The scene opens with close-up shots of a black typewriter. The handsome lines and distinctive glass keys are a dead giveaway- it's a Royal Quiet De Luxe vintage 1941. We see fingers starting to type. The first line is short and acerbic; the literary equivalent of a habanero chili:
"This is a diary of hate."
The End of the Affair (Neil Jordan, U.K./U.S., 1999) is the cinematic adaptation of Graham Greene's 1951 novel of the same title. Set in 1946, the film tells the story of Maurice Bendrix (Ralph Fiennes), a novelist who gets enmeshed in a serious illicit affair with a woman named Sarah Miles (Julianne Moore). Sarah is married to a mouse with money named Henry (Stephen Rea) who has got no roar in him but is a good platonic companion. Bendrix, with his intense, possessive love, fills the void in Sarah's life that Henry has left beggared.
But The End of the Affair is neither simple nor predictable. There is a fourth party involved; Sarah unexpectedly falls for a mysterious new lover. Bendrix can never win against this competitor and he knows it.
For reasons I refuse to divulge, Sarah had fallen in love with God. In her diary entries, she writes, "He (Bendrix) fills me with his jealousy, you (God) fill me with love."
The End of the Affair is an intelligent, masterfully directed film that raises some very intriguing questions on love and faith. Yes, there is unbridled religious irreverence in Bendrix's rage against God but I, for one, find this refreshingly honest. Faith does not mean flight from human finitude; the most transcendent experiences, paradoxically, are also the most human.
The End of the Affair is my second recommendation for the "typewriter film" list following my earlier find, The Year of Living Dangerously (refer back to that post here). But even if you are not a typewriter enthusiast, this well-made, well-acted film is a must-see.
Watch trailer:
© 1999 Columbia Pictures
*Mature content; a couple of explicit sensual scenes
11 comments:
Thanks for the recommendation. This sounds like a film I would enjoy.
Nicely written piece. A film and typewriter critique, all in one post. I love "literary equivalent of a habanero chili" :)
Great post, Ton! And funnily enough, when I got my circa 1946 Royal QDel, I thought to myself how very "Graham Greene" this typewriter looked to me. It has a strong Post-War 'British Foreign Office' vibe going on. Now all I have to do is hunt down an unscratched copy of "The End of the Affair" from my local dvd place.
Excellent! Great review!
Happy to hear from you Dana, GIFM, teeritz, Luis. Hope you get to see the film!
@teeritz, I remembered that beautiful QDL from your collection when I was reviewing the film. The silver accents and glass keys are really stunning; how tempting to hunt for this 40s model!
I can't believe I haven't heard of this film. It's going on my Netflix queue!
Lauren, I'm sure you'll appreciate it!
Tried and failed to get through this book in college. Sounds like the film might be worth the effort, though.
Most definitely, Strikethru. I'd say go for it.
i have yet to see this one.
i think the story's interesting, not to mention that
i'm also a fan of the Fiennes brothers. ^0^
Arabesque, the story is absorbing. I really got drawn in.
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