This film is grandiose on a scale that only David Lean can pull off while still being an extremely simple and barebones story. The camerawork and operatic timing and choreography of the movements of the characters in conjunction with highly specific camera angles, i.e. the last moments of Laura about to kill herself after Alec heads towards the train and the camera tilts to a dutch angle and then rebalances when she “comes to” are indicative of the operatic style.
The lighting is super intense looking like at least 20 different lights were in play for almost every shot. Lean creates depth through shooting at angles that look down the hallways, length of the rooms, out windows etc... and playing the light shining towards the lens and characters so as to emphasize the angles in the distance. He also adds a lot of mist and haze so the light will spread a little wider and cast less shadow. That way it serves as a more romantic backdrop to the speeding trains rather than having a harsh Film Noir or horror tone. It should be noted the speeding trains are obviously references of a penis rushing towards a vagina. That's not a very subtle message he's playing with those images.
This film is specific to the time period where morals were looser during WW2 but the people were still part of the early twentieth century mindset, especially in England, where divorce and affairs were considered shameful. However, the film doesn’t have the couple consummate the affair staying with that almost Victorian attitude of sex and relationships. The first time I saw this film I criticized it for being a dated schlocky over-romantic flick from the 1940’s and I mostly made that judgment because I thought it was unrealistic that this couple never had sex yet are going through so much emotional angst and attraction
That reaction is clearly one that changed as I grew and had my own relationship as well as watching this film with the proper historical context. For the audience of the day these two people might as well have slept together. It would have debased them to consummate their affair. This film is very provocative without them having had sex and it strikes at your very inner core while a whole room of people are experiencing that same level of fright of, “Will the other people in this room judge me if I cry when the lovers part?”
This film raises the question of monogamy, it’s value, and how it traps us, but yet still offers a firm commitment to that monogamy, almost because of how loose the times were in WW2.
Film is definitely becoming sharper. The lighting is becoming more distinct and more nuanced. The depth of field is reducing as lens quality is improving and the quality of the film itself is becoming much better. The stories are more raw and they are slowing down along with the performances. This is modern cinema emerging as we know it today.
The use of the set and backdrop is very intricate in placing these two lovers in a spaced that is at certain times heavily frequented and other times completely empty and makes everything feel real as well as provides emotional contrast for the main characters. When they are alone on the train platform and can’t bring themselves to be together a couple runs playfully by in the background very quickly showing what could be their love if they cast off the guilt that held them back.