Greta Gerwig once picked out “the most romantic movie ever made”
There are few contemporary directors with a filmography as romantic as Greta Gerwig. Though relationships always feature in her films, from Lady Bird and Kyle to Barbie and Ken, the real romantic quality in her filmmaking is derived from the love she channels into each shoot. From her nostalgic cinematography to her love of messy women, Gerwig’s output contains an intimacy and warmth that few other filmmakers have mastered.
In the beloved coming-of-age Lady Bird, Gerwig depicted all the embarrassments and endearments of young and familial love. Little Women marked her closest encounter with epic romance so far, ending with Jo and Friedrich kissing in the rain at the request of publisher Mr Dashwood. Barbie, meanwhile, dealt with unrequited love between Barbie and Ken and an abundance of love between the Barbies. Love is at the centre of Gerwig’s storytelling.
There seems to be no one more qualified, then, to recommend romance. Speaking with Movies On Demand, Gerwig named Singin’ in the Rain and The 39 Steps among her favourite films, dubbing the latter “maybe one of the most perfect movies ever made”. She went on to reveal her pick for “the most romantic movie ever made”, which was David Lean’s 1945 romantic drama Brief Encounter.
Based on a 1936 play titled Still Life, Brief Encounter starred Celia Johnson, Trevor Howard, Stanley Holloway and Joyce Carey as they navigate love and illicit affairs. Widely considered one of the best films of all time, the early romance was nominated for three Academy Awards in 1947.
The film is admired by many in the industry. Paul Bettany has previously named the film as one of his favourites. Sofia Coppola also shared her love for the film, which heavily inspired her while writing Lost In Translation. In fact, a Time Out poll collating the opinions of 150 industry professionals, including Wes Anderson and Sally Hawkins, ranked Brief Encounter as the 12th best British film of all time.
Aside from the universal acclaim, in its messy depiction of romance, it’s clear to see how the film endeared itself to Gerwig specifically. In Little Women, she mirrored several elements of the film, from Laurie and Amy’s controversial relationship in the wake of his love for Jo to the climactic train station scene. In Brief Encounter, the affair between Johnson’s Laura Jesson and Howard’s Dr Alec Harvey comes to an emotional end at a train station. While the end of Little Women is much more idealised and optimistic, the dramatic setting is the same.
Featuring an imperfect woman and a complicated love story, it’s not hard to see why Gerwig would deem Brief Encounter her favourite romance of all time. Its influence can certainly be felt in her own filmography.
