Those unforgettable extramarital affairs

Elza 2022-03-22 09:02:21

In 1945's "Meet Hate Late", narrated from the heroine's first-person point of view, with a large number of heroine's monologues throughout, I naturally connected with the Chinese film classic "Spring in a Small Town" (1948) of the same era. Although there are differences between Eastern and Western cultural backgrounds, it seems that at this stage the global screen has begun to consciously focus on the issue of extramarital affairs and the relationship between families.

It's just that in terms of performance, "Meet Hate Too Late" clearly reflects the British conservative tradition of forbearance. The rainy night apartment, the only ambiguous space scene that can stage an immoral scene, also arranges friends to go home at the right time and stops it in time. Maintained the innocence of this unethical and soul mate relationship.

In the station coffee shop, Laura and Harvey spent the last moment of getting along, speechless, and at this moment, a woman who was chattering and disgusting ran out. She asked Harvey to bring her a cup of coffee. As a standard gentleman, Harvey did not forget to bring a stirring spoon by the way, even if he was in a turmoil, and he was very considerate. Laura frowned at the move, and I couldn't even tell whether she was complaining that he was being overly polite and pedantic, or that he was still able to let go of the looming separation for the time being and get serious about doing a little thing that didn't matter. Laura imagined that after Harvey left, she was still reluctant and would turn back. When she realized that this scene would never be staged, she hurriedly chased the door, only the air of a train passing by. The flying sand that brought them together is no longer in his eyes, but tears have already filled his eyes.


Farewell without rehearsal. A wooden door of a coffee shop separates the past.


The latter is based on the profound ethical concept of Confucianism, that is, even if there are all kinds of things, men are still Liuxiahui, and their refusal or welcome to women is only "feeling but not propriety". There is no physical derailment, and spiritual derailment can also be recovered.

——(Zhang Zhichen) He didn’t know that Liyan and I were married. Why is he coming? Why should he come? How can I meet you?

follow up. But no answer. They know each other well, but they can't go beyond the rules.

Especially in the rowing scene, the four of them swim together, with three moods, and the two of them still want to talk. "In That Far Away" has never been so tear-jerking.

Two films over fifty years old left melancholy.


In extramarital affairs, the feelings of the innocent party are often easily overlooked. In fact, their attitude and mentality affect whether their life can be returned to the right track.


Embracing his wife who was sobbing inexplicably after returning home, Laura's husband comforted her dubiously:
Thank you for coming back to me.


True love does not ask right or wrong, and does not ask about the past, but opens its arms to welcome the return of the wife (husband) while crying, and silently accepts everything. For example, in "Last Dreams of the Covered Bridge", Meryl Streettree's husband, carrying his tearful wife to say goodbye to his lover, he knows and he tolerates it. His wife couldn't hold back her tears, and she swallowed tears in her heart without changing her face. For many years, he did not reveal the secret, and carefully maintained the difficult balance of the family, and only confessed to his wife before entering the grave.


And "Infidelity", an affair based entirely on carnal desires, is much more intense and extreme. (Actually, I think that the derailment of "Infidelity" and "Meet Hate Too Late" are the same. They are housewives with empty and monotonous lives who take an intercity train to a different place. When they meet a man in a crisis, they help them in time, and then they fall in love. Unstoppable.) Richard Gill kills his lover himself, and the couple face the consequences together. When the car reaches the flashing yellow traffic light, does it keep going, or does it get out of the car and walk into the police station on the side of the road to surrender? How does life go on?

To be or not to be? It is a question.


In "The English Patient", the husband used the most extreme way to hit his love rival with a plane and destroy the three people in the sea of ​​suffering at the same time. It's a shame that he died before he was successful, so his wife and lover spent more time together.

Extramarital affairs and public opinion will not be evaluated as moral, but no one can tell right from wrong for sure. Mianmian's life, only wishing to meet when she was not married.

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Extended Reading

Brief Encounter quotes

  • Laura Jesson: [speaking about Dolly to herself] I wish you'd stop talking. I wish you'd stop prying and trying to find things out. I wish you were dead - no I don't mean that. That was silly and unkind. But I wish you'd stop talking.

  • Laura Jesson: [thinking to herself while looking at her husband, Fred] Fred, dear Fred. There's so much that I want to say to you. You're the only one in the world with enough wisdom and gentleness to understand. If only it was somebody else's story and not mine. As it is, you're the only one in the world that I can never tell. Never never. Because even if I waited until we were old, old people and told you then, you'd be bound to look back over the years and be hurt. And my dear, I don't want you to be hurt. You see, we're a happily married couple and let's never forget that. This is my home. You're my husband. And my children are upstairs in bed. I'm a happily married woman - or I was, rather, until a few weeks ago. This is my whole world, and it's enough, or rather, it was until a few weeks ago. But, oh, Fred, I've been so foolish. I've fallen in love. I'm an ordinary woman. I didn't think such violent things could happen to ordinary people.