The Passionate Friends
Encyclopedia
The Passionate Friends is a 1949
British romantic drama film
directed by David Lean
. The film is based on The Passionate Friends: A Novel, a 1913 story by H. G. Wells
It describes a love triangle in which a woman cannot give up her affair with another man. The film was entered into the 1949 Cannes Film Festival
.
) while on holiday in Switzerland
waiting for her banker husband (Rains) to arrive from work. It had been nine years since they have been on holiday, and nine years since she last talked to the man she is in love with (Steven, played by Trevor Howard).
The movie then goes into the past and tells of the love between Mary and Steven. While Mary loves Steven, she refuses to marry him, believing that a marriage of love would be too stifling, while Steven tells her that two people in love should want to 'belong to each other'. Mary insists that she wants only to 'belong to herself' and runs away as Steven tells her that her life would then be 'a failure'. She then marries Howard, who gives her affection, stability and security. When they meet again nine years later on New Year's Eve
, Steven is with his-then girlfriend while Mary is with Howard. Howard dryly pretends not to recognize Steven 'So the enemy wouldn't know he was being observed'.
Steven later pursues Mary again and almost persuades her to change her mind and leave Howard. While Howard accepts his wife's socialising with Steven, he notices they have forgotten their tickets for the theatre. They then lie to him when he inquires of their evening. In a dramatic scene Steven tells Howard Mary is in love with him and Howard should step aside, while Mary asks him to leave so she can talk things over with Howard.
Mary sends Steven a letter, but Steven goes to their residence and demands to see Mary. He sees Howard first, who tells him he knows and understands Mary, while Steven, despite being in love, hardly knows Mary at all. Howard understands that their marriage is not one of love, but one of affection and mutual freedom. Howard is confident that a marriage of love, where partners 'belong' to each other, was not what Mary wants, and all that is needed is for Mary and Steven to stay away from each other. Mary later confirms what Howard said and runs away before Steven can dissuade her.
Nine years later Mary and Steven meet again while separately on holiday in the Alps. Howard is again late due to banking work, and Steven has a half a day before returning to London
to his work. They take a boat and then a cable car to picnic on a high mountain. They talk of their lives and Steven reveals that he has two children with his wife. Mary asks him if he is happy, and seems happier herself for that, but mixed expressions tell of regrets, as if she wishes herself in his wife's place.
When they come down from the mountains, Howard is back and just happens to see them disembarking the boat together. As he goes to the couple's suite, he notices the porter taking Steven's suitcase from the adjoining room. He was filled with suspicion. His pride is further hurt, when he watches Mary wave goodbye enthusiastically to Steven without noticing her husband's return. He storms out when Mary turns, her eyes glistening, and then files for divorce
.
Mary tries to contact Steven about the divorce, and her lawyer happens to tell him just as Steven's wife goes to see Steven off a train. Steven's family life is plunged into havoc. Mary decides she must see Steven and meeting for the last time, she tells him the divorce was stopped, so he could go back to his wife and lead a happy life. She then goes to see Howard, asking him to stop the divorce by telling him nothing happened in the Swiss hotel and she was innocent of the adjoining room to Steven. Howard then tells her the divorce is not about that. He had not expected love from their marriage, but only affection and some loyalty. Instead he was given 'love for a dog, kindness to a beggar, and the loyalty of a bad servant'. Yelling for Mary to get out, he loses his temper and breaks a vase. He then calms down and retracts what he said, but realizes Mary is gone and had left her handbag.
Mary runs from the house and walked through a London Underground
station in a trance. Standing on a platform with an incoming train heading West London, she dazedly contemplates the tracks. As the train approaches she draws dangerously close to the platform edge and, just as she is about to leap, something catches her round the waist. It is Howard, who had come after her. He holds her as she shakes and the couple reconcile on the platform.
1949 in film
The year 1949 in film involved some significant events.-Top grossing films :- Awards :Academy Awards:*Abbott and Costello Meet the Killer, Boris Karloff, starring Bud Abbott and Lou Costello...
British romantic drama film
Drama film
A drama film is a film genre that depends mostly on in-depth development of realistic characters dealing with emotional themes. Dramatic themes such as alcoholism, drug addiction, infidelity, moral dilemmas, racial prejudice, religious intolerance, poverty, class divisions, violence against women...
directed by David Lean
David Lean
Sir David Lean CBE was an English film director, producer, screenwriter, and editor best remembered for big-screen epics such as The Bridge on the River Kwai , Lawrence of Arabia ,...
. The film is based on The Passionate Friends: A Novel, a 1913 story by H. G. Wells
H. G. Wells
Herbert George Wells was an English author, now best known for his work in the science fiction genre. He was also a prolific writer in many other genres, including contemporary novels, history, politics and social commentary, even writing text books and rules for war games...
It describes a love triangle in which a woman cannot give up her affair with another man. The film was entered into the 1949 Cannes Film Festival
1949 Cannes Film Festival
The 3rd Cannes Film Festival was held on September 2-17, 1949. No festival was held in 1948.- Jury :The entire jury for this festival were French.*Georges Huisman *Jules Romains *Mme...
.
Plot
The story is told through episodes of memories by the woman (Mary, played by Ann ToddAnn Todd
Dorothy Anne Todd was an English actress and producer.She was born in Hartford, Cheshire and was educated at St. Winifrid's School, Eastbourne. She became a popular actress from appearing in such films as Perfect Strangers and The Seventh Veil...
) while on holiday in Switzerland
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
waiting for her banker husband (Rains) to arrive from work. It had been nine years since they have been on holiday, and nine years since she last talked to the man she is in love with (Steven, played by Trevor Howard).
The movie then goes into the past and tells of the love between Mary and Steven. While Mary loves Steven, she refuses to marry him, believing that a marriage of love would be too stifling, while Steven tells her that two people in love should want to 'belong to each other'. Mary insists that she wants only to 'belong to herself' and runs away as Steven tells her that her life would then be 'a failure'. She then marries Howard, who gives her affection, stability and security. When they meet again nine years later on New Year's Eve
New Year's Eve
New Year's Eve is observed annually on December 31, the final day of any given year in the Gregorian calendar. In modern societies, New Year's Eve is often celebrated at social gatherings, during which participants dance, eat, consume alcoholic beverages, and watch or light fireworks to mark the...
, Steven is with his-then girlfriend while Mary is with Howard. Howard dryly pretends not to recognize Steven 'So the enemy wouldn't know he was being observed'.
Steven later pursues Mary again and almost persuades her to change her mind and leave Howard. While Howard accepts his wife's socialising with Steven, he notices they have forgotten their tickets for the theatre. They then lie to him when he inquires of their evening. In a dramatic scene Steven tells Howard Mary is in love with him and Howard should step aside, while Mary asks him to leave so she can talk things over with Howard.
Mary sends Steven a letter, but Steven goes to their residence and demands to see Mary. He sees Howard first, who tells him he knows and understands Mary, while Steven, despite being in love, hardly knows Mary at all. Howard understands that their marriage is not one of love, but one of affection and mutual freedom. Howard is confident that a marriage of love, where partners 'belong' to each other, was not what Mary wants, and all that is needed is for Mary and Steven to stay away from each other. Mary later confirms what Howard said and runs away before Steven can dissuade her.
Nine years later Mary and Steven meet again while separately on holiday in the Alps. Howard is again late due to banking work, and Steven has a half a day before returning to London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
to his work. They take a boat and then a cable car to picnic on a high mountain. They talk of their lives and Steven reveals that he has two children with his wife. Mary asks him if he is happy, and seems happier herself for that, but mixed expressions tell of regrets, as if she wishes herself in his wife's place.
When they come down from the mountains, Howard is back and just happens to see them disembarking the boat together. As he goes to the couple's suite, he notices the porter taking Steven's suitcase from the adjoining room. He was filled with suspicion. His pride is further hurt, when he watches Mary wave goodbye enthusiastically to Steven without noticing her husband's return. He storms out when Mary turns, her eyes glistening, and then files for divorce
Divorce
Divorce is the final termination of a marital union, canceling the legal duties and responsibilities of marriage and dissolving the bonds of matrimony between the parties...
.
Mary tries to contact Steven about the divorce, and her lawyer happens to tell him just as Steven's wife goes to see Steven off a train. Steven's family life is plunged into havoc. Mary decides she must see Steven and meeting for the last time, she tells him the divorce was stopped, so he could go back to his wife and lead a happy life. She then goes to see Howard, asking him to stop the divorce by telling him nothing happened in the Swiss hotel and she was innocent of the adjoining room to Steven. Howard then tells her the divorce is not about that. He had not expected love from their marriage, but only affection and some loyalty. Instead he was given 'love for a dog, kindness to a beggar, and the loyalty of a bad servant'. Yelling for Mary to get out, he loses his temper and breaks a vase. He then calms down and retracts what he said, but realizes Mary is gone and had left her handbag.
Mary runs from the house and walked through a London Underground
London Underground
The London Underground is a rapid transit system serving a large part of Greater London and some parts of Buckinghamshire, Hertfordshire and Essex in England...
station in a trance. Standing on a platform with an incoming train heading West London, she dazedly contemplates the tracks. As the train approaches she draws dangerously close to the platform edge and, just as she is about to leap, something catches her round the waist. It is Howard, who had come after her. He holds her as she shakes and the couple reconcile on the platform.
Main cast
- Ann ToddAnn ToddDorothy Anne Todd was an English actress and producer.She was born in Hartford, Cheshire and was educated at St. Winifrid's School, Eastbourne. She became a popular actress from appearing in such films as Perfect Strangers and The Seventh Veil...
- Mary Justin - Trevor HowardTrevor HowardTrevor Howard , born Trevor Wallace Howard-Smith, was an English film, stage and television actor.-Early life:...
- Professor Steven Stratton - Claude RainsClaude RainsClaude Rains was an English stage and film actor whose career spanned 66 years. He was known for many roles in Hollywood films, among them the title role in The Invisible Man , a corrupt senator in Mr. Smith Goes to Washington , Mr...
- Howard Justin - Isabel DeanIsabel DeanIsabel Dean was an English film and television actress.Born as Isabel Hodgkinson on 29 May 1918 in Aldridge, Staffordshire. She studied painting at the Birmingham Art School and from 1937 joined the Cheltenham Repertory Company as a scenic artist...
- Pat Stratton - Betty Ann DaviesBetty Ann Davies-Selected filmography:* My Old Duchess * Death at Broadcasting House * Mountains O'Mourne * It Always Rains on Sunday * Escape * The Passionate Friends * Grand National Night...
- Miss Layton