The classic British stiff-upper lip narrative with its clipped pronunciation, adapted from Noel Coward’s stage play Still Life, Brief Encounter is a spare, restrained post-war love story.
Spending time between a husband and two children with weekly trips into town, Laura Jesson (Celia Johnson – This Happy Breed, The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie) leads a dull, uneventful life. A chance encounter at the railway station with Dr Alec Harvey (Trevor Howard – Sons & Lovers, The Third Man) changes all that, shaking Laura’s values to the core.
Described as a passionate love story where nothing happens, David Lean’s (A Passage to India, Lawrence of Arabia) lovingly crafted nuance of a feature is both ephemeral and full of social resonance.
Nominated for 3 Oscars in 1947 (best director, actress, adapated screenplay), Brief Encounter also won the 1946 Palme d’Or at Cannes and is frequently cited as one of the best films of all time.
Rating: 69%
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