Search - Brief Encounter [Criterion Collection] on DVD

MPAA Rating: NR Content Advisory: Adult Situations Movie Release: 1946 DVD Release: 06/27/2000 Format: DVD - Black and White,Pan and Scan Audio Tracks: English Subtitles: English SwapaDVD Credits: 1 Number of Discs: 1 Run Time: 1 hrs 26 mins Studio: Criterion Members Wishing: 25 Genres: Drama, Romance, Romantic Drama See Also: Brief Encounter

Based on Noël Coward's play "Still Life," Brief Encounter is a romantic, bittersweet drama about two married people who meet by chance in a London railway station and carry on an intense love affair. Sentimental yet down-to-earth and set in pre-World War II England, the film follows British housewife Laura Jesson (Celia Johnson), who is on her way home, but catches a cinder in her eye. By chance, she meets Dr. Alec Harvey (Trevor Howard), who removes it for her. The two talk for a few minutes and strike immediate sparks, but they end up catching different trains. However, both return to the station once a week to meet and, as the film progresses, they grow closer, sharing stories, hopes, and fears about their lives, marriages, and children. One day, when Alec's train is late, both become frantic that they will miss each other. When they finally find each other, they realize that they are in love. But what should be a joyous realization is fraught with tragedy, since both care greatly for their families. Howard and Johnson give flawless performances as two practical, married people who find themselves in a situation in which they know they can never be happy. ~ Don Kaye, All Movie Guide

Celia Johnson - Laura Jesson
Trevor Howard - Dr. Alec Harvey
Stanley Holloway - Albert Godby
Joyce Carey - Myrtle Bagot
Cyril Raymond - Fred Jesson

Criterion's edition of David Lean's Brief Encounter once again shows why they have become arguably the most respected name in DVD. The film is presented in its original theatrical aspect ratio of 1.33:1. The English soundtrack is rendered in Dolby Digital Mono. English subtitles are accessible. Supplemental materials include a commentary track recorded by film scholar Bruce Eder, the original theatrical trailer, and a demonstration of how the film was restored from its original elements. This is a first-class disc. ~ Perry Seibert, All Movie Guide