found the first twenty or so minutes to be a bit slow, once that romance starts I became so invested in the relationship between the characters and the semi claustrophobic atmosphere of the film that really does add to that tension and by the end, had a huge impact on the final scene for me.