Brief Encounter
Brief Encounter is a 1945 British romantic drama film directed by David Lean from a screenplay by Noël Coward, based on his 1936 one-act play Still Life.
| Brief Encounter | |
|---|---|
Theatrical release poster | |
| Directed by | David Lean |
| Written by |
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| Based on | Still Life 1936 play by Noël Coward |
| Produced by |
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| Starring | |
| Cinematography | Robert Krasker |
| Edited by | Jack Harris |
| Music by | Sergei Rachmaninoff |
| Distributed by | Eagle-Lion Distributors |
Release dates | 13 November 1945 (Premiere, London) 26 November 1945 (UK) |
Running time | 87 minutes |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Language | English |
| Budget | $1 million or $1.4 million |
Starring Celia Johnson, Trevor Howard, Stanley Holloway, and Joyce Carey, it follows a passionate extramarital relationship in England shortly before World War II. The protagonist is Laura, a married woman with children, whose conventional life becomes increasingly complicated after a chance meeting at a railway station with a married stranger with whom she subsequently falls in love.
The film premiered in London on 13 November 1945. It went to general release on 25 November, to widespread critical acclaim. It received three nominations at the 19th Academy Awards, Best Director, Best Actress (for Johnson), and Best Adapted Screenplay.
Many critics, historians and scholars cite the film as one of the greatest of all time. In 1999, the British Film Institute ranked it as the second-greatest British film of all time. In 2017, a Time Out poll of 150 actors, directors, writers, producers, and critics ranked it the 12th-best British film ever.