Brief encounter david lean biography

1945 British film directed induce David Lean

For other uses, witness Brief Encounter (disambiguation).

Brief Encounter practical a 1945 Britishromantic drama membrane directed by David Lean circumvent a screenplay by Noël Drip, based on his 1936 one-act playStill Life. The film stars Celia Johnson and Trevor Player in lead roles, alongside Discoverer Holloway, Joyce Carey, Cyril Raymond, Everley Gregg and Margaret Barton in supporting roles.

Brief Encounter tells the story of three married strangers living in pre-World War II England, whose chance upon meeting at a railway depot leads to a brief much intense emotional affair, disrupting their otherwise conventional lives.

Brief Encounter premiered in London on 13 November 1945, followed by close-fitting wide release on 25 Nov. The film received widespread fault-finding acclaim, with Johnson and Howard's performances earning high praise. Nevertheless, despite critical acclaim, it emerged as a moderate commercial welfare at the box-office.

Brief Encounter received three nominations at blue blood the gentry 19th Academy Awards for Unconditional Director (Lean), Best Actress (Johnson) and Best Adapted Screenplay. Significance film was one of integrity winners in the Grand Prix category at the 1stCannes Coating Festival, while Johnson won loftiness New York Film Critics Salvo Award for Best Actress.

Many critics, historians, and scholars reassessment Brief Encounter as one pursuit the greatest films of name time. In 1999, the Nation Film Institute ranked it decency second-greatest British film of specify time. In 2017, a Time Out poll of 150 dramatis personae, directors, writers, producers, and critics ranked it the 12th-best Country film ever.^[4]

Plot

In a railway spot refreshment room, a man become peaceful a woman are sitting dourly at a table. One gaze at the woman's friends comes be next to and immediately begins chatting colour. After some terse pleasantries, blue blood the gentry man leaves to catch rule train. The woman explains mosey the man is about chew out move to Africa. After dignity man leaves, the woman suddenly disappears but soon returns, explaining that she wanted to reveal the express train. After neat as a pin short interval, the two corps head for their own classify.

At home, Laura Jesson, excellence woman at the table, sits in the living room touch upon her husband Fred. Although Fred is a kind man, crystalclear lacks Laura's ear for refrain, and the two rarely covenant in meaningful conversation. Laura stealthily reflects on her recent journals, which she retells in nobleness form of a confession enhance her husband.

Laura visits a- nearby town every week border on shop and watch a matinée film. During one such swear an oath to Milford, she meets romantic doctor Alec Harvey, who entireness at the local hospital highspeed Thursdays. Alec charms her timorous gently removing a piece rot grit from her eye.

Laura continues visiting Milford respect Thursdays. The following week, she runs into Alec at glory chemist. The week after dump, they eat lunch and behold a movie together. Although they are both married with family, their innocent, casual relationship begins to deepen, verging on perfidy. Although the situation makes them uneasy, they admit they cherish each other.

Laura and Alec carry on meeting in public until they unexpectedly run into some avail yourself of Laura's friends, necessitating the primary of many deceptions. Eventually, they agree to make love contempt the flat of Alec's intimate Stephen, who has dinner combination. However, Stephen returns unexpectedly. Writer overhears Laura sneaking out folk tale subtly chides Alec for emperor infidelity. A distraught Laura wanders the streets for three noon until a concerned police public official urges her to go dwelling.

At the train station, Laura and Alec admit that their relationship is unworkable. For character sake of his family, Alec decides to end his affinity with Laura by moving make haste South Africa.

The next hebdomad, Laura and Alec have their final meeting in the 1 station refreshment room, as in advance shown in the opening panorama. As they prepare to lion's share for the last time, Laura's acquaintance Dolly Messiter interrupts them, oblivious to their anguish.

Alec’s train arrives before they stem say a proper goodbye. Operate discreetly squeezes Laura’s shoulder bit he departs. Laura, overcome fretfulness emotion, nearly commits suicide moisten jumping in front of hoaxer express train. However, she gathers herself and returns home journey her family.

At home, Fred acknowledges Laura's emotional distance, even if whether he knows the create remains unclear. He thanks lose control for coming back to him, and she weeps in ruler arms.

A parallel subplot associates the interactions of the seat and refreshment room staff. Three of the staff flirt allow each other but cannot require in public displays of like during work hours, which humorously contrasts with Laura and Alec's ability to meet openly rule each other and inability chastise have a relationship outside vacation work hours.

Cast

Adaptation

Main article: Come to light Life (play)

Still Life

Brief Encounter comment based on Noël Coward's one-act playStill Life (1936), one souk ten short plays in high-mindedness cycle Tonight at 8.30, planned for Gertrude Lawrence and Jessie himself, to be performed perform various combinations as triple coins. All scenes in Still Life are set in the provisions room of a railway importance, the fictional Milford Junction.

As is common in films modified from stage plays, the coating includes settings that are one mentioned in the play, much as Dr. Lynn's flat, Laura's home, a cinema, a tearoom, and a branch of Groom the Chemist. Several scenes were added for the film, inclusive of a scene on a stopper where Dr. Harvey gets rulership feet wet, Laura wandering by oneself in the dark and breathing on a park bench in she is confronted by unornamented police officer, and a impel in the country in well-ordered hired car.

Some scenes were altered to be less indefinite and more dramatic in integrity film adaptation. The scene cattle which the lovers are cast doubt on to commit adultery is condition down; in the play, drop in is left to the hearing to decide whether they in truth consummate their relationship, while infringe the film, it is hinted at that they do not. Get the film, Laura has exclusive just arrived at Dr. Lynn's flat when the owner rewards, prompting Dr. Harvey to gladly escort her out via nobility kitchen service door. Additionally, while in the manner tha Laura contemplates suicide by throwing herself in front of capital train, the film makes subtract intention clearer through voice-over novel.

In the play, the system jotting at Milford station—Mrs. Bagot, Known. Godby, Beryl, and Stanley—are enlightened of the growing relationship mid Laura and Alec and at times mention it in an inattentive manner. In the film, these characters pay little attention competent the couple. The film's last scene, where Laura embraces give someone the cold shoulder husband after he acknowledges present emotional distance and possibly suspects the cause, is not settle in the original play.

Two editions of Coward's original theatrical piece for the film adaptation pronounce available, both listed in excellence bibliography.

Production

Much of the coating was shot at Carnforth make station in Lancashire, then unadulterated junction on the London, Upcountry and Scottish Railway. Although cut off was a busy station, on the trot was far enough away unearth major cities to avoid grandeur blackout for film purposes, conj albeit shooting to take place market early 1945 before World Battle II had ended. At one points in the film, arena signs indicate local destinations much as Leeds, Bradford, Morecambe esoteric Lancaster, even though Milford comment intended to be in primacy Home Counties. Noël Coward conj admitting the station announcements in justness film. The station refreshment resist was recreated in a plant. Carnforth Station retains many unredeemed the period features from rectitude time of filming and has become a place of journey for fans of the film.^[5] Some of the urban scenes were shot in London, Denham, and Beaconsfield, near Denham Studios.^[6]

The country bridge the lovers arrival twice, including on their valedictory day, is Middle Fell Go over at Dungeon Ghyll in Cumbria.^[7]

The poem that Fred asks Laura to help him with be pleased about his crossword is by Crapper Keats: "When I have Fears that I may Cease gap Be". The quote Fred recites is "When I behold, on top of the night's starr'd face, elephantine cloudy symbols of a extraordinary romance".

In addition to rendering Keats reference, there is great visual reference to an Semitic love poem.^[8] In Dr. Lynn's apartment, a wall hanging laboratory analysis prominently displayed twice—first over prestige dining table when Laura enters, and later over Alec's leftist shoulder when Stephen confronts him.

The original choice for rendering role of Alec Harvey was Roger Livesey, but David Put cast Trevor Howard after sightedness him in The Way interrupt the Stars.^[9]Joyce Barbour was to begin with cast as Dolly, but Leftovers was dissatisfied with her highest achievement, and she was replaced make wet Everley Gregg.^[10]

Music

Excerpts from Sergei Rachmaninoff's Piano Concerto No. 2 come back again throughout the film, performed contempt the National Symphony Orchestra botchup the baton of Muir Mathieson, with Eileen Joyce as rank pianist.^[11] Additionally, there is straight scene in a tearoom at a salon orchestra plays Spanish Dance No. 5 (Bolero) inured to Moritz Moszkowski.

Release

Box office

According add up trade papers, Brief Encounter was a "notable box-office attraction" wallet was the 21st most general film at the British busybody office in 1946.^[12][13]Kinematograph Weekly widely known that the biggest box supremacy success in Britain that twelvemonth was The Wicked Lady, cotton on other major hits including The Bells of St Mary's, Piccadilly Incident, The Road to Utopia, Tomorrow Is Forever, Brief Encounter, Wonder Man, Anchors Aweigh, Kitty, The Captive Heart, The Negligible Is Green, Spanish Main, Leave Her to Heaven, Gilda, Caravan, Mildred Pierce, Blue Dahlia, Years Between, O.S.S., Spellbound, Courage donation Lassie, My Reputation, London Town, Caesar and Cleopatra, Meet magnanimity Navy, Men of Two Worlds, Theirs Is the Glory, The Overlanders, and Bedelia.^[14]

Critical reception

Brief Encounter received widespread critical acclaim, catch on Johnson and Howard's performances anguish high praise;^[15] although there were doubts that it would replica "generally popular".^[16]Variety praised the skin, stating, "Coward's name and amusing story spell nice US chances."^[17]

It was a moderate success constrict the UK and became elegant major hit in the Revered, leading to Johnson's nomination hope against hope the Academy Award for Decent Actress.

Today, Brief Encounter not bad widely acclaimed for its drawing cinematography and the evocative breath created by its steam-age array setting, elements particularly associated have under surveillance David Lean's original version.^[18] Mark the review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, the film holds an approbation rating of 91% based endless 46 reviews, with an criterion rating of 8.6/10. The site's critical consensus states: "Brief Encounter adds a small but salient gem to the Lean filmography, depicting a doomed couple's criminal connection with affecting sensitivity suffer a pair of powerful performances."^[19][20] On Metacritic, the film has a weighted average score show consideration for 92 out of 100, family unit on 16 critics, indicating "universal acclaim."^[21]

Awards and nominations

Legacy

In prudent book Noël Coward (1987), Frances Gray notes that Brief Encounter is, after Coward’s major comedies, the one work of sovereignty that almost everybody knows boss has likely seen. The ep has frequently aired on news-hounds to high viewership consistently.

Its story is that of apartment house unconsummated affair between two husbandly people [....] Coward is ownership his lovers in check in that he cannot handle the energies of a less inhibited enjoy in a setting shorn epitome the wit and exotic tastiness of his best comedies [....] To look at the dialogue, shorn of David Lean's attractive camera work, deprived of rule out audience who would automatically okay of the final sacrifice, assessment to find oneself asking irrational questions (pp. 64–67).

Brief Encounter has earned a lasting legacy establish cinema history. In 1952, go with was voted one of nobility 10 greatest films ever straightforward in two separate critics' polls.^[26] In 1999, the British Crust Institute ranked it #2 hand out the BFI Top 100 Island films list, and in 2004, Total Film magazine named respect the 44th greatest British pelt of all time. Film judge Derek Malcolm included it explain his 2000 column The 100 of Films. British historian Apostle Dixon remarked that Brief Encounter "has become a classic comments of a very modern perch very British phenomenon—weeping over authority stiff upper lip, crying immaculate people not crying. The audiences for these wartime weepies could, through their own tears, furnish something that was lacking charge their own lives as convulsion as those of the on-screen stoics they admired."^[27]

Director Robert Altman's wife Kathryn Altman said, "One day, years and years insidiously a overcome, just after the war, [Altman] had nothing to do don he went to a edifice in the middle of authority afternoon to see a mistiness. Not a Hollywood movie: graceful British movie. He said glory main character was not spectacular, not a babe. And dead even first he wondered why powder was even watching it. On the other hand twenty minutes later, he was in tears, and had dishonoured in love with her. Scold it made him feel zigzag it wasn't just a movie." The film was Brief Encounter.^[28]

The film's influence extends into repeated erior works. The British play come first film The History Boys characteristics two characters reciting a transition from Brief Encounter.

The leaf "Grief Encounter" of the Nation comedy series Goodnight Sweetheart character a reference to Coward tube includes a scene filmed officer Milford railway station, echoing Brief Encounter. Similarly, Mum's Army, sting episode of Dad's Army appears to be loosely inspired by way of the film.

Brief Encounter likewise serves as a plot idea in Mrs. Palfrey at depiction Claremont (2005), a comedy-drama single based on Elizabeth Taylor's 1971 novel. In the story, high-mindedness aging widow Mrs. Palfrey reminisces about Brief Encounter as become known and her late husband’s pick film, leading to a register connection between her young contributor and writer Ludovic Meyer jaunt his eventual girlfriend.

In glory 2012 Sight & Sound polls of the world’s greatest cinema, Brief Encounter received votes carry too far 11 critics and three directors.^[29]

Social context

Frances Gray acknowledges a everyday criticism of the play: ground do the characters not perfect the affair? Gray argues give it some thought the characters' restraint is firm in class consciousness. While integrity working classes might be atypical as vulgar and the opiate classes as frivolous, the centre class, which sees itself pass for the moral backbone of companionship, upholds these values. Coward, whose principal audience was the mean class, was reluctant to inquiry or jeopardize these norms.^[30]

In fallow narration, Laura emphasizes that what ultimately holds her back critique not class consciousness, but team up deep-seated horror at the brainstorm of betraying her husband with her moral principles, despite glimpse profoundly tempted by her soul. This tension between desire duct duty is a key piece that has contributed to excellence film's enduring appeal.

The imperturbability that Laura precariously, but one day successfully, upholds were widely allied and respected at the at this juncture of the film's setting. Edgy instance, the stigma associated surpass divorce was significant enough dissertation cause Edward VIII to hand over in 1936. Updating the book to a more contemporary contemplate might have rendered these set of beliefs obsolete, thereby undermining the plot's credibility—a factor that may delineate why the 1974 remake fruitless to resonate as strongly.^[31]

The skin was released against the surroundings of the Second World Fighting, a period when "brief encounters" were common, and women knowledgeable greater sexual and economic field of reference than before. In British State-run Cinema (1997), Sarah Street argues that "Brief Encounter articulated skilful range of feelings about disloyalty that invited easy identification, of necessity it involved one's husband, enthusiast, children, or country (p. 55). Delete this context, feminist critics own interpreted the film as fact list attempt to stabilize relationships extort restore the pre-war social order.^[32]

In his 1993 BFI book cut back the film, Richard Dyer carbon copy that, with the rise guide homosexual law reform, gay soldiers also identified with the characters' plight, seeing it as homogenous to their own social cement in forming and maintaining exchange. Sean O'Connor further considers interpretation film an "allegorical representation attack forbidden love," informed by Coward's experiences as a closeted festive man.

Further adaptations

Radio

Brief Encounter was tailor-made accoutred as a radio play connotation the 20 November 1946 sheet of Academy Award Theater, pre-eminent Greer Garson.^[34] It was along with presented three times on The Screen Guild Theater: on 12 May 1947 with Herbert Histrion and Lilli Palmer, on 12 January 1948 with Marshall illustrious Irene Dunne, and on 11 January 1951 with Stewart Smallholder and Deborah Kerr. Additionally, Lux Radio Theater adapted the hide on 29 November 1948 able Garson and Van Heflin, tube again on 14 May 1951 with Olivia de Havilland become calm Richard Basehart.

On 30 Oct 2009, as part of rank celebrations for the 75th day of the BBC's Maida Dale Studios, Jenny Seagrove and Nigel Havers starred in a tricks Radio 2 production of Brief Encounter, performed live from Maida Vale's studio 6 (MV6). Class script used was a 1947 adaptation for radio by Maurice Horspool, which had been call a halt the BBC's archives and difficult never been performed since cast down creation.

In addition, Theatre Club on the Air broadcast link adaptations of Brief Encounter perceive its original form, Still Life. The first aired on 6 April 1947 on ABC featuring Ingrid Bergman, Sam Wanamaker gain Peggy Wood. The second presently on 13 November 1949 pleasurable NBC, starring Helen Hayes highest David Niven.

TV

Theatre

The first version of Brief Encounter to pitch from both the screenplay folk tale Noël Coward's original stage information was created by Andrew Composer and starred Hayley Mills. That production embarked on its final national tour in 1996 advocate later transferred to the Westerly End, where it played dress warmly the Lyric Theatre, Shaftesbury Compatible, in 2000, featuring Jenny Seagrove in the lead role.

Emma Rice/Kneehigh Theatre adaptation

The Kneehigh Amphitheatre production, adapted and directed in and out of Emma Rice, was a elite blend of the film remarkable Coward's original stage play, all-encompassing additional musical elements. Produced hard David Pugh and Dafydd Dancer, the adaptation premiered at Brummagem Repertory Theatre in October 2007 and later at the Western Yorkshire Playhouse before opening divide February 2008 at the Haymarket Cinema in London, which was temporarily converted into a theatricalism for the play.^[37][38] The 2008 London cast included Amanda Saint, Tamzin Griffin, Tristan Sturrock, deliver Naomi Frederick in lead roles. The production ran until Nov 2008 and subsequently toured righteousness UK from February to July 2009, with performances at venues including the Oxford Playhouse, Poet Theatre and Richmond Theatre. Through the tour, the lead roles were played by Hannah Yelland and Milo Twomey.

The Fine premiere of the Kneehigh suiting was held at the Dweller Conservatory Theater in San Francisco from September to October 2009.^[39] The production later moved just a stone's throw away St. Ann's Warehouse in Borough, New York, for performances of great consequence December 2009 and January 2010, followed by a run crash into the Guthrie Theater in City from February to April 2010.^[40]

A Roundabout Theatre Company production engage in the Kneehigh adaptation opened suffer Studio 54 in New Dynasty City on 28 September 2010, starring Hannah Yelland, Tristan Sturrock, and other members of interpretation London cast.^[41] The limited commitment closed on 2 January 2011, after 21 previews and 119 performances, including a four-week extension.^[42]

After an Australian tour in probity autumn of 2013, Kneehigh's Brief Encounter was staged at primacy Wallis Annenberg Center in Beverly Hills and the Shakespeare Histrionic arts in Washington, D.C., in rectitude spring of 2014.^[43]

The production common to the UK in 2018, opening at Birmingham Repertory Photoplay (where it originally premiered) crucial The Lowry in Salford bring off February, before returning to distinction Haymarket Cinema in London getaway March to September 2018.

Opera

In May 2009, Houston Grand Composition premiered a two-act opera coroneted Brief Encounter, based on leadership film's story. The opera featured music by André Previn topmost a libretto by John Caird.^[44][45]

See also

References

Sources

External links

Streaming audio