Brief Encounter – A movie masterpiece

By Dr Nihal D Amerasekera

Sir Noel Coward (1899-1973) was a flamboyant Englishman. He was a playwright, actor, singer and much more. Noel Coward was Knighted for his work. He became famous for his song “Only mad dogs and Englishmen go out in the midday sun”. Coward wrote the one act play “Still life” in 1936. This was a turbulent time in the world. King George V had died, and Edward VIII was made king only to abdicate. Germany was preparing for war. WWII shook the world. It ended in 1945 with the loss of 85 million lives and causing immense hardship to many.

The British film director David Lean (1908-1991) made the story of “Still life” into a romantic drama calling it the “Brief encounter”. The film was shot in the final days of WWII. It was premiered in London in 1945. He is no stranger to epic films. Many of his movies had become box office hits like “Dr Zhivago”, “Lawrence of Arabia”, “Bridge on the River Kwai” and “A Passage to India”.

David Lean is greatly respected for his mastery of film craft for which he was given an all-time achievement award in 1990. Brief encounter is often referred to as the best movie romance of all time. It received three nominations at the Academy Awards, Best Director, Best Actress (Celia Johnson), and Best Adapted Screenplay. In 1999, the British Film Institute ranked it as the second-greatest British film of all time.

David Lean chose the leads: Celia Johnson as Laura – a housewife, Trevor Howard as Alec – a doctor. Stanley Holloway plays the naughty station master and Joyce Carey as the bossy, buffet manageress. Marital infidelity with the associated social and emotional upheaval is the subject of the film.

Laura and Trevor both married to their partners and with children meet at Milford train station, just by chance. Laura got some grit in her eye and asked for some water at the station buffet when a kindly Dr Alec Harvey, came to help. That’s how it all began. Their affection for each other grew as they met at the station café again and again on several occasions. Meetings were always on a Thursday, she was on her shopping trips and he was there for his work commitments. Once they went to an afternoon performance at the Palladium Cinema. During these recurrent weekly visits their casual friendship developed into something more emotionally fulfilling than either of them expected.

After their breakup, David Lean allows Laura to deliver the anguished narrative, in flashback, when the doctor takes his family to a new life in South Africa. Her desire and longing for Alec only gets more intense. The heartache and despair felt by Laura is brilliantly portrayed. As Laura relates the story her face projects the feelings and emotions perfectly. The chemistry between Laura and Alec is exquisite. Their flawless sense of decorum and style all through film is a tribute to that British dignity and decency of the 1930’s.

The first colour film was made in 1908. It wasn’t until the late 1940’s when colour films became more common. Like most films of the early 1940’s “Brief encounter” was made in B&W. The superb cinematography in the railway station with the focus on low lighting and the loud announcements from the public-address system creates the ideal ambience for the story. B&W makes the images menacingly atmospheric. This also suited the story perfectly depicting a certain poignance, a place faraway and of a time long ago.

The film is etched in nostalgia to an era when public transport was the norm and cars were expensive and few. Steam trains were popular and ran on time. The noise, dust and the clouds of smoke make us remember that era of steam with much affection. The hustle and bustle of a busy train station adds to the urgency of their brief meetings. The camera eavesdrops on their random mundane conversations. The announcements on the public address system of train arrivals and departures conveys the beginnings and the endings of their trysts abruptly adding to the agony and the ecstasy. The emotional roller-coaster of the illicit affair is beautifully portrayed.

There are certain songs and melodies that are associated with films. They seem to linger in our sub conscious minds forever. Anytime we hear the music our thoughts are directed to parts of the movie. This is so with Lara’s theme in Dr Zhivago, “As time goes by” in Casablanca and eminently true for Brief encounter. The theme music that is played right through the film is Rachmaninov’s piano concerto No.2.

Rachmaninov (1873- 1943) was a Russian composer and pianist. Sergei Rachmaninov composed the score in 1900 when he had recovered from clinical depression. He dedicated his work to his psychotherapist without whom he would never have composed at all. His Piano concerto No. 2 is recognised as an epic work of genius. The second movement creates a cloud of sentimentality ideally suited, in particular, for the important final scene in Brief encounter. After the Russian revolution he left Russia and settled in New York.

Human history is littered with stories of adultery since the very beginning. “Thou shalt not commit adultery” remains one of the Biblical Ten Commandments for Christians. Religions, Society and even the current legal systems take a dim view of adultery. Made in those censorious times, family and stability are respected in the film. The moral of the story has remained consistent since the film was first shown in 1945.

However, with the passage of years people are more understanding of how such a situation could occur. Unplanned, inopportune, and inelegant, this is how romance happens in the real world. Marriage vows are sacred, and the union is sacrosanct. We salute Laura and Alec. They both earn our sympathy and respect for their wisdom. There has to be a release for marriages that cannot continue for whatever reason. A further discussion on this goes beyond the scope of my remit.

Although there is a loathing for adultery and extramarital affairs, people love to know and hear about it. With the modern way of life, men and women mix freely at work, home, and social functions. The social media and emails on mobile phones allow easier contact. This enhances the opportunities and provides the climate for gossip and innuendo about relationships. Hollywood, Bollywood and film makers around the world make use of this human weakness to create gripping stories that become money spinners. It is now hard to find a movie without such steamy and sensual details.

This film is a timeless classic. Brief encounter grabs you from start to finish. It’s a great story beautifully told. The movie is a masterclass in cinematography. I have made a conscious effort not to outline the entire story just in case I have enticed a reader to see the film. It is a gentle reminder of what it is like to be in love!! One may even search the past for similar events in one’s own life. I have watched Brief encounter many times and have been genuinely moved each time. It still is one of the most cherished movie experiences I’ve had.