02 Oct The End of the Affair
The End of the Affair, WWII movie starring Deborah Kerr and Van Johnson
(1955) An American writer who has been honorably discharged from the army after an injury settles in World War II London to work on his book. He meets and begins an affair with the wife of a civil servant he interviews as part of his research.
The movie is based on the 1951 novel of the same name by English author Graham Greene. Greene was in London during the Blitz, and his personal home really was bombed. (During the 1944 Baby Blitz, Greene served on rooftop fire watch with my mother!)
Van Johnson plays the American, Maurice Bendrix, and Deborah Kerr is Sarah, the wife, but not his.
Thus begins a complicated love affair between the two, cut short because of Sarah’s conflicts, not so much about deceiving her husband as much as about her questioning God’s part in it all.
The End of the Affair, double feature WWII movies starring Ralph Fiennes and Julianne Moore in the 1999 version as well as the original 1955 film. Watch them both!
Before I watched this movie, I saw the 1999 version starring Ralph Fiennes and Julianne Moore. It was steamier, naturally, although the one made in 1955 was pretty risque for its time.
The strong religious themes in both movies are typical of Greene’s works. He became a Catholic when he married his wife from whom he separated in 1948. The novel The End of the Affair that he published three years later was dedicated to his mistress Catherine.
Although it was easier for me to understand Sarah’s struggles in the 1999 version, in the original movie I definitely sensed the struggles of Graham Greene.
The End of the Affair at amazon.com
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