Lean’s second film of 1945, and his final collaboration with Noël Coward, is in an entirely different register to Blithe Spirit, and is arguably the first of his films to display a true mastery of the medium. Laura (Celia Johnson) and Alec (Trevor Howard) meet after one of her weekly cinema visits. What begins as a chance meeting becomes a regular appointment. Even as they return to their respective spouses, their feelings for each other grow, and they must decide what path to take. Brief Encounter’s aching romance has granted it a permanent place in the canon of British cinema.

Screening as part of The Films of David Lean season.