Search Results

Brief Encounter (1945), 1946 UK release, directed by David Lean, screenplay Noel Coward, starring Celia Johnson and Trevor Howard Written by ©Judith Noble, November 2025. Professor Emerita (Film and the Occult) Brief Encounter has classic status; one of the most beloved of British films; the ultimate weepie, British audiences cited it as the film most likely to make them cry. Its reputation has grown in the last forty years; time has changed our appreciation of it. It was moderately successful on release, but out-performed at the box office by The Wicked Lady. It was characterised on its release as a quality film that would attract middle-class audiences. Now here it is in a season of melodramas. Let’s look a little closer at the film’s appeal: why does a black and white 1940s movie that revolves around just two very middle-class characters (with the kind of accents that are only heard in comedies these days) living out gender stereotypical roles that barely exist anymore, and who, by modern standards, do not really get up to very much, still attract audiences eighty years after it was made? The film retains a tremendous emotional power. Some years ago, I had the salutary experience of teaching film narrative to animation students at an arts university by screening examples of classic films. Part of the post cinema generation, these students had never seen any classic films before. My practice was to screen the first half hour of the film (due to time constraints) then discuss what was going on, and leave the students to watch the rest in their own time. When it came to Brief Encounter, the outcome was startling. At the end of half an hour, the students begged me not to stop the screening, so we watched the whole thing. By the end, all the students were weeping. Many of them were very shocked that the film had elicited this response, although I had forewarned them about its power. I spent the lunch hour comforting distraught animators. Brief Encounter is being shown today in the context of a season of melodramas, often a very undervalued genre. A melodrama can be defined as a film where music is a fundamental element of the narrative. It is also usually a film made for female audiences, with a story told from a woman’s point of view, and full of emotional highs and lows. Brief Encounter is certainly all of those things. The music especially is a key: Rachmaninov’s dramatic, romantic Second Piano Concerto played here by Eileen Joyce (a very popular female performer when the film was made). I think the film is also rather more than a melodrama. It may surprise people to learn that in the 1920s and 30s the key textbook for Hollywood screenwriters was Aristotle’s Poetics. How many of them used it to good effect is open to debate, but Brief Encounter fits Aristotle’s definition of tragedy perfectly: the characters try to escape their pre-ordained fates; the audience empathises with them in this; the drama evokes feelings of pity for them, and at the end the audience experiences an emotional cleansing or catharsis. This is a film about two, small ordinary lives, but it is no less tragic for that; the characters cannot escape their fates and we weep for them. It is, of course, perfectly okay to weep when watching Brief Encounter and indulge in catharsis as approved of by Aristotle. There is so much we could say about this film. To some it may seem dated and class ridden, and some of the humour has to be explained to younger audiences. The phrase, “getting a girl into trouble”, for example, has lost its risqué meaning. Eighty years after its making, surely there are no middle- class nuclear families with cut glass English accents, two perfect children and a servant to make dinner anymore? But… surely anyone who has loved “the wrong person” will see something of themselves in this film, and recognise the power and danger in desire that can tear lives and families apart. Perhaps too, the film will appeal most to those who have shared the experience of its main characters: an older audience with more life experience; to those who “do the right thing” and who do not allow illicit desire to disrupt family and relationships, but who will still be changed by it forever. Part of the film’s success lies in the fact that it is incredibly well-crafted and precisely made in a particularly British, tweed jacket kind of a way. Acting, mise-en-scene, camerawork, are all more or less perfect. It has strong links to the theatrical tradition: The confined interiors, the close focus on the two main characters, and the comic working class characters used as foils for the protagonists which date back as far as Shakespeare (think of the ‘rude mechanicals’ in A Midsummer Night’s Dream) but is completely cinematic, for example the close up of Dolly’s mouth as she talks relentlessly, and the tracking shot that opens the first refreshment room sequence and establishes the characters. The spare, matter of fact acting and camerawork and the pace of the film, hurried along by the plot device of the railway timetable, mean it never descends into sentimentality. It has wry moments of comedy, mostly at the expense of the popular culture of its time. Please do look out for the wonderful comic cameo by the ineffable Irene Handl. It is a “woman’s story” and told throughout from Laura’s point of view; she narrates it. But look, she is not just telling us her story; she is telling it in her mind to her husband, Fred, the one person to whom, as she says, she will never really be able to tell this story. It is important to note, though, that there are no women behind the camera here; we have Lean and Coward telling a woman’s story. The role of Celia Johnson is absolutely pivotal, and her performance is extraordinary. She is on screen for almost all of the film. Notice how she has to act silently in several sequences, conveying extreme emotion without speaking on camera, while telling her own story in voice over. She comes across as a much stronger character than Trevor Howard. I find his actions have a difficult coercive undertone; he continually forces Laura to admit more, do more, overcome her scruples, and this makes her moral dilemma all the more frightening and compelling. Just as the protagonists are dominated by their societal roles and rigid convention, so the plot is dominated by time. It is structured through the railway timetable which allows the lovers only brief bites of time together before they must catch their trains home to their families. As well as the narrative, the music, the Rachmaninov concerto, belongs to Laura: we only hear it through her (it stops when the camera focuses on other characters) and it signifies her desire for Alec, so the symbolism of Fred asking her to turn the music down as she sits overwhelmed by emotion, is almost unbearable. The film is often described as “realist”: Its rundown realistic locations and sets are a million miles from Hollywood scenarios, or from other lavish British films of the period (The Wicked Lady, for example), and the characters wear understated everyday clothes; it is trying to look just like the lives of its intended audiences. It has always been recognised that Brief Encounter, written by one of the most well-known gay men of his generation, has a gay subtext, and it remains a favourite with queer audiences. The film is based on Coward’s play, Still Life , and we should note here Kneehigh Theatre’s wonderful live theatre production of Brief Encounter, first performed in 2007 and directed by Emma Rice, that draws heavily on Coward’s original theatre piece. We can read the love affair in Brief Encounter as emblematic of the fleeting unfulfilled desire that was the experience of gay men at a time when homosexuality was a criminal offence. Richard Dyer’s book on the film for the BFI Classic Films series explores in detail the many pleasures of Brief Encounter for queer audiences. In 1990 Richard Kwietniowski (who subsequently directed the feature film Love and Death in Long Island) directed a witty, elegant short film, Flames of Passion; a gay re-imagining of Brief Encounter. Brief Encounter has for me a strong link to the world of fairy tales and archetypal storytelling. In the inciting incident. Laura gets a piece of grit in her eye, and Alec removes it. This is what everyone remembers about the film and it has been used in comic sketches and advertising down the years. This metaphor of “something in the eye”, of fear of blindness, which is specifically referred to here, and of another kind of sight is common in folk tales; think of the splinter of ice in little Kay’s eye in The Snow Queen. Faery ointment confers the ability to see into Faerie and bestows inner vision on mortals and may be dispensed by faeries or by mortals working for the faeries. But this second sight, this inner vision is a precious and secret thing; only meant for mortals if gifted to them by the faeries, and not to be stolen or taken by accident. If you admit to having it without permission, disaster will ensue. In one folk tale which has variants across Wales, Cornwall and other parts of Britain, a mortal nurse hired to look after faerie children accidentally gains the sight through misuse of faerie ointment. She admits to her faerie master that she can see him; he asks her which eye can see him, and immediately blinds her in that eye. This kind of magic vision, gained by Laura when the grit gets in her eye, is a very dangerous thing. She did not ask to be given it but it will change her forever. It enables her to “see” Alec in a new and shocking way; to look and to desire; were she to admit to this, she would lose everything. Notice how, when the flashback sequence starts we see Laura sitting on a chair at home with her workbox, seeing herself in her inner, magic vision, looking into the inner world of the film and her last meeting with Alec. In the café, when Alec starts to explain to her about his medical specialism, she says “I see” repeatedly. There are metaphors for vision throughout the film, not least when we watch the lovers in the cinema watching a film. When we see Laura looking through the window of the railway carriage, she is looking intently, but seeing her new inner worlds and the object of her desire rather than her everyday surroundings. Brief Encounter reminds its audience repeatedly of this archetypal storyteller’s trope of the second sight, the faerie vision which is full of pleasure, danger and tragedy in equal measure. Please remember: Its okay to cry . Watch a clip of Flames of Passion; a gay re-imagining of Brief Encounter.

Many people saw it as a bit of fun as we explored a mock haul from the Louvre , inspired by the quirky escapades of a fictional art heist! But while our playful nod to jewel-thieving mischief might have sparked smiles, Kelly Reichardt’s The Mastermind —screening at The Poly, Falmouth on Sunday 23 November, 5.15–7.15pm —offers a far more reflective take on crime, consequence, and chaos. Reichardt, the acclaimed filmmaker behind First Cow  and Showing Up , turns the heist genre inside out in this quietly riveting new drama. The Mastermind  follows JB Mooney (played by Josh O’Connor ), a down-on-his-luck carpenter and failed art historian who persuades his mates to steal a series of Arthur Dove paintings from their local museum. The plan is doomed from the start—spotted by schoolgirls, bungled in a scuffle, and undone within days—but the director’s lens transforms their failure into something strangely beautiful. Set in 1970s America , at the crossroads between the fading dreams of the 60s and the disillusionment of the new decade, Reichardt’s film pulses with quiet tension and political undercurrent. While Mooney stumbles from one mistake to the next, the background hums with anti-war protests, Nixon broadcasts, and the creeping rise of individualism. It’s a heist film stripped of glamour, where every choice reverberates through the people left behind—most heartbreakingly Mooney’s wife Terry (played by Alana Haim ) and their two young sons. Scored to a restless jazz soundtrack by Rob Mazurek  and Chad Taylor , The Mastermind  is both melancholy and mischievous, an examination of how one man’s search for freedom ripples across others’ lives. In contrast to the real-life efficiency of those seven-minute Louvre thieves, Reichardt’s misfits remind us that freedom often comes at someone else’s cost—and that, sometimes, the greatest heist is simply getting away with ourselves. 🎟️ Screening Tickets The Mastermind The Mastermind is included in our Pay What You Can initiative 📅 Sunday 23 November, 5.15–7.15 pm 📍 The Poly, Falmouth 🎬 Director:  Kelly Reichardt

At the tail end of 2024, online film and pop-culture communities were shaken right to the core by the revelation that pop superstar Charli xcx had a public Letterboxd account, containing a seemingly exhaustive record of every film the Guess hitmaker has watched. As of September 2025, her page boasts an astonishing 1,250 different films viewed, as well as 499 direct diary entries recording the precise date of viewing - plus the occasional one-liner review in her trademark nonchalant snark. (via @itscharlibb ) Some might dismiss the account's contents as an inane collection of parasocial detritus, but fans certainly didn't think so - and neither did cinephiles. In fact, the account was a topic of fascination and even press attention over the the following days, with many taking the eclecticism of her viewing habits as just further credentials for her status as one of today's cutting-edge artists. Among her highest-rated films are beloved dramas ( Phantom Thread ), art-house classics ( Persona ), notorious exploitation films ( Funny Games ) and even the occasional family favourite ( Babe: Pig in the City ) thrown in as, presumably, a much-needed palate cleanser from the previous. The breadth of genres, languages and cultures represented on her page is considerable, and it's highly likely that some of her 284k followers on the platform have discovered entirely new favourite directors and movements simply because she happened to log a certain film on her diary one evening. A tap of a finger on Charli xcx's phone, and the 97-year-old silent classic The Passion of Joan of Arc enjoys yet another wave of cultural relevance. Launched in 2011, Letterboxd's popularity has soared over the past five years - due in no small part to the pandemic and the sudden abundance of idle time in its wake. The website's impressive 17-million-strong userbase includes rising stars Rachel Sennott , Jaeden Martell and Millie Gibson, as well as beloved directors Francis Ford Coppola, Sean Baker and Martin Scorsese. (via @mscorsese ) The brand has also become a much welcomed presence on red carpets, with industry titans chomping at the bit to declare their "Four Favorites". One particularly memorable interaction came early this year courtesy of Nicole Kidman, whose striking endorsement of the brand at Palm Springs International Film Festival cemented its exceptional cultural capital. "Letterboxd?! We LOVE Letterboxd!" - Nicole Kidman at Palm Springs International Film Festival (via @LetterboxdHQ ) A stroke of marketing genius, the Four Favorites gimmick simply asks Letterboxd users (and more recently, interviewees) to select any four films that encapsulate their taste – showcased in a neat little row via their posters. Some choose to exhibit their all-time top four, while others make a point of representing a different genre with each one. Some even select their top four less for the merit of the films themselves, and more for the immediate aesthetic value of their posters. While it may seem reductive to compress complex cinematic experiences into little more than digital trading cards – there's no denying that the Four Favorites is a hugely appealing shorthand for cinephiles to express their identity, especially if they can boast that they've sat through all 7 hours of Sátántangó . Another perk of the format is how easily it translates to short-form video content. Letterboxd's official channels regularly post clips of high-profile actors, directors and other industry professionals unveiling their own top fours – which are often met with fascination (and scrutiny) from cinephiles on social media. An especially intriguing top four came from none other than Murder on the Dancefloor hitmaker Sophie Ellis-Bextor who – in spite of the sunny family-oriented image she usually projects – selected two of the most harrowing parental horrors in existence: Don't Look Now and Rosemary's Baby . It certainly makes for an attention-grabbing and shareable clip – but more than that, it reveals another layer to Ellis-Bextor's star persona and, possibly, a new perspective for fans to interpret her music from. Sophie Ellis-Bextor declares her top four (via @LetterboxdHQ ) The past few years have seen mainstream social media platforms become, bewilderingly, increasingly hostile (and in many cases outright dangerous) to minority groups, and creative voices have seen our platforms shrink at a startling rate. In stark contrast to X (Twitter) and Facebook, Letterboxd still uplifts racial minorities , feminist perspectives and the queer community through its own newsletter - and while the site's userbase is certainly not immune to cyclical squabbles or petty oneupmanship, the likelihood of an individual's Letterboxd review being inundated with calls for their lynching remains, mercifully, low. If cinema is, as legendary film critic Roger Ebert said, " a machine that generates empathy ", the vast majority of the Letterboxd community appear to have picked up the message. In that case, choosing a "top four" becomes not a frivolous self indulgence – but a declaration of identity, values and connection to fellow human beings. It's little wonder that every progressive-leaning celebrity is vying to announce down Letterboxd's tricolour microphone that their Four Favorites happen to include Portrait of a Lady on Fire , Tangerine or Happy Together . As much as Charli xcx's sudden Letterboxd fame appeared to have come as a shock to her, she has since embraced fate and springboarded straight into the role of accidental film critic. On TikTok, she has begun posting roundups and off-the-cuff reviews of the films she has recently logged on her page – many of which are niche auteurist works from a range of time periods and cultural backgrounds. Charli xcx reviews Joachim Trier's upcoming film Sentimental Value (via @charlixcx ) Sure, these films would still exist if Letterboxd did not. However, what Letterboxd provides is a kind of connective tissue between films, creatives and viewers that has never really existed before. What may at first appear to be little more than an aesthetically-pleasing database is in fact a remarkably effective mechanism that encourages cinematic exploration and gives underappreciated films and filmmakers their moment in the sun. Whether the site will remain on the side of artists or veer irrevocably into to capitalistic greed remains to be seen – but for the moment, Letterboxd feels like the jolt of life that the cinematic art form desperately needs. Follow Mor Media on Letterboxd to discover our exclusive film reviews, curated lists, and the latest updates on Cornwall Film Festival 2025. Leon Hill is a BA Film student at Falmouth University and currently interning with Mor Media. You can follow their creative misadventures on Instagram ( @leonbeckerhill ) and read their film reviews on Letterboxd ( inlandecho ). #NicoleKidman #Letterboxd #CharliXCX #PalmSpringsInternationalFilmFestival #PhantomThread #Persona #FunnyGames #BabePigInTheCity #ThePassionOfJoanOfArc #RachelSennott #JaedenMartell #MillieGibson #FrancisFordCoppola #SeanBaker #MartinScorsese #SophieEllisBextor #DontLookNow #RosemarysBaby #PortraitOfALadyOnFire #Tangerine #HappyTogether #JoachimTrier #SentimentalValue #RogerEbert #MorMedia #CornwallFilmFestival #Cinephile #MovieLovers #FilmCommunity #IndieFilm #FilmCriticism #PopCulture #FilmFestival #QueerCinema #FeministFilm #CultCinema #CinemaLovers #FilmReview #TikTokFilm #SocialMediaCulture #FourFavorites #FilmDiary #MovieRecommendations

Black Tide : The SS Torrey Canyon Oil Spill A powerful heritage and screen project retracing the story of the SS Torrey Canyon oil spill through archive, oral history, first-person accounts and film. Run by the Mor Media Charity team with partners across Cornwall and the Isle of Scilly in the run up to the 60th Anniversary of the disaster, with principal funding by the Heritage Lottery. THE SS TORREY CANYON OIL SPILL A powerful heritage and screen project retracing the story of the SS Torrey Canyon oil spill through archive, oral history, first-person accounts and film. THE PROJECT The 60th anniversary approaches of Britain’s worst shipping disaster, the SS Torrey Canyon supertanker, which ran aground off the western coast of Cornwall, spilling 100,000 tonnes of crude oil and making International headlines in 1967. Over the next two years, Mor Media Charity is set to document the stories of the spill and the clean-up operation that caused enormous damage to marine life, the livelihoods of local people and also changed the way people viewed the environment, galvanising Cornish communities, many of whom are now in their 70s. Black Tide carries profound significance for everyone, symbolising the ongoing evolution of our understanding of environmental impacts, especially those resulting from oil spills and their consequences on marine life, coastlines, and communities. Acknowledging this legacy enhances environmental awareness and accountability; it connects younger generations, families, and broader communities, emphasising the real and enduring effects of environmental disasters.This historical event calls for united action and responsible stewardship, motivating everyone to engage in creating a sustainable future. WATCH Seven Stones Oil Tanker Disaster Aka Torrey Canyon (1967) COMMUNITY EVENTS We will be holding various events around Cornwall over the next 12 months. Come and share your experiences We've already been to St Ives Library & Visitor Information Centre Gabriel St, Saint Ives TR26 2LX Tuesday 23rd October from 11-4.30 Awenek - The Great Cornish Heritage Festival Enys Gardens, Penryn, TR10 9LB Saturday 13th September 2025 10-5 The Isles of Scilly at The Garden Pavilion Church Road, Hugh Town, St Mary’s Friday, 30th May Morrab Library Morrab Gardens, Penzance, TR18 4DA Saturday 19th July 10-12 Porthleven Harbour 200th Anniversary Celebration Porthleven, Helston, TR13 9JY Saturday 16th August 2025 from 10am RNLI Centre - Fishermen's Mission Coffee Morning Newlyn, Monday 11th August GET INVOLVED This programme offers a wide range of meaningful opportunities for volunteers to gain hands-on experience in areas such as archives, oral history, historical research, community engagement, wildlife, and working with young people. In the lead-up to the 60th anniversary of the SS Torrey Canyon disaster in 2027, we are keen to highlight collections held in Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly that connect to this important moment in environmental history. If you are an archive, museum, or organisation, register your interest. REGISTER NOW Torrey Canyon Oil Spill : The People's Archive - Coming Soon Discover powerful stories, bold conversations, and fresh perspectives. Our channel brings you original audio shorts and interviews from inspiring voices. Whether you're into heritage, film, environment, or community, there's something here for you. Tune in, explore, and connect through sound. New episodes drop regularly — follow to stay updated. AUDIO SHORTS LISTEN NOW OUR FUNDERS & PARTNERS Black Tide: The SS Torrey Canyon Oil Spill is made possible with The National Lottery Heritage Fund. Thanks to National Lottery players, we have been able to produce archive, oral history, first-person accounts, film and outreach events. Read More >

Mor Media Charity | Encouraging Creativity and Culture to Thrive in the Digital Arts through events, education, community and industry projects. STORIES FROM ALL CORNERS OF THE WORLD - CFF 2025 AWARDS Director's Pick of The Festival - MAGID / ZAFAR directed by Luís Hindman Best of The Festival - PILLION directed by Harry Lighton Best Feature- SMALL GODS directed by Asher Rosen Best Cinematography - JOE directed by Tom Brittney BEST Screenwriting - SPARE PART written by Ada Player & Bron Waugh Best Actress - RELIEFS - Actress: Luisa Huertas Best Ensemble Performance - THE SECRET ASSISTANTS directed by Katey Lee Carson Best Sound Production - OLEUM directed by VERSUS Best of The West - SPARE PART directed by Ada Player & Bron Waugh Best of The West Runner-Up- CIRCLE HOOK directed by Maddy Corner Best Cornish - BARE ROOTS directed by Ellen McDougall Best Cornish Runner-Up - POLL PRI (CLAY TIP) directed by Edward Rowe Best Uk - MAGID / ZAFAR directed by Luís Hindman Best Student - MUDDIED directed by Cordelia Angel Clarke Best Fresh - THE BEGINNING OF IDENTIFICATION, AND ITS END directed by Philipp Gufler Best Experimental - A POEM directed by Vasilios Papaioannu Best Animation - GARDENING directed by Sarah Beeby Queer On Screen Award - SOVIET FANTASIA directed by Penn Bálint Screenstar of Tomorrow - EGGS BENEDICT directed by Johnny White Screenstars of Tomorrow Runner-Up - SOUNDS OF OUR LIVES directed by Coco Potter Best Documentary - T HE GUIDING LIGHT directed by Cristina Rodríguez Paz Best Environmental - ROCK POOL directed by Dan McKay New Wave Jury Winner - INHERITANCE directed by Anthony Misiano, Tyler A. Wallach New Wave Jury Honourable Mention - THE SECRET ASSISTANTS directed by Katey Lee Carson OUR FUNDERS & PARTNERS

Improve your knowledge and skillset. Kickstart your career in the creative industry! M 2 Mor Media Internships Programme Work with our team and kickstart your career! Our internships are designed to help you enter the creative industry of your choosing. We provide training and networking opportunities, as well as the opportunity to work on the incredible Cornwall Film Festival! Applications are OPEN now! Also see our volunteer roles for Cornwall Film Festival 2025 if you are interested in working with us this year. Intern Application Form About our Internships We are seeking hard-working and enthusiastic individuals who would like an internship with a thriving film and media organisation. We are a media charity that holds an annual film festival, live events, yearly film screenings and programming, runs industry training, masterclasses and talks, education programmes and community projects. Our internship programme is designed to give you real-life experience across a range of industry roles including production; events management; social media; marketing; design; admin and more! We will give you an opportunity to work across all our organisational strands - festival, industry and events, community, education, and charity to gain valuable experience in varied roles within the creative industry. You may work as a production assistant on one of our live events or online masterclasses; a researcher or content creator for our social media; a designer of digital assets for one of our programmes or an event planner for one of our live events. We are looking for adaptable and enthusiastic people who are ready for a challenge and want to try their hand at lots of different roles within the media. Interns will be supported through their time at Mor Media via regular meetings and monitoring via their activity log sheet and development logs. This will also feed into the completion of an Award which will see them complete two units, one will be linked to the creative skills needed to complete work required by the role, and one will be a reflective evaluation on the work they have done during their internship.