ratari My first thought was "Oh just another B/W film from the 40's" But it is much more than that. You have to keep In mind this was a different time. The end of WW2, a country had just survived a traumatic 4 yrs.of war. A country reawakening to a new life. A Spring. People were searching for a new and better reality. 4 yrs of having to keep calm and carrying on. People wanted more in life. This story shows that longing in the two main characters. They find a brief connection to a fantasy that they know in the end is just that and that they, in the end have to do the honorable and right thing and carry on. I will not give the ending away. It is well worth waiting for.

robert-temple-1 It might be thought that there is nothing new to say about this great classic, which every true movie lover must have seen. And 72 years later, fans are still visiting Carnforth Station in Lancashire where it was filmed to get the atmosphere for themselves. I have earlier pointed out that some inspiration for the film probably came from an earlier film, BRIEF ECSTASY (1937, see my review, which also had restrained lovers denying themselves happiness out of consideration for 'decency', which is Celia Johnson's word to describe her dilemma). But last night, BRIEF ENCOUNTER entered a new and higher dimension. At the Royal Festival Hall in London, it was shown on a giant screen with the music on the sound track replaced by live music from the London Philharmonic Orchestra and pianist Alexandra Dariescu, which was superbly played by Alexandra, who specialises in Rachmaninov. The evening began with a normal performance of Rachmaninov's Second Piano Concerto. After an interval, the film was shown with the orchestra and pianist sitting beneath the huge screen, and they played live all the portions of the same concerto to match the places where the recorded music would have appeared. Stripping the music from the film to enable this to happen was apparently so lengthy and tedious a business that in one day they could only get through sixty seconds of the film. This was truly a spectacular event, one of the great cinematic experiences one could have. In the last two scenes of the film, the sudden extra-loud burst of Rachmaninov from the live orchestra hit everyone in the solar plexus with such overwhelming force that the wave of emotion was almost unbearable. Much of the packed house consisted of younger people who could never possibly have met the type of English people of circa 1943 who were portrayed in the film. For about five minutes, there were ripples of laughter from the younger viewers at some of the dialogue and scenes, as the characters were behaving and speaking in a way so alien to them. But this very soon ceased. For the rest of the film, the enormous audience sat riveted in silence so intense that you could have heard them breathing if they weren't in fact mostly holding their breath in rapt attention. The overwhelming performances of Celia Johnson and Trevor Howard, with their honesty and purity of emotions, succeeded in silencing all cynical viewers entirely, as they sat immovable with amazement at what might for so many of them have been their first experience of seeing a film portraying pure romance. As has been wisely said, the power of the film largely comes from the fact that nothing happens, as only two or three stolen kisses and walking arm and arm, and sharing some laughter are all that the unfortunate couple manage to extract from their trapped situations. Having met by chance in a tea room at a railway station, with wartime rationing limiting the amount of milk and sugar they can have in their cups of tea, Johnson and Howard try to remain faithful to their spouses and home and children while falling hopelessly in love. And they succeed. Their self-restraint is a now vanished virtue in this age of today, where no one is restrained about anything any more. Truly this is the most outstanding memento of the traditional English 'stiff upper lip'. David Lean's fantastically inspired direction succeeds in making small matters happening in a rural train station into matters of world importance, since the film deals with the universal problems of love constrained by circumstance. The moody cinematography by Robert Krasker and the powerful editing by Jack Harris give such support to Lean's genius that the film was transformed into a work of art, using only the simplest of subjects and settings. The sub-plot of the flirtation in the station tea room between Stanley Holloway and Joyce Cary is wonderfully funny and well done, and acts as a necessary foil to relieve the tension of the main romance. The small actress Margaret Barton as the tea room assistant also adds character to the situation. I see from IMDb that she is still alive aged 91. Among the most astounding revelations in terms of casting, which I noticed in this viewing for the first time, is that the cellist and organist who gives such a touch of humour in the Kardomah and cinema scenes is none other than the much loved Irene Handl, who in her 183 film appearances was later to become Britain's most popular cockney actress. I never previously realized she was the actress in that part. And speaking of casting surprises, it is Noel Coward's own voice over as the station master making announcements. I wonder if there is anyone still alive who remembers seeing Coward's stage play, upon which this film is based. Three talented people, all uncredited, worked on the script and dialogue, namely Lean himself, Ronnie Neame, and Anthony Havelock-Allan. The evening was all the more remarkable in that it was introduced by actress Lucy Fleming, Celia Johnson's daughter (and Ian Fleming's niece). She read extracts from the letters which her mother wrote home from the filming location at the time, which were fascinating. She revealed that Johnson's daughter in the film was her real life niece, Henrietta Vincent. The letters describe Johnson's anxieties and apprehensions about getting the part right and being true to the character. She describes one occasion when they shot at the station all night until 7:30 AM. The studio work was done later at Denham. The reason why they had to go so far north as Carnforth to make the film was that the War was still on, and the Government would not give permission for arc lights to be used at night anywhere further south because of the German bombing. After the film my wife and I reminisced about visiting dear Trevor Howard at home when he was old.

avik-basu1889 'Brief Encounter' is a film from the initial part of David Lean's career as a filmmaker when he was majorly known for being the most skilled director at interpreting Noel Coward's plays on celluloid. The screenplay of 'Brief Encounter' written by Lean himself along with Ronald Neame and Anthony Havelock-Allan is based on Coward's play 'Still Life'. The film spreads out the play and expands on it. Unlike Lean's more popular works like 'Lawrence of Arabia' or 'The Bridge on the River Kwai', 'Brief Encounter' is a much more contained film with a smaller scope. But for me the film is as special as Lean's more grander works due to its intimate storytelling and mature depiction of an extra-marital affair.I think there are a few hints in the film about how suffocating the uptight nature of British middle/upper class society could be at the time. But to be honest, the social commentary is very nuanced and the major aspect that Lean is interested in is the exploration of the characters, especially Laura. The film is interested in focusing on the struggle that Laura goes through while balancing a sense of guilt along with desire. Most generic films that deal with extra- marital affairs resort a little too much to steamy sexual scenes for depicting the passion between the participants which invariably ends up being nothing but a source of the audience's titillation without saying anything about the characters. 'Brief Encounter' on the other hand is based solely on the characters' inner struggles. David Lean never judges them for their actions. There is a humane sense with which Laura and Alec get treated. These characters know that what they are getting into has no future, but the circumstances and tender nature in which they treat each other makes it impossible for them to resist each other's company.Lean also beautifully shows the difference between the grander scheme of things and the individual problems and struggles. A person can be going through the most traumatic experience, but it might not be of any significance in the bigger picture. This theme is brilliantly depicted in the first scene. We enter the railway station tea stall. We see the ancillary characters in the story talking to each other. Suddenly the camera pans away from them and moves to a table where Laura and Alec are sitting. We don't know them yet. We don't even hear what they are saying to each other, their conversation gets drowned by the other conversations being held in the room. It's only when we enter the psyche of Laura which happens later in the film that we truly get to understand the gravity of that first scene. Lean's direction from a basic technical standpoint has to be admired too along with the way he handles the theme of the story and his actors. He remains nuanced in his way of using the camera. Whenever Lean wants us to know what Laura is thinking, he approaches Laura ever so gently with the camera along with the dimming of the lights in the shot. There is a scene where a sudden change in mood makes the camera tilt to the right, as the tension settles, the camera tilts back to its normal straight position. Lean also does something that I love, he stages one particular scene twice, but from different perspectives. It always impresses me when a director is able to pull this storytelling technique off properly and Lean does so with flying colours.From an acting sense, the film has good performances all round, but the only actor that deserves a special mention is Celia Johnson. She is the one who drives this film forward. She is very subtle, very expressive and brilliantly portrays the struggle of Laura. She makes it impossible for the audience to not feel for Laura. Her voice-over is also brilliant.If I have to nit-pick, I'll say that maybe the voice-over in some scenes could have been more discreetly used. In certain scenes I thought, the emotional effect would have been more powerful if what Laura is thinking wasn't completely told to the audience, but it really is a very minor complaint.I'll end this review by reaffirming my appreciation for 'Brief Encounter'. This is an example of a mature piece of filmmaking where the director fleshes out the central character completely in front of you. Highly recommended.

elvircorhodzic The gloomy and impersonal atmosphere, which somewhat reminiscent of "still life", gave birth to a sincere and strong love. I can not say it's perfect, but it works damn true. BRIEF ENCOUNTER is an honest film about the revival of the love that in the social conventions, stratifications and circumstances act unreal. An intimate drama about a brief, touching and romantic relationship between a married woman and a married man. In the post-war years the people were generally captured in lethargy and monotony. Short-term awakening of love meant saving a marriage and life. In the film, two ordinary family people are shocked and shaken by the situation in which they are located. However, their love grows and matures. Through romance meet overjoyed and extremely severe pain when they discover that their relationship has no future.The story is pretty honest with some minor flaws and discrepancies. Romance is developing too fast. The story almost "live" from Thursday to Thursday. The lady's husband was full of understanding and mild obtuse. I think it would be interesting to know the doctor's family.Celia Johnson as Laura Jesson leaves a great impression as emotionally troubled woman. Some cynics would say that it seems a little impersonal. I think that the effect corresponding to the conditions and the grayness of postwar life. Her expressions of love and sad look at the end saying enough. Trevor Howard as Dr Alec Harvey is paired with Laura was very good. Character is somewhat contradictory. Maybe even pathetic. I try not to overdo it. He simply does not transmit strong emotions.I would not use the term "affair married people." About morality or validity of ordinary people is too say. The change in character is obvious. Love has changed the atmosphere of the film. At the train station all starts at the same place it all ends. This is a break between two train life.