{"id":42154,"date":"2019-01-24T11:44:19","date_gmt":"2019-01-24T18:44:19","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/?p=42154"},"modified":"2020-11-22T22:28:51","modified_gmt":"2020-11-23T05:28:51","slug":"brief-encounter-1945","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/?p=42154","title":{"rendered":"Brief Encounter (1945)"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><strong>&#8220;Nothing lasts, really &#8212; neither happiness nor despair. Not even life lasts very long.&#8221;<\/strong><\/p>\n<table>\n<tr>\n<td>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/Brief-Encounter-Poster.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/Brief-Encounter-Poster-194x300.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"194\" height=\"300\" class=\"alignleft size-medium wp-image-42155\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/Brief-Encounter-Poster-194x300.jpg 194w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/Brief-Encounter-Poster-83x128.jpg 83w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/Brief-Encounter-Poster.jpg 520w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 194px) 100vw, 194px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p><strong>Synopsis:<\/strong><br \/>\nA woman (Celia Johnson) married to a kind but boring man (Cyril Raymond) falls unexpectedly in love with a married doctor (Trevor Howard) she meets at a train station &#8212; but how long can their furtive romance last before they&#8217;re either found out or consumed with guilt?\n<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>\n<p>\n<strong>Genres:<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Celia Johnson Films<\/li>\n<li>David Lean Films<\/li>\n<li>Flashback Films<\/li>\n<li>Housewives<\/li>\n<li>Infidelity<\/li>\n<li>Marital Problems<\/li>\n<li>Noel Coward Films<\/li>\n<li>Romance<\/li>\n<li>Star-Crossed Lovers<\/li>\n<li>Trevor Howard Films<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Response to Peary\u2019s Review: <\/strong><br \/>\nPeary writes that &#8220;David Lean&#8217;s subtle tearjerker about a suburban housewife&#8230; and married doctor&#8230; who meet by chance at a railway station and begin having weekly rendezvous, each less innocent than the time before&#8221;:<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/Brief-Encounter-Doctor.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/Brief-Encounter-Doctor-1024x743.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"640\" height=\"464\" class=\"alignnone size-large wp-image-53996\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/Brief-Encounter-Doctor-1024x743.png 1024w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/Brief-Encounter-Doctor-300x218.png 300w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/Brief-Encounter-Doctor-128x93.png 128w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/Brief-Encounter-Doctor-768x557.png 768w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/Brief-Encounter-Doctor-372x270.png 372w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/Brief-Encounter-Doctor.png 1413w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><\/a><br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/Brief-Encounter-Chance-Encounter.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/Brief-Encounter-Chance-Encounter-1024x747.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"640\" height=\"467\" class=\"alignnone size-large wp-image-53983\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/Brief-Encounter-Chance-Encounter-1024x747.png 1024w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/Brief-Encounter-Chance-Encounter-300x219.png 300w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/Brief-Encounter-Chance-Encounter-128x93.png 128w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/Brief-Encounter-Chance-Encounter-768x560.png 768w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/Brief-Encounter-Chance-Encounter-370x270.png 370w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/Brief-Encounter-Chance-Encounter.png 1480w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>&#8230; is a &#8220;nicely acted film&#8221; representing the &#8220;visualization of a fantasy of many sexually repressed women&#8221; given that &#8220;Johnson is married to a bore (Cyril Raymond) who takes her for granted; surely they have no sex life.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/Brief-Encounter-Home-Life.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/Brief-Encounter-Home-Life-1024x722.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"640\" height=\"451\" class=\"alignnone size-large wp-image-53984\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/Brief-Encounter-Home-Life-1024x722.png 1024w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/Brief-Encounter-Home-Life-300x212.png 300w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/Brief-Encounter-Home-Life-128x90.png 128w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/Brief-Encounter-Home-Life-768x542.png 768w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/Brief-Encounter-Home-Life-383x270.png 383w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/Brief-Encounter-Home-Life.png 1416w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>He adds that the fact &#8220;Howard is a doctor is&#8230; significant. I would have thought he&#8217;d be a heart specialist who &#8216;revives&#8217; Johnson&#8217;s long-lost emotions. But he&#8217;s a lung doctor, indication that Johnson&#8217;s home life is stifling.&#8221; Peary ends his brief review by noting that &#8220;If [the] ending is frustrating for viewers, it is equally frustrating for the two would-be lovers &#8212; if they&#8217;d been French rather than British, it all would have worked out fine.&#8221; <\/p>\n<p>Peary&#8217;s review of this fourth collaboration between director David Lean and producer-playwright Noel Coward &#8212; after <a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/?p=45933\"><em>In Which We Serve<\/em> (1942)<\/a>, <em>This Happy Breed<\/em> (1944), and <a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/?p=1136\"><em>Blithe Spirit<\/em> (1945)<\/a> &#8212; is perhaps overly succinct and pat; <a href=\"https:\/\/www.dvdtalk.com\/dvdsavant\/s3845lean.html\">DVD Savant<\/a> adds some more thoughts to the analysis: <\/p>\n<blockquote><p>A man of more than a few affairs, David Lean takes pains to portray incipient adultery as misery for the unhappy people that consider it. Soap operas about wandering spouses typically take place in glamorous settings and the people involved get a chance to enjoy &#8220;the thrill of romance&#8221; before the inevitable problems settle in. &#8230; Frequently listed among the most romantic films ever made, <em>Brief Encounter<\/em> is really about romance frustrated.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>Indeed, <em>Brief Encounter<\/em> is a bittersweet film, and is not one I particularly enjoy watching, though I certainly appreciate its honesty and fine craftsmanship. Rachmaninoff&#8217;s piano concerto number 2 (purportedly Coward&#8217;s favorite musical piece) is used to memorable effect, the cinematography is consistently atmospheric, and all sets &#8212; from the crowded train station cafe:<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/Brief-Encounter-Cafe.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/Brief-Encounter-Cafe-1024x743.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"640\" height=\"464\" class=\"alignnone size-large wp-image-53994\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/Brief-Encounter-Cafe-1024x743.png 1024w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/Brief-Encounter-Cafe-300x218.png 300w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/Brief-Encounter-Cafe-128x93.png 128w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/Brief-Encounter-Cafe-768x557.png 768w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/Brief-Encounter-Cafe-372x270.png 372w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/Brief-Encounter-Cafe.png 1415w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>to shadowy tunnels &#8212; <\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/Brief-Encounter-Tunnel.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/Brief-Encounter-Tunnel-1024x747.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"640\" height=\"467\" class=\"alignnone size-large wp-image-53993\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/Brief-Encounter-Tunnel-1024x747.png 1024w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/Brief-Encounter-Tunnel-300x219.png 300w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/Brief-Encounter-Tunnel-128x93.png 128w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/Brief-Encounter-Tunnel-768x560.png 768w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/Brief-Encounter-Tunnel-370x270.png 370w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/Brief-Encounter-Tunnel.png 1480w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>suit the characters&#8217; secretive situation perfectly. The storyline itself &#8212; expanded from Coward&#8217;s <a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Still_Life_(play)\">original half-hour play <em>Still Life<\/em> (1936)<\/a> &#8212; is expertly structured, framing the entire &#8220;brief encounter&#8221; as a self-reflective moment in the life of a woman who knows she will ultimately stay faithful to her husband and boring life, but recognizes what a gap this affair has filled (or opened up?) for her. One hopes she may be able to bring her newfound passion back to her marriage and convince her husband she wants more than simply kindness and expectations for dinner served on time; the final image of her embrace with Raymond is, to that end, perhaps an encouraging one. <\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/Brief-Encounter-Hug.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/Brief-Encounter-Hug-1024x743.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"640\" height=\"464\" class=\"alignnone size-large wp-image-53987\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/Brief-Encounter-Hug-1024x743.png 1024w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/Brief-Encounter-Hug-300x218.png 300w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/Brief-Encounter-Hug-128x93.png 128w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/Brief-Encounter-Hug-768x557.png 768w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/Brief-Encounter-Hug-372x270.png 372w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/Brief-Encounter-Hug.png 1415w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p><strong>Redeeming Qualities and Moments: <\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Celia Johnson as Laura<br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/Brief-Encounter-Johnson-Train.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/Brief-Encounter-Johnson-Train-1024x747.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"640\" height=\"467\" class=\"alignnone size-large wp-image-53985\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/Brief-Encounter-Johnson-Train-1024x747.png 1024w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/Brief-Encounter-Johnson-Train-300x219.png 300w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/Brief-Encounter-Johnson-Train-128x93.png 128w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/Brief-Encounter-Johnson-Train-768x560.png 768w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/Brief-Encounter-Johnson-Train-370x270.png 370w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/Brief-Encounter-Johnson-Train.png 1480w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><\/a><\/li>\n<li>Atmospheric cinematography and sets<br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/Brief-Encounter-Cinematography.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/Brief-Encounter-Cinematography-1024x747.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"640\" height=\"467\" class=\"alignnone size-large wp-image-42157\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/Brief-Encounter-Cinematography-1024x747.png 1024w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/Brief-Encounter-Cinematography-128x93.png 128w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/Brief-Encounter-Cinematography-300x219.png 300w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/Brief-Encounter-Cinematography-768x560.png 768w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/Brief-Encounter-Cinematography.png 1480w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><\/a><br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/Brief-Encounter-Cinematography2.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/Brief-Encounter-Cinematography2-1024x747.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"640\" height=\"467\" class=\"alignnone size-large wp-image-42158\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/Brief-Encounter-Cinematography2-1024x747.png 1024w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/Brief-Encounter-Cinematography2-128x93.png 128w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/Brief-Encounter-Cinematography2-300x219.png 300w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/Brief-Encounter-Cinematography2-768x560.png 768w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/Brief-Encounter-Cinematography2.png 1480w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><\/a><br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/Brief-Encounter-Cinematography3.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/Brief-Encounter-Cinematography3-1024x747.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"640\" height=\"467\" class=\"alignnone size-large wp-image-42159\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/Brief-Encounter-Cinematography3-1024x747.png 1024w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/Brief-Encounter-Cinematography3-128x93.png 128w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/Brief-Encounter-Cinematography3-300x219.png 300w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/Brief-Encounter-Cinematography3-768x560.png 768w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/Brief-Encounter-Cinematography3.png 1480w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><\/a><\/li>\n<li>Fine use of Rachmaninoff&#8217;s Piano Concerto No. 2<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Must See? <\/strong><br \/>\nYes, as a fine if ultimately depressing classic. <\/p>\n<p><strong>Categories<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/?page_id=1784#classic\">Genuine Classic<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p> (<span style=\"color:red;font-weight:bold;\">Listed in <a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-static\/1001Movies.htm\"><em>1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die<\/em><\/a><\/span>) <\/p>\n<p><strong>Links: <\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.imdb.com\/title\/tt0037558\/\">IMDb entry<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/1946\/08\/26\/archives\/the-screen-in-review.html\">NY Times Original Review<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.tcm.com\/tcmdb\/title\/69696\/brief-encounter#articles-reviews\">TCM Articles<\/a><\/li>\n<li>\n<a href=\"https:\/\/www.filmsite.org\/brie.html\">FilmSite Review<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.dvdtalk.com\/dvdsavant\/s3845lean.html\">DVD Savant (scroll down) <\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/www.qnetwork.com\/review\/2751\">Q Network Review<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/youtu.be\/maKWJSqd4SQ\">Tired Old Queen at the Movies Video Review<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/table>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>&#8220;Nothing lasts, really &#8212; neither happiness nor despair. Not even life lasts very long.&#8221; Synopsis: A woman (Celia Johnson) married to a kind but boring man (Cyril Raymond) falls unexpectedly in love with a married doctor (Trevor Howard) she meets at a train station &#8212; but how long can their furtive romance last before they&#8217;re either found out or consumed with guilt? Genres: Celia Johnson Films David Lean Films Flashback Films Housewives Infidelity Marital Problems Noel Coward Films Romance Star-Crossed&#8230;<\/p>\n<p class=\"read-more\"><a class=\"btn btn-default\" href=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/?p=42154\"> Read More<span class=\"screen-reader-text\">  Read More<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-42154","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-responses-to-peary"],"aioseo_notices":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/42154","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=42154"}],"version-history":[{"count":22,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/42154\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":53999,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/42154\/revisions\/53999"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=42154"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=42154"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=42154"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}