Compared to films of today, Brief Encounter is incredibly old-fashioned in its subject matter, and its entire presentation.
The idea of committing adultery with a "spiffingly charming man" is one that is relevant today, as it happens more often than it used to, however, the taboo nature of the subject matter at the time the film was released creates a guilt-laden tension that draws the audience in, and keeps them involved the the pair's little secret.
One issue with the film, that made it laughable for a person from the 21st century watching this film was howincrediblyfasteverybodyseemedtotalk. It was as though, the director was running out of film, so they had to fit everything into a scene as quickly as possible. This is how people used to talk back then, or rather, how they used to act on screen.
Trevor Howard is brilliant as the charming, conscientious, good-willed Doctor. The entire cast does a decent job of keeping the audience interested in the film, but I couldn't help thinking how attitudes have changed somewhat since the film's release, and I kept thinking what it would have been like to watch the film with someone from 1945 to gauge their reaction. Maybe they would have stormed out of the screening in disgust at the notion of married couples having affairs with other people.
Brief Encounter is regarded as a classic, and who knows - maybe it was. But times change and so too do attitudes. This is a decent film, with often laughable dialogue, but it does not grip today's audience like it would have gripped the audiences of the forties. All it relies on now are its basic storyline contained within the social boundaries of its time, and half-decent acting, interrupted only by the fast-talking delivery of the cast.
The idea of committing adultery with a "spiffingly charming man" is one that is relevant today, as it happens more often than it used to, however, the taboo nature of the subject matter at the time the film was released creates a guilt-laden tension that draws the audience in, and keeps them involved the the pair's little secret.
One issue with the film, that made it laughable for a person from the 21st century watching this film was howincrediblyfasteverybodyseemedtotalk. It was as though, the director was running out of film, so they had to fit everything into a scene as quickly as possible. This is how people used to talk back then, or rather, how they used to act on screen.
Trevor Howard is brilliant as the charming, conscientious, good-willed Doctor. The entire cast does a decent job of keeping the audience interested in the film, but I couldn't help thinking how attitudes have changed somewhat since the film's release, and I kept thinking what it would have been like to watch the film with someone from 1945 to gauge their reaction. Maybe they would have stormed out of the screening in disgust at the notion of married couples having affairs with other people.
Brief Encounter is regarded as a classic, and who knows - maybe it was. But times change and so too do attitudes. This is a decent film, with often laughable dialogue, but it does not grip today's audience like it would have gripped the audiences of the forties. All it relies on now are its basic storyline contained within the social boundaries of its time, and half-decent acting, interrupted only by the fast-talking delivery of the cast.