The Passionate Friends (1949) ending with Claude Rains, Ann Todd

The Passionate Friends has been almost entirely forgotten, yet it’s among Claude Rains’ best performances. On the surface, his character, Howard Justin, is a standard issue Rains part: powerful, unflappable man of the world brought low by a straying woman. But I doubt if Rains ever gave a more intensely emotional performance than he gives in this one. For much of the picture, Howard Justin could be a stand-in for Alexander Sebastian (“Notorious”), Alexander Hollenius (“Deception”) or Victor Grandison (“The Unsuspected”), but near the end of the picture, things change – and Rains cuts loose in an emotional torrent that always overwhelms me, no matter how often I see the last reel.

[joyceday]

I'd go home with Claude Rains any day of the week!

[Poeme]

Claude Rains steals the show, again, even with Todd and Howard shining so brightly—what an elegant classic!

[hmmmmm]

What a man. Despite all her shenanigans, he knew her safest and best place was with him, and he welcomed her back home.

[victoriajarvis]

I watch this over and over. The last scene. Subtle and real. Lean spared us the movie fireworks and created this powerful ending.

[richardmcleod]

It almost has an "Anna Karenina" ending. Anna should have been so lucky had Vronsky been as thoughtful.

[socosmic]

Claude, you made me believe you loved this ice woman!

[madamvaudelune]

This is a wonderful epic about the power of forgivness. What is broken can be fixed if we open our hearts. Pride, hurt, his character was hurt, broken, torn apart...and she knew it. When we fall in love we risk being vulnerable. She, a much younger woman, can't bear the thought of having hurt the man she realizes she loves deeply. A good ending, a hopeful ending, both eith eyes and finally hearts opened. His "Shall we go home!" Is the sweetest voice of forgiveness...some times we all need to hear that.

[epic]

A truly great movie. I've watched it many times.The accents, the story and dialogue are so dated and unrealistic - but it's these things that draw me to it. Romanticism and melodrama at its best!

[clauderain]

I love this movie and I love this ending. We believe that it is a simple opposition of “marriage of convenience” vs. romantic passion. Logically, love passion must win. But it fails. And passionate love springs up where we least expected it: in the heart of the husband.

[AuntieMamie]

I want to be Mary. What a man. Once again, thank you profusely

[QED_]

3:38 I just watched the full movie. And you don't find out until this point in it (the last 9 minutes) . . . that it's really Rains' story all along. His is the only character with a realistic arc from beginning to end. The rest (making up 90% of the movie's action and dialogue) may seem like real people . . . but they end up as only psychologically unrealistic contrasts to Rains. That contrast works exceedingly well . . . even if there's reason to doubt that it was the actual intention of the director.

[blitzschnitz]

It's a film by the great David Lean (who worked again with Claude Rains on "Lawrence of Arabia"), Ann Todd was Lean's wife at the time.

[robinrubendunst]

Thank you! Love CR. So consistently good.

[NovelasDoMundo]

Modern Day Anna Karenina! Would love for a contemporary adaptation of that novel to end this way!

[terry]

All the movies I have seen of him he never kissed the woman passionately. Hmmmm, perhaps he had it written in his contract! I wish I could have kissed him back then, passionately! Indeed!

[valeriea.larsson]

Looks like an excellent movie.However unable to increase volume so sadly let it go, Claude Rains is superb.

[corneliaullrich]

Toller Character Schauspieler Claude Rains, die Mimik und die Dialoge, einfach Klasse. Dadurch gefällt mir dieser Film richtig gut. Sehr gut gespielt. Würde diesen Film gerne in Deutsch sehen und hören.

[jajones-ford]

Great to see this clip from the film, but the sound is very low, i can barely hear what they are saying.

[paulwarner]

Love Ann Todd but she always seem to make a lot of sad tragic movies

[fong]

How many times does David lean make the actresses jump from the platform?