- Actors: Sophia Loren, Richard Burton, Jack Hedley, Rosemary Leach, Anne Firbank
- Directors: Alan Bridges
- Format: PAL, Full Screen, HiFi Sound, Colour
- Language English
- Aspect Ratio: 4:3 - 1.33:1
- Classification: PG
- Studio: Channel 5
- Run Time: 100 minutes
- Average Customer Review: 3.2 out of 5 stars See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
- ASIN: B000M51DPE
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: 16,387 in Video (See Top 100 in Video)
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Product details |
Product Description
Anna Jesson (Sophia Loren) meets Dr.Alec Harvey (Richard Burton) on a railway station when grit flies into her eye.He removes the grit!
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
Format:DVD|Amazon Verified Purchase
At a railway station tea shop, a housewife (Sophia Loren) is assisted by a doctor (Richard Burton) after she gets a piece of grit from a passing train in her eye. They run into each other again and a tentative near platonic romance begins although she feels guilty because she's happily married with children but he's unhappily married. Directed by Alan Bridges (THE HIRELING) and based on Noel Coward's play STILL LIFE, which was previously made by David Lean in 1945 under the present title, the film suffers by the lack of chemistry between Loren and Burton which is a pity because they're quite good here. It's a treat to see a low-keyed, restrained Burton who curbs his tendency to overact and Loren playing against type but we never see the passion, the intensity of their relationship. They talk about it, yes, but we never see it. The film almost seems turned over to Loren's character. We get a detailed view of her home life with her husband (Jack Hedley) and children but there's just one brief scene with Burton at home with his icy wife (Ann Firbank). It's photographed by Arthur Ibbetson (ANNE OF THE THOUSAND DAYS) who gives the film a few nice touches and the quietly effective score is by Cyril Ornadel.
The full frame Network DVD from England is a nice sharp and colorful transfer.
The full frame Network DVD from England is a nice sharp and colorful transfer.
5 of 7 people found the following review helpful
Format:DVD
I confess, I find David Lean's original 1940 something film very dull indeed. This is quite interesting for a number of reasons - it doesn't work - but it is quite interesting.
Firstly, it has a very bleak aesthetic style. The feel of the film is anything but romantic. It's quiet, frustrated, almost existential in execution. There is very little score (and what there is is crap anyway) and the tone is very low key throughout. it's actually a guilty feeling film, bleak and possibly more genuinley 'British' than the original.
Secondly, Burton doesn't over act. He doesn't grunt his way through the performance but it is very low, and shameful in delivery. Burton is playing the typical englishman - guilty to want pleasure and guilty of having it.
Sophia Loren does a fine job. She can say more with an introspective look than some of the risible dialogue she has to handle.
Sadly, the story doesn't gel. It's just so low key that, maybe, stupid slushy moments would have served it better. And there are plot elements that go nowhere and Loren's character feels guilty about having the affair because she's neglecting both work and family. And as for Burton getting the job offer in Australia...less said the better.
However, despite its flaws, it's nowhere near as bad as everybody makes out and by the end you'll be slapping your forehead and wondering why Loren didn't run off with Burton!! The alternative existence being awfully dull...
Firstly, it has a very bleak aesthetic style. The feel of the film is anything but romantic. It's quiet, frustrated, almost existential in execution. There is very little score (and what there is is crap anyway) and the tone is very low key throughout. it's actually a guilty feeling film, bleak and possibly more genuinley 'British' than the original.
Secondly, Burton doesn't over act. He doesn't grunt his way through the performance but it is very low, and shameful in delivery. Burton is playing the typical englishman - guilty to want pleasure and guilty of having it.
Sophia Loren does a fine job. She can say more with an introspective look than some of the risible dialogue she has to handle.
Sadly, the story doesn't gel. It's just so low key that, maybe, stupid slushy moments would have served it better. And there are plot elements that go nowhere and Loren's character feels guilty about having the affair because she's neglecting both work and family. And as for Burton getting the job offer in Australia...less said the better.
However, despite its flaws, it's nowhere near as bad as everybody makes out and by the end you'll be slapping your forehead and wondering why Loren didn't run off with Burton!! The alternative existence being awfully dull...
5 of 7 people found the following review helpful
Format:DVD
After the gripping acting prowess of Celia Johnson and Trevor Howard in David Lean's superb production of the original Brief Encounter, one is simply left asking 'why'? on many counts.
First, if Richard Burton is regarded as one of the nations' greatest actors, why was he playing what amounts to be a tree, as he is so wooden. He grunts his way through what should be passionate dialogue like some cave man about to club Sophia Loren over the head and drag her back to his cave. Is it the Carlo Ponti Direction?, the poor script?. What must be the fault of direction and producton is the fact that he always looks like an undertaker in the dour dark suit with black tie and white shirt. Also the black hair dye just looks ridiculous
The next 'why' is why does a beautiful woman and superb actress that is Sophia Loren look like his laid out corpse (In particular at the closing scenes) with such terrible make up?. She is wasted in this part, and one only guesses that Carlo Ponti (her husband) gave her the job to keep it in the family.
One can only further assume that the re-make is not about attempting to improve the orginal (almost impossible to achieve) but about selling the new film on the old one's name. The sexual tension is no where near as great with the interplay between the characters showing little insight into the passion of an affair, which ends without consumation. Both characters are so dull as to be incapable of an affair it would seem.
That very point, however is the irony of the story. Whilst both characters view their respective partners as dull, they are no improvement themselves. Thus showing the age old truth that the other man's grass isn't actually any greener, and may be more bare than first appeared.
All in all, watch the original - far and away the best.
First, if Richard Burton is regarded as one of the nations' greatest actors, why was he playing what amounts to be a tree, as he is so wooden. He grunts his way through what should be passionate dialogue like some cave man about to club Sophia Loren over the head and drag her back to his cave. Is it the Carlo Ponti Direction?, the poor script?. What must be the fault of direction and producton is the fact that he always looks like an undertaker in the dour dark suit with black tie and white shirt. Also the black hair dye just looks ridiculous
The next 'why' is why does a beautiful woman and superb actress that is Sophia Loren look like his laid out corpse (In particular at the closing scenes) with such terrible make up?. She is wasted in this part, and one only guesses that Carlo Ponti (her husband) gave her the job to keep it in the family.
One can only further assume that the re-make is not about attempting to improve the orginal (almost impossible to achieve) but about selling the new film on the old one's name. The sexual tension is no where near as great with the interplay between the characters showing little insight into the passion of an affair, which ends without consumation. Both characters are so dull as to be incapable of an affair it would seem.
That very point, however is the irony of the story. Whilst both characters view their respective partners as dull, they are no improvement themselves. Thus showing the age old truth that the other man's grass isn't actually any greener, and may be more bare than first appeared.
All in all, watch the original - far and away the best.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
BRIEF ENCOUNTER---SOPHIA LOREN--AND--RICHARD BURTON
During 1973/1974 screen legends SOPHIA LOREN and RICHARD BURTON made two films together-THE VOYAGE[also called-THE JOURNEY-made in colour and filmed in Italy]and a remake of a... Read more
Published on 8 Oct 2009 by Mr. W. J. Wright
Brief Encounter
the film is a remake of the famous 1940s film
it is very interesting and moving also thanks to the good interpreters Loren and Burton
quite advisable
it is very interesting and moving also thanks to the good interpreters Loren and Burton
quite advisable
Published on 4 Oct 2009 by Silvio Vannucci
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