Comparative Essay 1: Romance In Classical Hollywood

THEA 2301 – Film History I
Comparative Essay 1: Romance in Classical Hollywood
Bronwen Clewley

In the midst of the Hollywood’s Classical era, both David Lean’s 1945 film Brief Encounter and Frank Capra’s 1934 film It Happened One Night are stories of restrained romance, supressed largely by the censorship codes of the time. Brief Encounter is a melancholy, noir-like film that gives its main characters little satisfaction in the end and emphasizes the importance of faithfulness to one’s marriage. It Happened One Night is also focused on marriage, but gives the characters a happy ending and allows for more progressive thought, despite being the earlier film. Brief Encounter is full of passion, which can only be expressed through censorship
Andrews) and Peter’s editor (Joe) have comic roles, making the main character’s conflicts with them less troubling. The establishing shot of the film is of the Andrews’ large and elaborate yacht, with many uniformed men standing on the deck. This is an image of opulence that leads to the next shot, a medium shot of Mr. Andrews talking to the boat’s captain (?). The two men are dressed in stiff uniforms and have moustaches, and immediately appear to be somewhat silly and old-fashioned. Mr. Andrews says, “Why don’t you jam it down her throat?” an extreme response to the news of Ellie’s proposed hunger strike. Ellie, contrasted against her father in a demure white gown, responds to him in the next scene by yelling at him, knocking over the food tray, and diving over the side of the boat. She is childish, but not without agency, and is not subdued into painfully quiet dignity like Laura. She and her father are also mostly shot with equally even-height angles, allowing him no extra dominance. In Brief Encounter, Laura is often shot from above, taking away power. These opening scenes in It Happened One Night play out with physical comedy and fairly unrealistic, exaggerated dialogue that add lightness to the conflict between Ellie and her father over her marriage. Similarly, when Peter Warne is introduced, he is arguing with his editor over the phone in a booth. Peter is visibly intoxicated but
However, It Happened One Night has a lighter tone that distracts from Ellie’s lack of independence. When Peter and Ellie stay at a motel, they register as husband and wife, with Peter being unmarried and Ellie hoping not to be recognized, whereas Laura and Alec masquerade as friends in order to save face as two separately married people. While both couples keep the idea of marriage in mind to main respectability, Ellie is not trapped by her actual marriage to King Wesley. The physical comedy necessary to distinguish the screwball genre in It Happened One Night allows Ellie to explore her sexuality outside of her marriage without consequence. She can act silly and undignified in the company of others, with such stunts as exposing her leg to flag a passing car for a ride. She also successfully annuls her marriage to King Wesley with minimal scandal, mostly because Wesley, unlike Brief Encounter’s Fred, is equally undignified. Mr. Andrews actually approves more of Peter and his vehemence, so as not to disappoint viewers who have invested in Peter and Ellie’s charming and lighthearted journey. Laura’s limitations are much more noticeable in Brief Encounter. She calls her friend to corroborate a lie she told to Fred, and is constantly having to act awkwardly prim and insincere in front of other