Brief Encounter (1974 British Telefilm/Network U.K./Region Two/2/PAL DVD)
Picture:
C+ Sound: C+
Extras: C- Telefilm: C+
PLEASE
NOTE: This
DVD set can only be operated on machines capable of playing back DVDs that can
handle Region Two/2/PAL format software and can be ordered from our friends at
Network U.K. at the website address provided at the end of the review or at
finer retailers.
Director
David Lean will likely be remembered for his epic storytelling and gigantic
films like Bridge on the River Kwai,
Lawrence of Arabia, and Doctor Zhivago, and yet some of his
most passionate films are from his earlier years and British films. He received great recognition on two literary
adaptations in the 1940’s with Oliver
Twist and Great Expectations,
but perhaps one of his finer films is 1945’s Brief Encounter starring Trevor Howard and Celia Johnson. The film is surprisingly at the top of the IMDB’s
top 250 list, although has become a bit lesser known over the last few decades,
despite incredible performances and a solid story.
So what
is it about Brief Encounter that is
so magnetic for those who have had the luxury of seeing this incredible motion
picture? I think that there are many
magical aspects to this film, the first is that it’s an honest film, set during
a time when so many films had to skirt around the real truth or be evasive in
their way of handling tough topics. Here
we have a love affair, which is never a polite situation and people would much
rather talk about other things than this, but the film handles the love affair
between two strangers with such brilliance and it’s very evident that a master
like David Lean knew how to treat the material and direct it so that we are
drawn to our characters.
But
unfortunately this is not the David Lean film, rather a 1974 made-for-TV
version starring Sophia Loren and Richard Burton, which aside from the title
resembles nothing like the David Lean masterpiece. Instead we get an updated color version that
is in many ways like Gus Van Sant’s desecration of Hitchcock’s beloved Psycho.
In this film we get a more intense love affair between two married
people who meet at a railroad station and the suspense of their actions is
never in question, we do not get the tension like in the David Lean film,
rather we get one obvious move after another and this leads the film down a
predictable path that is what set apart the David Lean picture from the
beginning.
In
addition to being a very mediocre film, this release is presented in it’s
original 1.33 X 1 full frame aspect ratio and while this is a PAL release, the
softness and drab colors make it appear more like VHS quality than anything
else. Colors are muddy, blacks are poor,
and the overall detail and definition is constantly lacking showing that little
has been done to the original materials and since this film will never be
sought after to the extent of the original, we know that there is little reason
to bother. Also, the 2.0 sound is very
monophonic in nature and while the dialogue is clear, there is a distancing
feel to the mix that makes it seem cluttered and lacking overall in
definition.
There is
a still gallery included, but this is one encounter that should be kept brief,
stick with the original.
As noted
above, you can order this PAL DVD import exclusively from Network U.K. at:
http://www.networkdvd.net/
or
www.networkdvd.co.uk
- Nicholas Sheffo
