Brief Encounter (David Lean, 1945) wr. Noël Coward; Trevor Howard, Celia Johnson
I think this gets far more attention than it deserves. The best thing about it is the background music provided by Rachmaninoff: the film would have almost no effect without it. Second-best are the shots of steam trains rushing through stations. I presume that in this case the director gets the credit for that rather than the cinematographer (Robert Krasker), as the camera is static, and simply there to record the tempestuous moment.
The most remarkable thing about Coward's tatty, witless little screenplay is what doesn't happen. As with many of Tennessee Williams's script (another closeted gay man), there is more interest in what cannot be said or shown than in what is. And if he won't tell you, why should I?
Garry Gillard | reviews | New: 16 August, 2019 | Now: 25 May, 2024