Monday, July 30, 2012

Brief Encounter (1945)

Brief Encounter (1945)
Brief Encounter (1945)
Palme d'Or Winner
Genre: Drama | Romance
Director: David Lean
Starring: Celia Johnson, Trevor Howard
Language: English
Duration: 86 min.
Rating: 7.4
Summary:
A romantic, bittersweet drama about two married people who meet by chance in a London railway station.
Brief Encounter is a film directed by David Lean, adapted from the play Still Life written by Noël Coward. It was the fourth such collaboration following In Which We Serve, This Happy Breed, and Blithe Spirit. It screened at the inaugural Cannes Film Festival in 1946, and was one of eleven films awarded the Grand Prix du Festival International du Film as the festival's top prize was originally called.

I must admit, that I often have difficulty connecting with films from this era. It's not because of the look, because I love the style of dress and the settings, and I love the black and white cinematography, especially when it has been restored so well like this one has by Criterion. But the acting, the heightened theatricality of it, the dialog delivery never feels or sounds—that god-awful Mid-Atlantic accent—natural, and the body language is always so stagey. Not that the majority of today's productions ever have totally realistic performances, but except for comedies it's seldom so obviously play acting. So it takes a very special performance to capture my attention.

Brief Encounter (1945)

That performance is delivered here by Celia Johnson, who stars as Laura Jesson, a bored housewife who starts a love affair after a chance meeting with a doctor (played by Trevor Howard) in a train station. Though the story and actions depicted here are incredibly dated, she produces a wonderfully heartfelt and captivating restrained turn, including some surprisingly effective interior monologue that really gets us into her thoughts and feelings in a genuine way. It's also worth noting that it's rare and refreshing to see a film from the 40s not only with a strong female lead but also told entirely (well almost, except for one small scene that should have been left out) from her point of view.

The film also has some fantastic visuals, and we get early glimpses of the epic director that Lean would soon become. It's beautifully shot by Robert Krasker, which can be seen right from the opening credit sequence with trains barreling through the station amidst clouds of fog and smoke, and also in a number of memorably composed sequences throughout the entire picture.

Alas, the story doesn't quite hold up. The melodrama is thick, not helped by the frequent manipulative use of Rachmaninoff's Concerto No. 2, and the supporting cast are all rather hammy, but I still think it's worth seeing for Johnson's career defining performance, its undoubted influence on later chick-flicks, and to see the beginnings of Lean's emerging cinematic style.
Bonjour Tristesse
Brief Encounter (1945)

Brief Encounter (1945)

Brief Encounter (1945)

Brief Encounter (1945)

Brief Encounter (1945)

Brief Encounter (1945)

Brief Encounter (1945)

Brief Encounter (1945)

26 comments:

FrontRoomCinema said...

Hey BT, Back off HOLS, miss me? LOL


I love this film, possibly a little more than you did.

The Angry Lurker said...

One I've seen but a long time ago....

Michaël Parent said...

I kind of get what you observed... There were so many melodramas made in this era that I sometimes have problems remembering which is which...
Personnally, it is probably one of the most interesting David Lean films. A director who made his name later for his epic, it proves that he could direct a modest film with style and more soul than The Bridge on the River Kwai...

Diana said...

I completely agree with what you said about the melodrama, sometimes that turns me off, too, but I think overall it worked very well! Celia's performance was, indeed, breathtaking, I loved it!

blahblahblahtoby said...

you know i can't say a bad word against this film. it's wrong of me to expect others to love it so much and i think you summed up the reasons why it isnt as good as i think it is very well. i just love those poor working classes working at that train station day and night.

Steven Flores said...

I really liked this film. I thought it was a well made romantic film where it had a great opening and then goes into this story of guilt and such. I really enjoyed Celia Johnson's performance.

Max Covill said...

I was able to see this film recently as well. I enjoyed it for what it was and it almost makes you side with the adultery. The cop-out ending is a disappointment, but that's the nature of the times I suppose.

Lisa Thatcher said...

I haven't seen this, but I adore Noel Coward, so I will get to it eventually. I want to add what a great joy it was seeing so many intelligent males comment so thoughtfully on a film like this. This is one of the reasons (despite so many criticisms) I think we live in a golden age of sorts.

d_4 said...

Don't really think I'll watch this. If it's ever on the tv I'll probably remember to give it it's deserved watch but I won't go look for this one.

Bonjour Tristesse said...

Of course, welcome back!

Bonjour Tristesse said...

Do you remember liking it?

Bonjour Tristesse said...

I agree it is a very good effort from Lean, and provides an interesting look at his developing style. I just can't make a personal connection with it.

Bonjour Tristesse said...

Yeah her performance really makes the film work for me. Without her, I doubt anyone would still be talking about this one. Thanks for visiting Diana!

Bonjour Tristesse said...

I thought the parallel subplot with the bar manager and station worker was interesting but a bit out of place, they felt like sit-com characters to me. Have you reviewed this one on your site Toby? I'd be interested in your detailed thoughts about it.

Bonjour Tristesse said...

I agree on the great opening, I have a thing for the sound of old trains so that was brilliant to see.

Bonjour Tristesse said...

You are right, it does make you, if not side with, then at least understand how two random people could fall for each other despite it not being the proper or convenient thing. Probably quite a controversial viewpoint for the time, but dated and not very believable today.

blahblahblahtoby said...

The closest I've got to a review is a paragraph in the go-see-talk "cool off with the classics" blogathon. I imagine I'd ramble in the manner of yesterdays review of High Hopes because I'm so enamoured of it.

I think sit-com is about right, they're such wondrful caricatures to me, I don't even know if sitcoms had been invented by this point which would make Coward/Lean responsible for a TV trope that still exists today. Television history is a big grey blur to me.

Bonjour Tristesse said...

Then you'll love the new Lean/Coward box set from Criterion.

I think my regular readers are probably more intelligent than most and not a good representation of the world at large, but I do understand what you are saying. It is a pretty amazing time we live in.

Just read about the changes you are making to your blog, I'm sad that you are disabling the comments, but I look forward to everything else you have in store for us.

Bonjour Tristesse said...

No worries. Thanks for always taking the time to stop by.

Lisa Thatcher said...

Ha ha ha ha - It's true... I think you have the cream of the crop here! I still think men are getting sexier and sexier!
I didn't know about the box set from Criterion, but You're right - its one I'll have to make mine.
Yes - I'm a bit socially retarded I think... You are such a good commenter. For the most part it makes me feel exposed to have the comments open. I've never been at ease with it, despite how warm the comments have been. It feels a little easier to take the pressure off.

365 moviesandsongs365 said...

Brief Encounter was alright, and had its moments, but not as great as I thought it would be considering the Palme d'Or, David Lean, and general praise online. I saw it last year, but don't remember much about it now. I agree it seemed a bit dated.
In my opinion, Of Human Bondage holds up better from that era (1900-1950) as a timeless work( I only saw the 1964 version)

365 moviesandsongs365 said...

Agree with BT, sorry to hear you decided to close down comments on your page, but understandable that you want to take pressure off yourself

Bonjour Tristesse said...

I understand. Hopefully you'll still have the time to drop by here and talk films once in awhile.

Bonjour Tristesse said...

Yeah, I tried watching it with as open a mind as possible, but couldn't totally love it. Haven't seen either version of Of Human Bondage yet, but I'll have to check it out. Thanks for visiting.

Christine said...

I really liked this film. I love films from this era when done right--but of course the British ones from this time period are usually a bit more over-the-top acting wise. Though was refreshingly surprised by the lead performances and the director's choices.

Bonjour Tristesse said...

Which others from this era would you personally recommend?

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