141 - The Passionate Friends

We visit 1949's romantic drama The Passionate Friends, a favourite of previous podcast guest Celia, who describes it as "what would have happened if they'd had the affair in Brief Encounter". It offers a complex story of love and relationships, characters who want different things from their relationships and a love triangle that gradually shifts and changes over many years. Mary (Ann Todd) loves Steven (Trevor Howard), but refuses to marry him, wanting to belong only to herself, as she puts it; instead, she marries Howard (Claude Rains), a successful banker who gives her security, stability, social status and affection. Dramatic irony, shifting affections and a sensitivity to the subtleties of love and relationships create a fascinating and beautiful film. There's a lot to discuss, including and especially the unconventional Howard - in any other film he would be an obstacle to the romantic couple's true love, but here, although he has villainous aspects, he is revealed to be as three dimensional a character and as deserving of respect and a happy ending as anybody else. It's the part he plays in the film's conclusion that makes Mike cry. We also talk about David Lean's direction, his use of visual layering, considered staging and occasional flourishes of editing emphasising the characters' emotional states and calmly and smartly conveying to the audience the right information at the right time. It's not held in the esteem that Brief Encounter, a film with obvious parallels in many ways, is, and that's unfortunate, as it is deeply felt and quite beautiful. It appears to only be available on Blu-Ray in France (that's where Mike's copy had to come from, at any rate), but its loving restoration is worth seeking out. Recorded on 15th March 2019.