THE MOVIE

Laura Jesson (Celia Johnson) was a happily married woman, with two children and a loving husband, that was until a couple of weeks ago…

She first laid eyes upon him in the refreshment room at Milford Junction. Laura managed to get a bit of grit stuck in her eye, kicked up by a passing train. Thankfully a young doctor by the name of Alec Harvey (Trevor Howard) was there to offer a helping hand. His train soon arrives and then he’s gone. Laura thought nothing more of it.

Although, the following Thursday when Laura goes into Milford as per usual to do the grocery shopping, change her library book and go to the pictures, she bumps into Alec on the street. The following Thursday they meet again, this time sharing a table in a busy diner. They then go to the pictures and have a cup of tea at Milford Junction.

Laura tells her husband, but he’s not at all concerned. He looks to be more interested in his crossword. So Laura and Alec continue to meet every Thursday and slowly but surely their feelings for one another grow deeper and deeper, despite both of them realising what they are doing is wrong.

Brief Encounter was directed by David Lean, and it is based on the play by Noel Coward. The film was nominated for two Academy Awards, best actress and best director. The film also stars Cyril Raymond as Laura’s husband Fred, Stanley Holloway as Albert Godby and Joyce Carey as Myrtle Bagot, two interesting characters who work at Milford Junction.

THE TRANSFER

Video:

Brief Encounter is presented in an aspect ratio of 1.33:1 (4:3) full frame, which is apparently the original theatrical ratio of this film. The film is presented in black and white and it comes with a stack of film grain and film artefacts (scratches, bits of grit, hair and fluff), but that’s okay, you can’t expect a pristine transfer from a classic such as this. To be honest, this is actually a rather good transfer considering the age of the film (Brief Encounter was released in 1946). There are also some occasional pauses/stalls, which looks like frames are missing, and while this is mildly distracting, it only occurs a couple of times, and is presumably unrelated to the transfer. This is a dual layer (RSDL) disc, although I couldn’t spot the layer change.

Audio:

There is only one audio soundtrack available on this DVD, it is an English Mono soundtrack. It is satisfactory, dialogue is always clear, and there are no overly noticeable audio synch problems. There were no annoying glitches, no cracks, pops or background hiss to be heard, which was a little surprising given the age of this film. This film also features Rachmaninov’s Piano Concerto No. 2.

THE EXTRAS

A Profile of Brief Encounter
This featurette provides background information on the filmmakers, director David Lean and writer Noel Coward (this was to be their forth and final collaboration), as well as the two leads, Celia Johnson and Trevor Howard. This featurette also includes interviews with biographer Sheridan Morely, producers Sir Anthony Havelock-Allan and Ronald Neame, actors John Sessions, Margaret Barton (who played Beryl) and Lucy Fleming, who is also the daughter of Celia Johnson. Running time is around 24 minutes.

Original Theatrical Trailer
This trailer gives an indication of how bad the transfer could have been. It is terribly grainy, awash with all kinds of film artefacts. The visuals have a discoloured sepia tone about them and there are also a number of audio glitches (cracks and background hiss) to be heard. Still, this is a very worthwhile addition. Running time is 2.32 minutes.

Photo Gallery
A collection of production and behind the scenes photos (for example, shooting in Regents Park), as well as promotional material for the film. The photos gallery is animated, but you can also advance the photos manually if you want to move through them a little quicker. All photos come with captions. Running time is ca. 1 minute.

Biographies
Two page biographies for actors Celia Johnson and Trevor Howard, as well as playwright Noel Coward and director David Lean (who also directed Oliver Twist, Great Expectations and The Bridge On The River Kwai). Some interested facts to be found in here.

SUMMARY

Brief Encounter is the quintessential romantic film in many peoples eyes. Personally I thought An Affair to Remember starring Cary Grant and Deborah Kerr was more enjoyable. Still, this film is rather quaint and is well worth your while if you’re into films of this genre. The transfer is satisfactory and this DVD also comes with a couple of worthwhile extras including a documentary, stills gallery and biographies.