Brief Encounter
Brief Encounter is a 1945 British romantic tragedy film directed by David Lean from a screenplay by Noël Coward, based on his 1936 one-act play Still Life.
For other uses, see Brief Encounter (disambiguation).Brief Encounter
- Noël Coward
- Anthony Havelock-Allan
- David Lean
- Ronald Neame
Still Life
1936 play
by Noël Coward
- Noël Coward
- Anthony Havelock-Allan
- Ronald Neame
- 13 November 1945 (Premiere, London)
- 26 November 1945 (UK)
87 minutes[1]
United Kingdom
English
Starring Celia Johnson, Trevor Howard, Stanley Holloway, and Joyce Carey, the film follows a passionate extramarital relationship in England shortly before World War II. The protagonist is Laura, a married woman with children, whose conventional life becomes increasingly complicated after a chance meeting at a railway station with a married stranger with whom she subsequently falls in love.
The film premiered in London on 13 November 1945. It went to general release on 25 November, to widespread critical acclaim. It received three nominations at the 19th Academy Awards, Best Director, Best Actress (for Johnson), and Best Adapted Screenplay.
Many critics, historians, and scholars cite the film as one of the greatest of all time. In 1999, the British Film Institute ranked it as the second-greatest British film of all time. In 2017, a Time Out poll of 150 actors, directors, writers, producers, and critics ranked it the 12th-best British film ever.[4]
Production[edit]
Much of the film version was shot at Carnforth railway station in Lancashire, then a junction on the London, Midland and Scottish Railway. While a busy station, it was far enough away from major cities to avoid the blackout for film purposes, shooting took place in early 1945 before World War II had ended. At two points in the film, the station location is indicated by platform signs referring to local destinations including Leeds, Bradford, Morecambe and Lancaster, even though Milford is intended to be in the Home Counties. Coward makes the station announcements in the film. The station refreshment room was a studio recreation. Carnforth Station still retains many of the period features present at the time of filming and remains a place of pilgrimage for fans of the film.[5] Some of the urban scenes were shot in London, Denham, and Beaconsfield, near Denham Studios, where the film was made.[6]
The country bridge the lovers visit twice (including on their final day) is Middle Fell Bridge at Dungeon Ghyll in Cumbria.[7]
The poem that Fred asks Laura to assist him with for his crossword is by John Keats: "When I have Fears that I may Cease to Be". The quote Fred recites is "When I behold, upon the night's starr'd face, huge cloudy symbols of a high romance".
In addition to the Keats reference, there is a visual reference to an Arabic love poem. In Dr Lynn's apartment, a wall hanging is prominently displayed twice. When Laura enters, there is a shot of it over the dining table. Later, when Stephen confronts Alec, it is seen over Alec's left shoulder.
The original choice for the doctor was Roger Livesey but Lean cast Howard after seeing him in The Way to the Stars.[8] Joyce Barbour was originally cast as Dolly but Lean was dissatisfied with her performance. She was replaced by Everley Gregg.[9]
Music[edit]
Excerpts from Sergei Rachmaninoff's Piano Concerto No. 2 recur throughout the film, played by the National Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Muir Mathieson with pianist Eileen Joyce.[10] There is also a scene in a tearoom where a salon orchestra plays Spanish Dance No. 5 (Bolero) by Moritz Moszkowski.
Release[edit]
Box office[edit]
According to trade papers, the film was a "notable box office attraction".[11] It was the 21st most popular film at the British box office in 1946.[12] According to Kinematograph Weekly the "biggest winner" at the box office in 1946 Britain was The Wicked Lady, with "runners up" being The Bells of St Marys, Piccadilly Incident, The Road to Utopia, Tomorrow Is Forever, Brief Encounter, Wonder Man, Anchors Away, Kitty, The Captive Heart, The Corn Is Green, Spanish Main, Leave Her to Heaven, Gilda, Caravan, Mildred Pierce, Blue Dahlia, Years Between, O.S.S., Spellbound, Courage of Lassie, My Reputation, London Town, Caesar and Cleopatra, Meet the Navy, Men of Two Worlds, Theirs Is the Glory, The Overlanders, and Bedelia.[13]
Critical reception[edit]
Brief Encounter was acclaimed upon its release,[14] although there were doubts that it would be "generally popular".[15]
Variety said "Coward name and strong story spells nice US chances."[16]
It was voted one of the 10 greatest films ever made in two separate 1952 critics' polls.[17] The film was a great success in the UK and such a hit in the US that Celia Johnson was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Actress. In 1999 the film was given the #2 slot on the British Film Institute's BFI Top 100 British films.
Today, the film is widely praised for its black-and-white photography and the mood created by the steam-age railway setting, both of which were particular to the original David Lean version.[18] On review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, the film holds an approval rating of 91% based on 46 reviews, with an average rating of 8.60/10. The website's critical consensus reads: "Brief Encounter adds a small but valuable gem to the Lean filmography, depicting a doomed couple's illicit connection with affecting sensitivity and a pair of powerful performances."[19] On Metacritic, it has a weighted average score of 92 out of 100 based on 16 critics, indicating "universal acclaim".[20]
Streaming audio