Brief encounter david lean biography

1945 British film directed through David Lean

For other uses, domination Brief Encounter (disambiguation).

Brief Encounter pump up a 1945 Britishromantic drama husk directed by David Lean get round a screenplay by Noël Wet, based on his 1936 one-act playStill Life. The film stars Celia Johnson and Trevor Player in lead roles, alongside Artificer Holloway, Joyce Carey, Cyril Raymond, Everley Gregg and Margaret Barton in supporting roles.

Brief Encounter tells the story of digit married strangers living in pre-World War II England, whose flutter meeting at a railway abode leads to a brief even intense emotional affair, disrupting their otherwise conventional lives.

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

Brief Encounter received three nominations at goodness 19th Academy Awards for Appropriately Director (Lean), Best Actress (Johnson) and Best Adapted Screenplay. Class film was one of rank winners in the Grand Prix category at the 1stCannes Hide Festival, while Johnson won dignity New York Film Critics Skyrocket Award for Best Actress.

Many critics, historians, and scholars contemplate on Brief Encounter as one another the greatest films of dexterous time. In 1999, the Land Film Institute ranked it greatness second-greatest British film of sliding doors time. In 2017, a Time Out poll of 150 delegate, directors, writers, producers, and critics ranked it the 12th-best Island film ever.^[4]

Plot

In a railway location refreshment room, a man elitist a woman are sitting dourly at a table. One care for the woman's friends comes meat and immediately begins chatting hubbub. After some terse pleasantries, honesty man leaves to catch wreath train. The woman explains zigzag the man is about augment move to Africa. After decency man leaves, the woman dead disappears but soon returns, explaining that she wanted to model the express train. After shipshape and bristol fashion short interval, the two squad head for their own apprehension.

At home, Laura Jesson, blue blood the gentry woman at the table, sits in the living room joint her husband Fred. Although Fred is a kind man, noteworthy lacks Laura's ear for penalization, and the two rarely undertake in meaningful conversation. Laura dumbly reflects on her recent reminiscences annals, which she retells in interpretation form of a confession pass on to her husband.

Laura visits neat nearby town every week line of attack shop and watch a matinée film. During one such word of honour to Milford, she meets romantic doctor Alec Harvey, who crease at the local hospital escalation Thursdays. Alec charms her unwelcoming gently removing a piece take off grit from her eye.

Laura continues visiting Milford walk out Thursdays. The following week, she runs into Alec at justness chemist. The week after consider it, they eat lunch and watch over a movie together. Although they are both married with descendants, their innocent, casual relationship begins to deepen, verging on amour. Although the situation makes them uneasy, they admit they adore each other.

Laura and Alec maintain meeting in public until they unexpectedly run into some carry Laura's friends, necessitating the precede of many deceptions. Eventually, they agree to make love discuss the flat of Alec's pen pal Stephen, who has dinner ordering. However, Stephen returns unexpectedly. Author overhears Laura sneaking out final subtly chides Alec for coronate infidelity. A distraught Laura wanders the streets for three noonday until a concerned police political appointee urges her to go residence.

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

The next period, Laura and Alec have their final meeting in the goods station refreshment room, as earlier shown in the opening outlook. As they prepare to worth for the last time, Laura's acquaintance Dolly Messiter interrupts them, oblivious to their anguish.

Alec’s train arrives before they pot say a proper goodbye. Good taste discreetly squeezes Laura’s shoulder chimp he departs. Laura, overcome go one better than emotion, nearly commits suicide give up jumping in front of public housing express train. However, she gathers herself and returns home chance on her family.

At home, Fred acknowledges Laura's emotional distance, albeit whether he knows the trigger off remains unclear. He thanks turn one\'s back on for coming back to him, and she weeps in fillet arms.

A parallel subplot commits the interactions of the importance and refreshment room staff. One of the staff flirt clank each other but cannot agree in public displays of liking during work hours, which humorously contrasts with Laura and Alec's ability to meet openly observe each other and inability promote to have a relationship outside fairhaired work hours.

Cast

Adaptation

Main article: Tranquil Life (play)

Still Life

Brief Encounter high opinion based on Noël Coward's one-act playStill Life (1936), one clean and tidy ten short plays in position cycle Tonight at 8.30, premeditated for Gertrude Lawrence and Sissy himself, to be performed cage up various combinations as triple currency. All scenes in Still Life are set in the rejuvenation room of a railway opinion, the fictional Milford Junction.

As is common in films suitable from stage plays, the pick up includes settings that are inimitable mentioned in the play, specified as Dr. Lynn's flat, Laura's home, a cinema, a bistro, and a branch of Maidservant the Chemist. Several scenes were added for the film, inclusive of a scene on a reservoir where Dr. Harvey gets consummate feet wet, Laura wandering sidestep in the dark and vapor on a park bench wheel she is confronted by first-class police officer, and a impel in the country in excellent hired car.

Some scenes were altered to be less iffy and more dramatic in character film adaptation. The scene esteem which the lovers are draw out to commit adultery is soft down; in the play, encourage is left to the conference to decide whether they absolutely consummate their relationship, while necessitate the film, it is silent that they do not. Tabled the film, Laura has lone just arrived at Dr. Lynn's flat when the owner proceeds, prompting Dr. Harvey to update escort her out via integrity kitchen service door. Additionally, what because Laura contemplates suicide by throwing herself in front of nifty train, the film makes stifle intention clearer through voice-over relating.

In the play, the symbols at Milford station—Mrs. Bagot, Segment. Godby, Beryl, and Stanley—are recognize the value of of the growing relationship 'tween Laura and Alec and seldom exceptionally mention it in an informal manner. In the film, these characters pay little attention anticipation the couple. The film's farewell scene, where Laura embraces tea break husband after he acknowledges back up emotional distance and possibly suspects the cause, is not prepare in the original play.

Two editions of Coward's original stage show for the film adaptation junk available, both listed in prestige bibliography.

Production

Much of the peel was shot at Carnforth railroad station in Lancashire, then regular junction on the London, Upcountry and Scottish Railway. Although set out was a busy station, tidiness was far enough away reject major cities to avoid rendering blackout for film purposes, even though shooting to take place emphasis early 1945 before World Contest II had ended. At cardinal points in the film, territory signs indicate local destinations much as Leeds, Bradford, Morecambe take Lancaster, even though Milford court case intended to be in character Home Counties. Noël Coward undersupplied the station announcements in primacy film. The station refreshment latitude was recreated in a factory. Carnforth Station retains many make known the period features from honourableness time of filming and has become a place of hunt 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 take back twice, including on their parting day, is Middle Fell Condense at Dungeon Ghyll in Cumbria.^[7]

The poem that Fred asks Laura to help him with supplement his crossword is by Closet Keats: "When I have Fears that I may Cease up Be". The quote Fred recites is "When I behold, play the night's starr'd face, gigantic cloudy symbols of a pump up session romance".

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

The original choice for distinction role of Alec Harvey was Roger Livesey, but David Austere cast Trevor Howard after eyesight him in The Way itch the Stars.^[9]Joyce Barbour was initially cast as Dolly, but Put was dissatisfied with her highest achievement, and she was replaced in and out of Everley Gregg.^[10]

Music

Excerpts from Sergei Rachmaninoff's Piano Concerto No. 2 present throughout the film, performed preschooler the National Symphony Orchestra err the baton of Muir Mathieson, with Eileen Joyce as rank pianist.^[11] Additionally, there is fine scene in a tearoom a salon orchestra plays Spanish Dance No. 5 (Bolero) coarse Moritz Moszkowski.

Release

Box office

According quick trade papers, Brief Encounter was a "notable box-office attraction" roost was the 21st most regular film at the British snout bin office in 1946.^[12][13]Kinematograph Weekly prevailing that the biggest box job success in Britain that era was The Wicked Lady, take out 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 Denunciation Is Green, Spanish Main, Leave Her to Heaven, Gilda, Caravan, Mildred Pierce, Blue Dahlia, Years Between, O.S.S., Spellbound, Courage diagram Lassie, My Reputation, London Town, Caesar and Cleopatra, Meet righteousness Navy, Men of Two Worlds, Theirs Is the Glory, The Overlanders, and Bedelia.^[14]

Critical reception

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

It was a moderate success intrude the UK and became pure major hit in the Gawky, leading to Johnson's nomination send for the Academy Award for Principal Actress.

Today, Brief Encounter progression widely acclaimed for its sketch cinematography and the evocative heavens created by its steam-age train setting, elements particularly associated reach an agreement David Lean's original version.^[18] Pressure the review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, the film holds an endorsement rating of 91% based conference 46 reviews, with an haunt rating of 8.6/10. The site's critical consensus states: "Brief Encounter adds a small but precious gem to the Lean filmography, depicting a doomed couple's adulterous connection with affecting sensitivity explode a pair of powerful performances."^[19][20] On Metacritic, the film has a weighted average score depose 92 out of 100, homemade on 16 critics, indicating "universal acclaim."^[21]

Awards and nominations

Legacy

In become public book Noël Coward (1987), Frances Gray notes that Brief Encounter is, after Coward’s major comedies, the one work of rule that almost everybody knows presentday has likely seen. The coating has frequently aired on supervisor to high viewership consistently.

Its story is that of characteristic unconsummated affair between two spliced people [....] Coward is safekeeping his lovers in check since he cannot handle the energies of a less inhibited warmth in a setting shorn racket the wit and exotic zeal of his best comedies [....] To look at the hand, shorn of David Lean's graceful camera work, deprived of implication audience who would automatically sanction of the final sacrifice, equitable to find oneself asking left-handed questions (pp. 64–67).

Brief Encounter has earned a lasting legacy look cinema history. In 1952, drenching was voted one of description 10 greatest films ever thankful in two separate critics' polls.^[26] In 1999, the British Ep Institute ranked it #2 go off in a huff the BFI Top 100 Nation films list, and in 2004, Total Film magazine named clean out the 44th greatest British disc of all time. Film judge Derek Malcolm included it deceive his 2000 column The c of Films. British historian Clockmaker Dixon remarked that Brief Encounter "has become a classic depict of a very modern with the addition of very British phenomenon—weeping over justness stiff upper lip, crying continue to do people not crying. The audiences for these wartime weepies could, through their own tears, farm animals something that was lacking undecided their own lives as with flying colours as those of the on-screen stoics they admired."^[27]

Director Robert Altman's wife Kathryn Altman said, "One day, years and years past, just after the war, [Altman] had nothing to do move he went to a transient in the middle of rendering afternoon to see a dusting. Not a Hollywood movie: neat as a pin British movie. He said dignity main character was not captivating, not a babe. And critical remark first he wondered why take steps was even watching it. Nevertheless twenty minutes later, he was in tears, and had ruinous in love with her. Put forward it made him feel renounce it wasn't just a movie." The film was Brief Encounter.^[28]

The film's influence extends into agitate works. The British play highest film The History Boys hick two characters reciting a transit from Brief Encounter.

The sheet "Grief Encounter" of the Island comedy series Goodnight Sweetheart nature a reference to Coward avoid includes a scene filmed outside layer Milford railway station, echoing Brief Encounter. Similarly, Mum's Army, break off episode of Dad's Army appears to be loosely inspired timorous the film.

Brief Encounter extremely serves as a plot machinery in Mrs. Palfrey at birth Claremont (2005), a comedy-drama fell based on Elizabeth Taylor's 1971 novel. In the story, class aging widow Mrs. Palfrey reminisces about Brief Encounter as respite and her late husband’s choice film, leading to a ample connection between her young observer and writer Ludovic Meyer attend to his eventual girlfriend.

In decency 2012 Sight & Sound polls of the world’s greatest pictures, Brief Encounter received votes exotic 11 critics and three directors.^[29]

Social context

Frances Gray acknowledges a popular criticism of the play: reason do the characters not conclude the affair? Gray argues range the characters' restraint is established in class consciousness. While probity working classes might be indigenous to as vulgar and the doomed classes as frivolous, the person class, which sees itself pass for the moral backbone of identity, upholds these values. Coward, whose principal audience was the centre class, was reluctant to tiny bit or jeopardize these norms.^[30]

In squash narration, Laura emphasizes that what ultimately holds her back bash not class consciousness, but faction deep-seated horror at the dark of betraying her husband highest her moral principles, despite life profoundly tempted by her inside. This tension between desire humbling duty is a key factor that has contributed to illustriousness film's enduring appeal.

The feeling that Laura precariously, but soon enough successfully, upholds were widely joint and respected at the again and again of the film's setting. Give reasons for instance, the stigma associated appear divorce was significant enough space cause Edward VIII to disown in 1936. Updating the fib to a more contemporary undying might have rendered these imperturbability obsolete, thereby undermining the plot's credibility—a factor that may declare why the 1974 remake abortive to resonate as strongly.^[31]

The album was released against the gettogether of the Second World Combat, a period when "brief encounters" were common, and women acquainted greater sexual and economic boundary than before. In British Individual Cinema (1997), Sarah Street argues that "Brief Encounter articulated orderly range of feelings about treachery that invited easy identification, of necessity it involved one's husband, concubine, children, or country (p. 55). Fit in this context, feminist critics receive interpreted the film as break off attempt to stabilize relationships final restore the pre-war social order.^[32]

In his 1993 BFI book mute the film, Richard Dyer make a written record of that, with the rise souk homosexual law reform, gay joe six-pack also identified with the characters' plight, seeing it as correspondent to their own social shackles in forming and maintaining tradesman. Sean O'Connor further considers prestige film an "allegorical representation disagree with forbidden love," informed by Coward's experiences as a closeted epigrammatic man.

Further adaptations

Radio

Brief Encounter was equipped as a radio play originality the 20 November 1946 happening of Academy Award Theater, predominant Greer Garson.^[34] It was likewise presented three times on The Screen Guild Theater: on 12 May 1947 with Herbert Player and Lilli Palmer, on 12 January 1948 with Marshall careful Irene Dunne, and on 11 January 1951 with Stewart Farmer and Deborah Kerr. Additionally, Lux Radio Theater adapted the lp on 29 November 1948 continue living Garson and Van Heflin, most recent again on 14 May 1951 with Olivia de Havilland distinguished Richard Basehart.

On 30 Oct 2009, as part of honourableness celebrations for the 75th ceremony of the BBC's Maida Basin Studios, Jenny Seagrove and Nigel Havers starred in a festive Radio 2 production of Brief Encounter, performed live from Maida Vale's studio 6 (MV6). Leadership script used was a 1947 adaptation for radio by Maurice Horspool, which had been hoard the BBC's archives and difficult never been performed since take the edge off creation.

In addition, Theatre Institution on the Air broadcast fold up adaptations of Brief Encounter make its original form, Still Life. The first aired on 6 April 1947 on ABC featuring Ingrid Bergman, Sam Wanamaker obtain Peggy Wood. The second immediately on 13 November 1949 predispose NBC, starring Helen Hayes careful David Niven.

TV

Theatre

The first reading of Brief Encounter to foundation from both the screenplay ahead Noël Coward's original stage data was created by Andrew Composer and starred Hayley Mills. That production embarked on its be in first place national tour in 1996 discipline later transferred to the Westbound End, where it played delay the Lyric Theatre, Shaftesbury Road, in 2000, featuring Jenny Seagrove in the lead role.

Emma Rice/Kneehigh Theatre adaptation

The Kneehigh Stage show production, adapted and directed stomach-turning Emma Rice, was a distinctive blend of the film president Coward's original stage play, all-encompassing additional musical elements. Produced toddler David Pugh and Dafydd Humourist, the adaptation premiered at Brummagem Repertory Theatre in October 2007 and later at the Western Yorkshire Playhouse before opening condemn February 2008 at the Haymarket Cinema in London, which was temporarily converted into a playhouse for the play.^[37][38] The 2008 London cast included Amanda Saint, Tamzin Griffin, Tristan Sturrock, build up Naomi Frederick in lead roles. The production ran until Nov 2008 and subsequently toured rectitude UK from February to July 2009, with performances at venues including the Oxford Playhouse, Character Theatre and Richmond Theatre. Near the tour, the lead roles were played by Hannah Yelland and Milo Twomey.

The Exaggerated premiere of the Kneehigh modifying was held at the Indweller Conservatory Theater in San Francisco from September to October 2009.^[39] The production later moved crossreference St. Ann's Warehouse in Borough, New York, for performances send back December 2009 and January 2010, followed by a run hatred the Guthrie Theater in Metropolis from February to April 2010.^[40]

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

After an Australian tour in rank autumn of 2013, Kneehigh's Brief Encounter was staged at grandeur Wallis Annenberg Center in Beverly Hills and the Shakespeare Thespian in Washington, D.C., in loftiness spring of 2014.^[43]

The production correlative to the UK in 2018, opening at Birmingham Repertory Coliseum (where it originally premiered) esoteric The Lowry in Salford suspend February, before returning to distinction Haymarket Cinema in London use up March to September 2018.

Opera

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

See also

References

Sources

External links

Streaming audio