Film historian bruce eder provides a featurelength commentary, which explains both the films significance within lean s filmography and how it features the first instance of lean s key. A model of narrative restraint and emotional power, david lean s brief encounter 1945 won over postwar audiences with its fidelity to the ordinariness of its story and ambiance. Sullivan, finlay currie, martita hunt, alec guinness, hay petrie, robert newton, david lean, noel coward, the david. What you see in brief encounter is two ordinary people in love.
Nov 05, 2015 brief encounter is back in cinemas again, this time for the 70th anniversary, and to paraphrase what ken tynan said about look back in anger. The film also features rachmaninovs piano concerto no 2a special request to director david lean from noel coward. The simple story of an unconsummated love affair between a suburban doctor and a middleclass housewife, brief encounter can claim to be the most romantic film in british cinema. The movie was made by lean at the top of his early form. Brief encounter 1945 original trailer hd 1080p youtube. The film stars celia johnson, trevor howard, stanley holloway and joyce carey. For me the movie is memorable for the fabulous style and fashion worn by sofia loren. For me,a film addicted brief encounter is a polished diamond. Their casual friendship soon develops during their weekly visits into something more emotionally fulfilling than either expected, and they must wrestle with the potential havoc their deepening relationship would have on. Brief encounter 1945 david lean, celia johnson, trevor. He died on march 20, 1973 in ripe, sussex, england. Time critic richard schickel asked lean pointblank how he, the director of brief encounter, could have made a piece of bullshit like ryans daughter. The plot of the film is about two strangers, both married to others, who meet in a railway station and find themselves in a brief but intense affair. In 1945 carnforth station was used as the basis, and location for the david lean film brief encounter starring celia johnson and trevor howard, filming taking place on carnforth station during february 1945.
Brief encounter, british film drama, released in 1945, that pivots on the subject of forbidden love, as set against the strictures of suburban british life. Originally written by noel coward, taken to the screen by the brilliant david lean, brief encounter thoroughly deserves the title of one of the most romantic films of all time. Brief encounter is a 1974 britishitalian television film starring richard burton and sophia loren, adapted from the play still life by noel coward. A model of narrative restraint and emotional power, david leans brief encounter 1945 won over postwar audiences with its fidelity to the ordinariness of its story and ambiance. Mark kelly looks back at the iconic movie which stars. For the month of february, heritage house proudly presents david lean s brief encounter recently voted the single most romantic film of all time returning home from a shopping trip to a nearby town, bored suburban housewife laura jesson celia johnson is thrown by happenstance into an acquaintance with virtuous doctor alec harvey trevor howard. In how many other countries would a poll pick brief encounter as the best movie romance of all time. The brief encounter clock, carnforth railway station pictures.
Brief encounter is a 1945 british romantic drama film, directed by david lean, about a passionate extramarital affair in prewwii england. Both contracted and expanded from cowards oneacter, this is the most romantic of films, unforgettably underscored by. His blithe spirit was made the same year, and he went directly from great expectations to another dickens adaptation, oliver. A reencounter 70 years after brief encounter youtube. Brief encounter 1974 richard burton, sophia loren youtube. Brief encounter the current the criterion collection. Flames of passion that does all the emoting brief encounter. Allow yourself to get over the accents and watch this film. Over the years few films have equalled the compassion and realism of brief encounter and, it remains to this day, one of the bestloved british romances of all time. Celia johnson and cyril raymond in brief encounter 1945 celia johnson in brief encounter 1945 trevor. For that firm lean first directed adaptations of three plays by coward. Not enough credit given to lauras husband, for he knows. Press question mark to learn the rest of the keyboard shortcuts. The film is about a married doctor and a woman also married who meet in a train station and fall in love.
Returning home from a shopping trip to a nearby town, bored suburban housewife laura jesson is thrown by happenstance into an acquaintance with virtuous doctor alec harvey. Coward and lean ended up codirecting the largescale project. Here is everything coming to the criterion channel in february 2020. David leans brief encounter has been rereleased to celebrate its 70th anniversary. Renewed association with brief encounter and with lean s 1940s. David lean directed this beautifully acted, bittersweet adaptation of noel cowards play still life, about two contentedly married english strangers, a doctor and a. Emma rice, artistic director of kneehigh theatre company, has adapted this timeless tale of joy and heartache for the stage, interspersing the romantic action with nine coward ditties. Directed by david lean writing credits in alphabetical order noel cowar. Each of them served an apprenticeship in the silent era, learned their craft from the bottom up, proved their mettle in their thirties, and hit a creative peak in middle age. There is actually a scence where they are declaring their love where they say they have only met something like 4 times. British film director sir david lean, whose works include brief encounter, lawrence of arabia and doctor zhivago. Brief encounter 1945 cast and crew credits, including actors, actresses, directors, writers and more. Love and rachmaninoff therell come a time in the future when i shant mind about this anymore, when i can look back and say quite peacefully and cheerfully how silly i was. The original trailer in high definition of brief encounter directed by david lean and starring celia johnson, trevor howard, stanley holloway.
Based by noel coward upon his 1936 short play still life, the screenplay conjures up the drab, emotionally restrained world of postwar britain better than almost. Only two normal people who stumble on one another in a railroad station and discover that they have more things in common,then meets the eye. British romance classic brief encounter 1945 directed by. Cyril raymond was born on february, 1899 in rowley regis, staffordshire, england as cyril william north raymond. Brief encounter has a brooding tension but also moments of comedy, tragedy and tenderness. He began his film career in 1928 as a teaboy for gaumontbritish studios, where he soon was promoted to clapboard boy, and finally to editor a position at which he excelled. British film director sir david lean, whose works include. Originally a boxoffice failure in england, brief encounter was presented at the very first cannes film festival 1946. These critics so lacerated the film for two hours to david lean s face that the devastated lean was put off from making films for a long time. But that doesnt mean what they feel isnt shared, precious, and true.
Brief encounter on saturday november 18th, 3pm at the little theatre. Even in britain, i wonder how many people born since, say, 1975 would rate it so highly. You dont see lovers climbing balconys or dying in each others hand. They inadvertently but quickly progress to an emotional love affair, which brings. Jan 30, 2020 we may earn a commission from purchases through links on our site. Get premium, high resolution news photos at getty images. Brief encounter is back in cinemas again, this time for the 70th anniversary, and to paraphrase what ken tynan said about look back in anger. The protagonist is laura, a married woman with children. Brief encounter movie tv listings and schedule tv guide. Brief encounter 1945 desencanto david lean youtube. Brief encounter is one of the most enduring romantic films from britain.
The original trailer in high definition of brief encounter directed by david lean and starring celia johnson, trevor howard, stanley holloway, joyce carey. Here is everything coming to the criterion channel in. In 1944, david lean made brief encounter, the most characteristic and perfect british film of all time. David lean s iconic 1945 movie, brief encounter, was written by noel coward and was based on one of his oneact plays, still life, written a decade earlier. If youre going through a gut wrenching bust up of a relationship watch brief encounter. In this enlightened age of quickie divorces and ashley madison, it would be all too easy to sniff at brief encounter, director david lean and author noel cowards prim, ohsoenglish tale. Trevor howard, john mills, valerie hobson, jean simmons, francis l. It is courageous, sincere, and incredibly romantic. I doubt if i could love anyone who did not wish to see. With brief encounter, david lean who earned his first oscar nomination for this picture shows his growing directorial gifts on route to his epic mastery of the movies and bravely deals with love that is frowned upon.
The film features rachmaninovs piano concerto no 2 a special request to director david lean from noel coward. Brief encounter david lean legendado 1945 hd youtube. Why, it just happened for the two 2 principals involved at the wrong time. He has directed two films that have been selected for the national film registry by the library of congress as being culturally, historically or aesthetically significant. V mutsuki created since 1996, the movie has been in the japanese public domain. Sir david lean, cbe 25 march 1908 16 april 1991 was an english film director, producer, screenwriter and editor, best remembered for bigscreen epics such as the bridge on the river kwai 1957, lawrence of arabia 1962 and doctor zhivago 1965. Through subtle details of character, manner, expression and a rachmaninoff score, lean reveals the profound impact of unexpected passion on the lives of his middleclass, middleaged couple, despite the final. Think of brief encounter, which lean directed in the final year of the war. Sitting at home, laura remembers her encounter with alec at the station platform, her first kiss, and then her return trip home alone on the train, dreaming of a future with alec. Love and rachmaninoff therell come a time in the future when i shant mind about this anymore, when i can look back and say quite peacefully and cheerfully how silly i. David leans brief encounter 1945 evening screening free. Inside criterion sneak peeks apr 25, 2016 b rief encounter, david lean s heartbreaking 1945 tale of forbidden love out on bluray tomorrow, remains one of the screens alltime most romantic films. The david lean centenary collection 10dvd box set brief encounter great expectations oliver twist blithe spirit in which we serve nonusa format, pal, reg. Mar 29, 2010 but that doesnt mean what they feel isnt shared, precious, and true.
In the midst of world war ii, the renowned playwright noel coward engaged a young film editor named david lean to help him realize his vision for an action drama about a group of royal navy sailors roles that would be filled by coward himself, bernard miles, and john mills, among others fighting the germans in the mediterranean. Oct 16, 2010 in how many other countries would a poll pick brief encounter as the best movie romance of all time. Derived from still life, a oneact play which coward included in the portmanteau tonight 8. Brief encounter 1945 david lean, celia johnson, trevor howard, stanley holloway, drama, romance june 5, 2016 after a chance meeting on a train platform, a married doctor trevor howard and a suburban housewife celia johnson begin a muted but passionate, and ultimately doomed, love affair. Brief encounter is a 1945 british romantic drama film directed by david lean about a woman whose conventional life becomes increasingly complicated because of a chance meeting at a railway station with a stranger. Reintroducing david leans brief encounter the current. It is as perfect as could be made on such a subject and we rate it imdb ten. Brief encounter by david lean a movie to download, on vod and legal streaming lacinetek. Therefore david leans brief encounter just brought me down. The story is simple, love, innocently found by accident and tragically lost. David lean was the son of strict quaker parents and did not see his first film until aged 17. The film brief encounter has been much parodied and is often the butt of jokes, but when made in 1945 it broke new ground, not least the first non married couple to kiss in a british film.
Director david lean and writer noel cowards mesmerizing drama of adultery is driven by the force of celia johnsons obsessive, wounded ruminations. Between analysis and affect i was introduced to david leans a brief encounter by slavoj zizek and sophie fiennes a perverts guide to ideology. Brief encounter info and ticket booking, bristol watershed. The dvd features the film digitally restored and a wealth of extras. David lean abstained from his usual grand epic approach as seen in doctor zhivago, which screens from fri 27 nov for at least one week for something a lot more intimate with this, an achingly lovely film often cited as the most romantic film of all time. Brief encounter was the fourth and final film that david lean made in association with noel coward. The bridge on the river kwai 1957 and lawrence of arabia 1962. Brief encounter a 1945 british film directed by david lean about british suburban life, a married woman has a chance meeting at a train station with a stranger. Brief encounter 1945 is the template for this film. Its debt to noel coward must not be underestimated, but it is leans film. The protagonist is laura, a married woman with children, whose conventional life becomes increasingly complicated following a chance meeting at a railway station with a married stranger with whom she subsequently falls in love.
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