The Passionate Friends

[MissGoddess]

Hi, kingrat,

The movie's just starting as I write this. I would say it follows the book
fairly faithfully, except for the introduction and the end.

Trevor Howard seems a bit older than his character in the novel,
but Ann Todd, surprisingly, really captures the essence of hers. Essentially, it's
a "cold" character, one who is deeply ambivalent about any kind of giving of herself
in a relationship. Todd has a chilly regal bearing and gives that impression of
being sufficient unto herself, not needing anyone, and that's something I'm not
sure you can act. The camera either picks that up from you or not.

Claude Raines is perfectly cast, too, and the character is essentially the same.
As for the plot, all the main points are in the film intact, with one exception....

...............SPOILER....................

The movie ends on a somewhat redemptive note for Todd's character, and
one of acceptance and forgiveness between her and her husband (Raines). In
the movie, she really does herself in (by poison, not a train). It's kind of
interesting, this switch, because in so many Hollywood films Ann's character would
probably have had to die as punishment for being an adulteress.

[charliechaplinfan]

I liked The Passionate Friends on first viewing, Lean makes great use of the location shoots and I liked the plot. I struggled more wth Madeleine, it has the distinction of being the only Lean movie that I've struggled with, he made it at Anne's behest and perhaps wasn't as thorough or didn't analyse the script properly beforehand. It should have been a rivetting movie about a real life murder case but doesn't wallop the punch of Lean's other movies.