Themes: Infidelity, Star-Crossed Lovers, Message From God
Main Cast: Heather-Jay Jones, Ralph Fiennes, Julianne Moore, Stephen Rea, Ian Hart, Sam Bould
Release Year: 1999
Country: UK/US
Run Time: 109 minutes
MPAA Rating: R
Plot
Based on the novel by Graham Greene, this romantic drama stars Ralph Fiennes as Maurice Bendrix, a novelist who, during World War II, had an affair with Sarah Miles (Julianne Moore), the wife of his best friend Henry (Stephen Rea). Sarah abruptly broke off the romance in 1944, but two years later, after Maurice runs into Henry, he becomes obsessed with the affair and hires a man to investigate Sarah. He reads her diary of their forbidden romance in the midst of the London Blitz and discovers that, overwhelmed with fear and guilt, she pledged to God that she would end the affair if Maurice's life were spared. Maurice is determined to reintroduce himself into Sarah's life, but she fears that being near him would be too great a temptation. The End of the Affair was previously brought to the screen in 1955 by Edward Dmytryk; this version was written for the screen and directed by Academy Award-winner Neil Jordan. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
Review
In his adaptation of The End of the Affair (1999), Neil Jordan transforms Graham Greene's first-person novel into a lushly romantic -- and surprisingly unsentimental -- story of passion and piety in World War II London. Playing another brooding, thwarted lover, Ralph Fiennes limns the depths of jealousy that threaten to poison Maurice Bendrix's feelings for Julianne Moore's married Sarah long after their assignation has ended. Repeating pivotal scenes from different points of view, as first Bendrix and then Sarah recalls the progress of their affair, Jordan portays Bendrix's investigation into Sarah's post-war life as a bitter search eventually transfigured by her transcendent adoration. Stephen Rea's cuckolded husband and Ian Hart's deceptively comical private investigator add further dimensions to the central philosophical conflict between Bendrix's secular love and Sarah's religious conversion. Though critics quibbled over Jordan's interpretation of the novel, few could argue with The End of the Affair's period detail and handsome photography or Moore's alternately restrained, carnal, and ethereal performance as Sarah. Moore went on to earn her first Best Actress Oscar nomination for her work. ~ Lucia Bozzola, All Movie Guide
Jason Isaacs - Father Smythe; James Bolam - Mr. Savage; Deborah Findlay - Miss Smythe; Heather-Jay Jones
Credit
Tony Woollard - Art Director, Jon Billington - Art Director, Chris Seagers - Supervising Art Director, Susie Figgis - Casting, Kathy Sykes - Co-producer, Sandy Powell - Costume Designer, Patrick Clayton - First Assistant Director, Neil Jordan - Director, Tony Lawson - Editor, Michael Nyman - Composer (Music Score), Anthony Pratt - Production Designer, Roger Pratt - Cinematographer, Neil Jordan - Producer, Stephen Woolley - Producer, Joanne Woollard - Set Designer, David A. Stephenson - Sound/Sound Designer, Neil Jordan - Screenwriter, Graham Greene - Book Author
Novelist Maurice Bendrix (Ralph Fiennes) narrates the film as he begins a book with the line "This is a diary of hate."
On a rainy London night in 1946, Bendrix has a chance meeting with Henry Miles (Stephen Rea), husband of his ex-mistress Sarah (Julianne Moore), who abruptly ended their affair two years before. Bendrix's obsession with Sarah is rekindled; he succumbs to his own jealousy and works his way back into her life.
As the story unfolds in 1946, we also see flashbacks of Bendrix with Sarah as they began their affair during World War II. Henry tells Bendrix that he believes Sarah is having an affair, so Bendrix hires the bumbling but amiable Parkis (Ian Hart), who uses his young birthmarked son (Sam Bould) to investigate. Sarah asks Bendrix to meet to talk about Henry, and the cold tentativeness of their interaction is contrasted with the passion of their earlier encounters.
Bendrix learns from Parkis that Sarah has been making regular visits to a priest (Jason Isaacs) under the guise of false dentist visits, and grows increasingly jealous. Flashbacks show Bendrix expressing jealousy of Henry and asking Sarah to leave him.
Though Sarah and Bendrix express love to each other, the affair ends abruptly when a bomb explodes near Bendrix's building as he is out in the hallway. Bendrix falls down a staircase and awakes later, bloodied but not seriously hurt. He walks upstairs, where Sarah is shocked that he is alive. Bendrix accuses Sarah of being disappointed that he survived, and she leaves, telling him "Love doesn't end, just because we don't see each other."
In 1946, Parkis obtains Sarah's diary and passes it on to Bendrix; it shows the affair from her perspective. After Bendrix is hurt by the bomb, Sarah runs downstairs and finds him still and not breathing. After trying to revive him, she runs back upstairs and begins to pray for Bendrix's life. Just as she says to God that she will stop seeing Bendrix if he is brought back, Bendrix comes into the room.
Now knowing why Sarah ended the affair, Bendrix follows Sarah and begs her to reconsider. Sarah tells Bendrix that she has felt dead without him, and can no longer keep her "promise" to God. Henry, who has figured out that Bendrix and Sarah had an affair, desperately asks Sarah not to leave him. But with more persuasion from Bendrix, Sarah agrees to go away with him for a weekend. Henry tracks the couple down to tell them that Sarah has a terminal illness.
Bendrix stays with Henry and Sarah over her final days, and at her funeral Parkis tells Bendrix that a chance encounter with Sarah cured his son of his birthmark. At Henry and Sarah's house, Bendrix completes his book and it is revealed that his diary of hate is directed towards God. While Sarah doesn't need to see God to love him, Bendrix prays God will leave him alone.
Julianne Moore was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Actress, and Roger Pratt was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Cinematography. The film also got several nominations at the BAFTA awards, including Best Cinematography (Roger Pratt), Best Costume Design (Sandy Powell), Best Film (Stephen Woolley, Neil Jordan), Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role (Ralph Fiennes) and Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role (Julianne Moore). Neil Jordan won a BAFTA for Best Adapted Screenplay. Neil Jordan was nominated for the Best Director (Motion Picture) Golden Globe and Julianne Moore was nominated for Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture - Drama. Ralph Fiennes also won the best eyewear award at the GQ Men of 2000 Awards for the pair of National Health Service spectacles he sported in the film.
