Brief Encounter (1945)

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Meeting a stranger in a railway station, a woman is tempted to cheat on her husband. (imdb)

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Directed By: David Lean

Written By: Ronald Neame, Noël Coward, Anthony Havelock-Allan

Starring: Trevor Howard, Stanley Holloway, Valentine Dyall, Cyril Raymond, Celia Johnson, Joyce Carey, Margaret Barton, Everley Gregg, Marjorie Mars

Genres: Romance, Drama

Country: UK

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Brief Encounter belongs to 94 collections

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All Ratings | With Reviews

Order by:

TCI | Percentile | Date Rated | # Stars (Reviews)

Stars	User	Rating
6	BillyShears	80 _77th
This was like Basic Instinct in the 40s
5	Nathan S	4 _74th
Laura's settled moral compass and dutiful routine is the backbone of the British housewife. To stray from the path is the crisis of middle class existence. The melodrama seems quaint by some standards, but credit is due to its feminine representation; that it would even begin to describe with any dimension the depths of a woman's inner monologue, and render it with such sweet empathy, is remarkable. Marvelous performances and illustrative use of the transient spaces of a train station.
5	Grit	90 _96th
Brief Encounter is one of the classics of British cinema and is something which shouldn't be missed, even solely as a window into a forgone era of production. Blending a subtle mix of poignancy and careful direction, it provides an involving viewing experience. Backed up by some great moments of background music, great cinematography and a stellar cast, there really is very little that you can dislike about this film. Effectively, Lean captures this era of early romatic dramas.
3	MartinTeller	75 _54th
Not as fond of this as I used to be. The film's oppressive stodginess works for and against it. It's lovely to see a romance handled with such delicacy and restraint. On the other hand, it's awfully difficult to see what they're so worked up about. Their stolid, British ultra-repression makes for interesting cultural subtext but damn poor cinematic fireworks. The counterpoint flirtation provided by Holloway and Carey is far more appealing. Still, it's a beautiful movie with some hidden depths.
3	Icarus	94 _95th
A beautifully nuanced portrait of a post-war, upper middle class housewife, Lean's film presents an evocative mood, an inventive use of the camera, and excellent pacing. The film works at once as both romance and tragedy, working to shift perceptions on which is which as we inhabit Laura's experience of the event. As the woman's confession, only the scene between Alec and his friend in the apartment is oddly out of place. In one sense, the whole film is brilliantly summarized in the first shot.
3	Okkervil	86 _92nd
Even as an Englishman, "Brief Encounter" is so incredibly English, sitting through it is much like being repeatedly bashed over the head with a cricket bat by a morris dancer! It is still however a wonderful movie; beautifully performed, shot and scored. It has dated fairly severely in some ways, but Lean's immence ability is such that this movie at all times feels like a loving homage to the era in which it was made, rather than an outdated relic of romance in a bygone era. Brilliant.
3	TrixRabbi	86 _92nd
Probably the most perfect ending to any film I have ever seen.
3	Oliveira	67 _38th
I'm not sure why I don't like this one. It looks great, but I just wasn't that interested in the affair. The horrible narration didn't help either "Everything felt gay and jolly! And we payed for brandy with just 3 piince!". Blergh. Maybe it wasn't just for me. Still, apart from the narration, it's well made and there's some good moments here and there.
2	Moribunny	78 _88th
Very good, even though Laura and Alec are not particularly likable (the actors may be to blame).
2	TheDiceman	80 _95th
Fantastic film.
2	Farzan	80 _75th
A film that summarizes the term love in 90 minutes. The film is marvelously acted, and well shot, although it seems rather dull at times. I found myself putting all my morals of not cheating and faithfulness aside, and hoping the two would end up together in the end. Besides the conclusion, Brief Encounter seems like every other romance flick, and thus falls short of my high expectations.
2	Suture Self	8 _81st
I want to like this more than I do, because the elliptical narrative is elegant and the photography is brooding and remarkable, but like many older romances, the characterization seems overly simple, the relationship is sexless, and the emotions ring false. The stakes in this movie are shown to be incredibly high, the guilt between the two is agonizing and rips them apart, yet where's the passion? Too stodgy and posh for a red-blooded American like me, I guess. Either way, well worth watching.
2	Evey	100 _96th
One of the most poignant films I have ever seen, an absolute favorite, it is never slushy or sentimental, just incredibly passionate and moral.
2	ronthedog	91 _96th
Understated yet immensely powerful, the feminine side of an affair. Skillful in every respect.
2	Tomhet	9 _93rd
Forget the fact that this is a wonderful love story, this is a film that understands temporality better than most. Three minutes can define an entire relationship. Far out, man.
2	moraesfelipe	90 _95th
When you find love when you must not, love becomes a nightmare of guilt and consuming shadows. Lean's subtle directing presents the first scene as the end of a long relationship -- filmmaking swallowed by the power of memory, as she imagines herself telling her affair to her husband, only to come back to that first/last encounter with a weight she cannot bear. She knows happiness and misery are not forever, specially this late in her life. Edgy, self-contained melodrama. That era's Carol.
2	CosmicMonkey	85 _86th
A film entirely about mid-century Britain's obsession with morality and propriety, and the now stereotypical sexual repression that was a result (and also as an analogy for Noel Coward's own closeted homosexuality.) In many ways, it's a film that only could've been made at the exact point it was, as WWII led to many concerns of infidelity, both at home and abroad, and yet, it remains a fairly universal tale of forbidden love, that still works today, sensual, brooding, and bittersweet.
2	Seryxa	100 _93rd
An outstanding example of good middle-class cinema turned by sheer professional craft into a masterpiece; even those bored by the theme must be riveted by the treatment, especially the use of a dismal railway station and its trains.
2	snallygaster	59 _62nd
Contrast the sincerity & authenticity of the love affair with the artificiality of the social mores impeding it. Johnson's performance elevates the film; Howard's is fine but because we don't learn much about him, I can't totally shake the suspicion that he's just a sneaky playboy.
2	Darren	74 _63rd
Goddamn people used to be so obsessed with fucking on a train
2	Antares	95 _98th
I'm usually not one for romantic films, but this film just grabbed me and when it was finished, I fell in love with Celia Johnson. It's a shame that she eschewed working in feature films for most of her career, because she was one great actress. Her chemistry with Trevor Howard is never wooden or cloying and you can understand why he falls head over heels for her. A definite treat for those who love this kind of film and film making.
2	juntakinte99	95 _90th
A great study on how two people can do something underhanded in the most honorable way possible. Like his later epics, Lean finds a way to make it all look exceptional--especially with the acting. The film holds up today, in part due to future imitators like The Apartment (obviously), Lost in Translation, and Carol. My one minor complaint is how catty & rude the couple is to everyone they encounter. Y'all are having an affair! While you're in that glass house, try not to heave so many bricks!
1	psiXaos	80 _83rd
It impressed me with its sensible cinematography and the utter honesty present in the characters' self-talk. I didn't much care for the plot or the performances though. And getting Rachmaninov as soundtrack is a huge plus really!
1	Pickpocket	7 _68th
The beginning is awful, I was sitting there thinking 'is this really a David Lean movie?' It picks up pretty quickly but the opening 5 or so minutes are just plain bad. The voice-over doesn't always work and it is a bit dated but you can't help but feel sympathy for these characters. Nice framing and I believe this was Lean's homage to the noir.
1	twincinema	85 _85th
David Lean lives up to his last name -- this film is lean, baby. A nuanced portrayal of a housewife in 1940s England, the kind that feels rare even for films that came decades after.
1	Stain	100 _95th
A reminder to us all that David Lean didn't need a big budget to be great. This movie was the first of its kind
1	JooJoo	6 _95th
heart melts
1	frederic_g54	9 _90th
With "Brief Encounter", Lean deftly contrasts the painful dilemmas and ephemeral thrills of a fresh yet ill-fated romance, translating an otherwise simple story into a deeply observant film. Trevor Howard and Celia Johnson are also lovely together, but the latter impresses with a far more nuanced and captivating performance and Robert Krasker's gives us a taste of the fabulous low key lighting and tilted compositions that would characterize his later work. Damn good film.
1	prowler	68 _67th
What this movie captures so so well is the transformation of an ordinary housewife into a beautiful woman -- something that the book (judging also by the hackneyed voiceover) would probably fail at. Good job Celia Johnson!
1	tonydal	85 _87th
You had to be a bit indulgent to the mores of the times--but a sweet experience nonetheless.
1	nandorizzi	80 _80th
Excellent classic. The direction of Lean is absolutely accurate, telling gently the story of a forbidden love.
1	KasperL	90 _97th
One of the greatest love stories. A classic.
1	chakravo	75 _50th
It was obviously racy for the times, 1945, but I didn't believe in the love that was supposed to be going on here....I do love Noel Coward though.
1	theyshoot07	93 _88th
# 143
1	mohan	95 _72nd
Great acting even greater direction makes for an immensely watchable movie. Didn't know it was from the acclaimed director of 'Lawrence of Arabia', 'The Bridge on the River Kwai' .. Makes sense now. Thought I had discovered a great director to watch, while watching it :)
1	skiewulfy	50 _56th
Narrated in the form of a hypothetical confession, Brief Encounter is an atmospheric and subdued story of a brief and constrained near affair between two strangers who meet at a train station. As the narrator becomes overwhelmed by the torrent of emotions and worry the movie nearly nosedives into a well of self-pity and ennui, but the story is thankfully self aware and narrator disarmingly self-effacing.
1	Neonman	84 _77th
Call me an old-timey moralist or sexually frustrated, but most sex scenes in films feel like a waste of time. That's why Brief Encounter works so well, it's based on restrained passion rather than padding out the story with sex, as Laura's guilt for betraying her husband gives the film its tension and makes the character deeply sympathetic. Though this film may sound repressed, it's anything but, even the opening shot of a train steaming past the camera is hot enough to give me a boner.
1	theyshoot08	93 _86th
145
1	sellis	79 _57th
Definite highlights of the film are the train imagery and the usage of Rachmaninoff. Decent performances as well. Little too melodramatic for me. The unsubtle voiceover still doesn't completely make sense.
1	Hadleyreis	84 _84th
I've had briefer
1	astrakhan	90 _98th
Truly a high point of the cinematic art. Lean's use of framing and of dark and light, as well as the transitions in and out of voice-overs and framing devices, are masterful. The story is compelling thanks to Celia Johnson's affecting performance of an upper-class lady who, far from being distant and contented, seems vulnerable, scared yet hopeful. And that perfect crystal-clear RP voice - I could listen to her narration all day. I'm glad I discovered another gem from this genius David Lean.
1	aethling	81 _93rd
'Rarely' rather wonderful, darling. Deeply, deeply affecting, and packing in a massive social critique, or at least exposition, of middle-class pre-occupation with morals and decency. The prevailing sense of all the narration is to make it seem as if it should have just been a novel - but its directed beautifully, with the predictable rhythms of weeks passing and trains endowing the film with a huge sense of the passing of time and lost opportunities. Clever direction, too!
1	unclesausage	56 _67th
Don't like at me I'm picking her nose
1	Riverbelle	95 _91st
This is a great movie, but it moves too fast.
1	fenixdown	85 _92nd
A highly enjoyable film about temptation and forbidden romance and all that. The narration is kind of flat though.
1	Anselmi86	92 _92nd
Heartbreaking like nobody's business. Trevor Howard is brilliantly subdued.
1	wetwillies	90 _80th
Viewed December 11, 2019. Movie 3300. Astonishing how much this movie sneaks up on you until the final 10 minutes, which contain some of the best filmmaking ever, finally level you.
1	hulot	80 _83rd
watched: 2010, 2013, 2015, 2018
1	danozu	80 _82nd
Masterpiece!
1	Jazzaloha	75 _86th
Before Bridges of Madison County...
1	theyshoot10	93 _86th
147
1	mandy	7 _73rd
An endearing and very English classic. Celia Johnson is great in this role and the station backdrop adds to the atmosphere, but it is a bit twee at times and the narration annoying.
1	Roberta	90 _96th
Very beautiful! It has clearly influenced other movies.
1	metz	60 _77th
Sweet
1	Rufam	65 _42nd
For me, it works more as a sort of frightening portrait of repression than a sweeping love story. Although I followed the characters' (society-inflicted) motives and dilemmas, I could hardly care for whatever spark there was between them -which is too bad since "Brief Encounter" is hardly a film for cerebral enjoyment. Still, there's some cultural critique and some unexpected darkness that make it worthwhile.
1	PerryStroika	67 _77th
The swooning Rachmaninoff soundtrack annoys the crap out of me, but the acting is quite good. Some of the manners, the sheer British, stiff-upper-lipness of it all, have dated and become almost self parody.
1	Noblet	65 _40th
This just didn't have a huge impact on me. It's a fine film, but I found it hard to really connect to the characters. Beautiful, but a bit too drab for me.
1	glumpy_99	99 _97th
Exquisitely produced and performed production is a winner on all fronts - Howard and Johnson are both heartbreaking leads, with Holloway and Carey stealing every scene with their more earthy flirtations. Manages to be both of its time, and an insightful reflection of the standards and mores of its time (especially in its use of the different styles of the mirrored couples), capped off by Lean's typical mastery behind the lens; Johnson's climactic moment of anguish is a brilliant example.
1	iyisinek	75 _67th
Aldatmak, kacamak, tren istasyonu, ic ses, (evli bir kadin ve evli bir adamin yasak askini anlatiyor. Kadin sürekli bir ikilem icindedir. Ahlaki olarak kendini sorgular)
1	bof	75 _71st
Excellent handywork, with a sense of realism of character and a romantic conflict that never becomes melodramatic. But it's very obviously a filmed novel - the first-person perspective turns into a never-ending voiceover.
1	hotsake	78 _89th
It wasn't the acting, the directing or the story not really, it was all about the dialogue. The acting is solid Trevor Howard, Celia Johnson, and Cyril Raymond all gave multilayered performances. The direction and score were superb and they complimented each other wonderfully. The story is one often told though not usually as delicately as it was here. The dialogue and the film's pacing swept me up and kept me engaged the entire time... [Full Review]
1	Ag0stoMesmer	3 _73rd
Was ok, could go up or down when I catch it again though
1	DavidThomson	75 _57th
They are a pair of "lovers" who never actually make love. They are unlucky, if you like. Their dutiful lives have been interrupted by a tempest of feeling - a most unfortunate encounter. Or is it the light of their drab lives? So is this a call to madness, or is it the last and gravest insistence on duty as part of the just war? It is a movie that waited for the lampooning of Monty Python and others. Yet it is an experience that survived that assault. It does not go away, or date.
1	PUNQ	80 _99th
'Simple and complex' is how many describe Brief Encounter (1945), that's how I'll do it too, and I'll add 'gentle and heavy' with emotion. Such sincere piece of conflicted emotions. Not typically the type of movie I'd fall in love with, but it's impressions leaves a mark that's impossible to escape.
1	Droog	100 _0th
It exceeded my expectations... It was so ahead of it's time... And what brilliant performances the main actors gave...
1	Nepeta	90 _90th
Beautifully written and shot and utterly heartbreaking not least of all thanks to Celia Johnson's excellent performance. A look at love, marriage, cheating and guilt that manages to surpass all expectations from such a melodrama and which takes a sensitive, compassionate, non-judgemental perspective on a situation racked with pain and confusion.
1	rnest	8 _92nd
Ineldande monologen i tåget är fängslande, jag ville crikulera mer kring hennes huvud
1	qwershady	81 _89th
its quite effective editing for 1945. beginning between ending connected wisely. laura used a lot of description to tell the story.
1	boomdiddly	93 _94th
Another one of Lean's powerful films. A story so simple, yet so effective in the hands of the talented director (and fleshed out fully in the Coward script).
1	FrancoGonzo	18 _96th
Star Rating: ★★★★★
1	Barbudo	92 _89th
Original score on first viewing (Oct 2016) = 88; changed to 91 (June 2019)
1	peyrin	85 _90th
Pretty by-the-numbers romance but it hit all the right spots for me. Elevated by great moments of filmmaking, particularly in the second half - the lone Dutch angle at the climax is really well-placed. Rach 2 is such a perfect score for this, too.
1	napolenbrady	88 _58th
88.00

Average Percentile 73.65% from 1515 Ratings