Desertman84 The End of the Affair is a film directed by Edward Dmytryk.It stars Deborah Kerr, Van Johnson, Peter Cushing and John Mills. It is based on the novel The End of the Affair by Graham Greene.Maurice Bendrix is the clandestine lover of married Briton Sarah Miles. When Maurice disappears during the London blitz, Sarah feels responsible. She thought that if she hadn't been cheating on her husband Henry, Maurice might never have been placed in harm's way. She gets down on her knees and prays, promising to return to her husband and give him up Maurice if her lover's life is spared. The movie is definitely dated by today's standards as it told routine love story wherein everything is clichéd,formulaic and predictable.The performances of the cast saved this from being an average film even during the time it was released.Aside from that,the theme that Greene is trying to convey about morality and his belief in a demanding Catholicism that is not worried about pleasing anyone but God makes this film's message applicable even by today's time.

edwagreen Imagine me saying that a Van Johnson, Deborah Kerr film was awful. It's true folks. This was one miserable film.In war ravaged England the two of them begin an affair only for Ms. Kerr to end it in thanks to the Lord when Maurice (Johnson) survives a bombing.The two of them engage in absolute endless talk. The film falls into a discussion regarding the lord and all other kinds of philosophy. Kerr gives an emotionally restrained performance in her usual sing-song diction.As Sarah in this film, there is no great chemical reaction between her and Maurice.As her suffering husband, an English civil servant, Peter Cushing is adequate but the dialogue is ridiculous.John Mills is real dead pan as an investigator.When a husband hires a detective to investigate a cheating wife, that can be believed. When a former lover does this, you have to wonder.Am wondering if Van Johnson was using this film as a pre-test to the much better "Miracle in the Rain" which occurred the following year. Two deaths coming during rainstorms is more than quite incidental.

sol ****SPOILERS**** Schmaltzy yet very penetrating film about forbidden love in the betrayal of one's spouse that leads to a series of life changing, as well as ending, events to all those involved. American writer Maurice Bendrix, Van Johnson,had been discharged from the US Army because of a trick knee and decided to spend the rest of the war in London writing a novel about the British civil service system. Meeting the Miles at a party Maurice notices civil servant Henry Miles',Peter Cshing, sexy wife Sarah, Deborah Kerr, smooching with a British Tommy out of the corner of his eye, in a back-room mirror, and feels that she's easy. The first time he's alone with Sarah in a pub, Maurice makes his move on her.Sarah is immediately smitten by the handsome and sweet talking American who's just the opposite of her dull by the books civil service husband Henry. Because Maurice has a very suspicious mind, unlike Henry, his affair with Sarah has a lot of bumps in it. The end comes when he's all alone with her while, like almost during the entire film, Henry is away at work. The Miles house is hit by a German V1 rocked knocking Maurice down a flight of stairs and burying him in the rubble. It's when Maurice miraculously recovers that he notices that the concerned for his life and safety Sarah had completely changed but the reason for her disaffection for Maurice is totally misunderstood by him. That's what leads to the crisis that follows in later driving both lovers to the brink of madness or even death and self-destruction.The movie cleverly has a number of parallel scenes inserted into it where we see what's the real reason behind Sarah's strange behavior, it has to do with her religious beliefs. Sarah is torn between her religion, Catholicism, and her love, while she's married to Henry, for another man Maurice. We also see that Marcice is determined to have Sarah all to himself and that he doesn't care it if would in the end not only kill Sarah but her weak and overly sensitive husband Henry ,who's life without her would be worthless.The ending is a bit too over dramatic even for this schmaltzy tear-jerker with Maurice almost on the brink of an emotional melt-down. He's****MAJOR SPOILER***told by the Miles family doctor that his beloved Sarah's, who at first was only suffering from a very bad cold, condition turned for the worse and with that she suddenly and unexpectedly passed away. It's the guilt of not leaving Maurice and getting on with her life with Henry that seemed to have driven Sarah, unconsciously not willfully, to kill herself! Even though it wouldn't conflict with her religious beliefs and in the end make everything turn out for the better in this three sided wild and forbidden love affair.Somewhat dated but still hits the spot with Deborah Kerr as both beautiful and sexy as ever, even with all her clothes on. Deborah or Sarah does her best and succeeds in showing how it's hard to overcome one's emotions when nature or what turned out to be the man of her dreams, Maurice, takes hold of them. You have to give both Deborah Kerr and her co-star Van Johnson credit in generating enough heat in the theater, or at home of those watching the movie, without having to turn to up the thermostat and thus saving a mint on the energy bill.

claygoul-1 I am indebted to Turner Classic Movies for televising this film today. I had not seen it. I am a great admirer of both the novel and the 1999 film version by Neil Jordan. I count it as one of the greatest love stories in literature.Yes, Van Johnson is miscast as Maurice Bendrix. Still, he is a sincere actor and his work is good considering that Maurice has been "Americanized." I wasn't prepared for the devastating performance by Deborah Kerr. Sarah Miles is one of literature's greatest creations. The "saint" as "whore." Or is it the "whore" as "saint?" I found myself engrossed and deeply moved watching her. It only confirmed my belief that she was with Vivian Leigh one of the two best English actresses in cinema. I love Julianne Moore in the 1999 version and equally love Deborah Kerr in the 1954 version. Sarah Miles is such a great creation that it would be wonderful to see another filmed version and compare the work of three actresses.Incidentally, "The End of the Affair" is one of those notable works of literature that went from the page to the screen to the opera house (Jake Heggie, composer -- commission by The Houston Grand Opera -- 2004.) I do like the treatment given to the other characters in the 1954 film version. We get to meet Smythe and the priest and Sarah's mother. In the Neil Jordan screenplay, Smythe and the priest are combined into one character, a Catholic priest named Smythe. Sarah's mother is omitted in that version. If I was disappointed in the 1954 version it has to do with the character of Smythe. His character has a horrible facial birthmark that Sarah kisses when she parts from him. In the novel we are told that the birthmark disappeared upon her death. We have no idea that this happens in the 1954 film version. In the 1999 film version, the birthmark is given to Lance, Parkis's son. Also, in the novel, Lance suffers from stomach disorders. We learn that he is cured of that upon Sarah's death. No mention is made of this disorder in the 1954 film version.Henry Miles, the cuckold, is more tragically portrayed in the 1999 film version. I tip the scales in favor to Stephen Rea whose performance is so true to the gravity of Graham Greene's creation.A great story of human and Divine love with Maurice and Henry fighting for possession of Sarah's soul and only God receives it.