Brief Encounter
United Kingdom • 1945
Director
#76Criterion Collection →Synopsis
After a chance meeting on a train platform, a married doctor (Trevor Howard) and a suburban housewife (Celia Johnson) begin a muted but passionate, and ultimately doomed, love affair. With its evocatively fog-enshrouded setting, swooning Rachmaninoff score, and pair of remarkable performances (Johnson was nominated for an Oscar), this film, directed by David Lean and based on Noël Coward’s play “Still Life” deftly explores the thrill, pain, and tenderness of an illicit romance, and has influenced many a cinematic brief encounter since its release.
Synopsis
After a chance meeting on a train platform, a married doctor (Trevor Howard) and a suburban housewife (Celia Johnson) begin a muted but passionate, and ultimately doomed, love affair. With its evocatively fog-enshrouded setting, swooning Rachmaninoff score, and pair of remarkable performances (Johnson was nominated for an Oscar), this film, directed by David Lean and based on Noël Coward’s play “Still Life” deftly explores the thrill, pain, and tenderness of an illicit romance, and has influenced many a cinematic brief encounter since its release.
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Credits
Crew
DirectorDavid Lean
WriterNoël Coward
CinematographerRobert Krasker
EditorJack Harris
ProducerAnthony Havelock-Allan, Noël Coward, Ronald Neame
Cast
Celia Johnsonas Laura Jesson
Trevor Howardas Dr. Alec Harvey
Stanley Hollowayas Albert Godby
Joyce Careyas Myrtle Bagot