Journalist, Mancunian, chief interests food, drink, books, not necessariy in that order......
Journalist, Mancunian, chief interests food, drink, books, not necessariy in that order......
Member since:07.07.2009
Reviews:42
Members who trust:6
This film has iconic status and rightly so. A couple of times they have tried to do re-makes. One dismal attempt with Richard Burton and Sophia Loren and a more modern re-working, Falling In Love, with Robert de Niro and Meryl Streep ( which was OK) but David Lean's classic is, simply, perfect. Written by Noel Coward , it was made during the Second World War at a time when Britain badly needed escapism and romance. The nation adored this drama starring Trevor Howard and Celia Johnston as two married people who meet by chance and fall in love with all the anguish these liaisons incur. It's touching on many levels. Because it was made 60 years ago, there are no graphic sex scenes. The couple never, in fact, consumate their relationship due to conflicts of loyalty and honour. Conflicts which can't be resolved. Brief Encounter is also a window into a long-lost world where women stayed at home, looked after their husbands and couples didn't divorece, where every railway had a tea-room and class distinctions were much more obvious. The accents are terribly terribly and in many ways their world has vanished But the film's emotions are still contemporary because true love is timeless. Several other factors make this a must-see. The score, Rachmaninov's Third Concerto, sweeps along theroughout with booming crescendos and anguished violins. It could all have descended into melodrama but the understated performances from the two lead players keep things real. Much of the film was made up at Carnforth, near Lancaster, which has a Brief Encounter museum,,,,The trains the lovers catch together, and the ones they miss, are a motif for the fragility of life, the way chance shapes our lives; and, ultimately, the sadness of saying goodbye. Interestingly, Coward's original story ( on which the film is based) envisaged a similar tale involving two men. In the 1940's, such openness about homosexuality would have beeb unthinkable. Maybe one day they will do a gay version...... as things stand, Brief Encounter will continue to be enjoyed by generation after generation
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Production Year: 2004 - Drama - Director: Nick Cassavetes - Original Language: English - Classification: 15 years and over, 12 years and over - Starring: Rachel McAdams, Ryan Gosling, Gena Rowlands
Expanded from a one-act stage play by Noel Coward,Brief Encounteris without doubt one of ... more
the true masterpieces of British film history. The story seems slight--a respectable suburban housewife has a chance meeting with a handsome married doctor, their ...
Postage & Packaging: £2.69 Availability: Usually dispatched within 1-2 business days...
Expanded from a one-act stage play by Noel Coward,Brief Encounteris without doubt one of ... more
the true masterpieces of British film history. The story seems slight--a respectable suburban housewife has a chance meeting with a handsome married doctor, their ...
Postage & Packaging: £1.21 Availability: Usually dispatched within 1-2 business days...
![Brief Encounter [VHS] [1945]](http://picnicb.ciao.com/uk/69993465.jpg "Brief Encounter [VHS] [1945]")
![Brief Encounter [DVD] [1945]](http://picnicb.ciao.com/uk/78526935.jpg "Brief Encounter [DVD] [1945]")
![Brief Encounter [DVD] [1945]](http://picnica.ciao.com/uk/70055266.jpg "Brief Encounter [DVD] [1945]")
Jul 19th, 2009
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![Brief Encounter [Restored]-DVD](http://picnicb.ciao.com/uk/100743651.jpg)
