Appendix 3.2: Sample films - synopses and character lists
BRIEF ENCOUNTER UK 45
given through Laura's voice over, addressed to her husband,
Fred, thus entirely from her point of view. As a consequence
of the flashback technique the end of the story is known to
the audience before its beginning, and thus a closure to the
encounter which validates Laura's marriage is also a 'given'.
Laura and Alec meet by chance several times before arranging
to meet by design, and then falling in love. They are both
'happily married' and decide, painfully, to end the affair
before it has begun. There is much stress laid on the
ordinariness of their lives and the paradox of this apparently
extraordinary event, this stress being evident both in Laura's
voice over and in the visual construction of the film. The
nuances of camera position and editing are crucial in
conveying preferred readings to the audience. Light and dark,
country and city, public and private spaces: oppositions such
as these are used to suggest the emotions and psychological
states of the protagonists. Additionally the relationship
between Laura and Alec is counterpointed, rather delicately,
by that of Mrs M and Mr Godbey, the manageress of the station
restaurant and the uniformed station official, which unfolds
in its limited extent in the station restaurant and is
observed by the audience from Laura's point of view. There
are several crucial narrative moments: Laura's fantasy as she
rides home in the train after acknowledging love, her
punishment through the accident of her son which took place
while she was with Alec; her flight from Simon's flat and her
reverie by the war memorial; her contemplated suicide near the
end of the film. Her voice over is addressed entirely to her
husband, Fred, whom we see from time to time in both the
present of the film and in the narrated flashbacks. The final
shot, as Laura emerges from her reverie, is of the embrace
between her and Fred.
Female characters in order of appearance, character groups.
|
1_____ |
ɪ *~⅛ -Л- V»* W- JL- L-J -J- A * ' v-ʌ. A— L-A ɪ- L-A fLJ f-J L-— ‰ -*- * * L-J f UA ɪ- V--⅛ SβZ ‰» ⅞≡» JU- x"1 ɪ. L-J Woman walking on station platform________________ |
4_____ |
|
2_____ |
Beryl, waitress in station restaurant_____________ |
3_____ |
|
3_____ |
Mrs M, manageress of station restaurant |
3_____ |
|
4_____ |
Laura Jesson |
1_____ |
|
5____ |
Dorothy Messiter |
3_____ |
|
6_____ |
Laura's daughter Margaret |
4_____ |
|
7 |
Mr Godbey's landlady (not seen but referred to in |
4 |
|
8_____ |
Mrs Leftwich |
4_____ |
|
9_____ |
Diners at the Kardomah |
4_____ |
|
10 |
Cellist at the Kardomah___________________________ |
4_____ |
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