Brief Encounter

1945
Approved
1h 26m

IMDb RATING

8.0/10

46K

YOUR RATING

Trevor Howard and Celia Johnson in Brief Encounter (1945)

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Tragic Romance Drama Romance

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

See production info at IMDbPro

IMDb RATING

8.0/10

46K

YOUR RATING

See production info at IMDbPro

Nominated for 3 Oscars
- 4 wins & 3 nominations total

Trivia
This movie was shot during the final days of World War II, going into production in January 1945. Filming was completed in May, with an interruption on May 8 to celebrate Germany's surrender.

Goofs
Carnforth Station has had its name board covered and replaced with a big sign reading Milford Junction, but the smaller platform notices (behind Laura when Alec tells her about the job in South Africa) still show the next train's destinations as Hellifield, Skipton, Bradford and Leeds.

Quotes
Laura Jesson: It's awfully easy to lie when you know that you're trusted implicitly. So very easy, and so very degrading.

Connections
Featured in A Touch of Class (1973)

Soundtracks
Rachmaninoff Piano Concerto No.2.
Written by Sergei Rachmaninoff (uncredited)
Played by Eileen Joyce with The National Symphony Orchestra
Conducted by Muir Mathieson

User reviews289

Review

Featured review

8/10

Celia Johnson terrific

At a railway station café, housewife Laura Jesson (Celia Johnson) is quietly sitting with doctor Alec Harvey (Trevor Howard). They both have spouses and children. She is flustered when a talkative acquaintance runs into them. It's been only a few weeks ago since she met him at the train station. Their friendship turns into longing and finally obsession.

Celia Johnson gives a haunted look that speaks to her internal conflict. That is the central issue of the movie. She cannot walk that final step. One can argue about her reason but there is no denying Celia's performance. The black and white looks beautiful especially the trains and the station. Director David Lean made a great film.