The End of the Affair (1955) Review: The Good, The Bad & How to Watch

The End of the Affair (1955) Review: The Good, The Bad & How to Watch 

American Film, British Film, Drama, Romance

Cannes Film Festival, 1955- Official Selection
BAFTA Awards, 1956- Nominee: Best British Actress
National Board fo Review, 1955- Winner: Top Foreign Films 

The 1955 American film The End of the Affair is a passionate and emotionally fraught adaptation of Graham Greene's 1951 novel of the same name. While it takes liberties with Greene's complex, faith-driven source material—notably toning down the theological elements for a mid-century Hollywood audience—it remains a powerful drama exploring themes of love, betrayal, and sacrifice against the backdrop of London during the Blitz in World War II. More on Wikipedia or Mubi

A Dangerous Liaison

The film centers on a passionate but clandestine romance between novelist Maurice Bendrix, played by Van Johnson, and Sarah Miles, played by Deborah Kerr. Sarah is married to the placid and unassuming civil servant, Henry Miles (John Mills), who is either blind to the affair or chooses to ignore it. The affair is characterized by its intense secrecy and the constant peril imposed by the wartime setting.

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The dramatic core of the story arrives when a German V-1 flying bomb strikes the house where Maurice and Sarah are meeting. Maurice is injured, but Sarah rushes back into the rubble. When she emerges, she finds Maurice alive but refuses to see him again, abruptly ending their two-year relationship without explanation.

The Pursuit of Truth

Haunted by Sarah's sudden and inexplicable departure, Maurice's love turns into a corrosive jealousy. He becomes convinced she has found another lover. His fixation leads him to hire a private investigator, Parkis (Peter Cushing), to track her movements. Parkis's investigation eventually uncovers Sarah's personal diary, which reveals the true, profound, and unexpected reason for her sudden withdrawal.

The diary exposes that in the moments following the V-1 blast, when she believed Maurice was dead, Sarah made a vow to God. In exchange for Maurice's life, she promised she would give him up forever and dedicate herself to leading a life of spiritual piety. The end of the affair, in this context, is not a matter of a failed relationship but a covenant of sacrifice

Reception and Legacy

Directed by Edward Dmytryk, the 1955 adaptation is often appreciated for its strong performances. Deborah Kerr embodies Sarah with a convincing blend of sensuality and tormented spirituality, navigating the internal conflict of the character's commitment to both earthly and divine love. While the film was generally well-received by audiences, critics often noted that it struggled to fully capture the depth of Greene's spiritual and existential despair. The movie is less focused on God and more on the psychological torment of love lost and the unsettling mystery of human devotion.

The film's exploration of the moral and emotional consequences of a broken promise, even a promise made in a moment of panic and despair, gives the drama its enduring emotional weight. It remains a significant, if somewhat overshadowed, entry in the canon of Hollywood's adaptations of serious literary works, providing a mood.

The 1955 film adaptation of Graham Greene’s The End of the Affair is an interesting case of a prestige picture constrained by the conventions of its time. Its strengths lie in the central performance and a compelling mystery structure, while its weaknesses stem from compromises made to the source material and a less-than-ideal male lead.

The Good

• Deborah Kerr's Performance: Deborah Kerr is widely considered the film's greatest asset. She brings a subtle complexity, passion, and inner turmoil to Sarah Miles. She masterfully conveys the character's transition from a secretive, adulterous lover to a woman tormented by her sudden vow and unexpected spiritual awakening, often using little more than her eyes and facial expressions.

• The Supporting Cast: The film benefits from strong character actors in supporting roles. Peter Cushing as Sarah's quiet, cuckolded husband, Henry Miles, effectively conveys his pain and dignity. John Mills as the quirky, working-class private investigator Albert Parkis provides an engaging and human element that offers a pleasant contrast to the intense central drama.

• The Mystery Structure: The film focuses heavily on Maurice Bendrix's jealous pursuit of the truth, giving the narrative a strong mystery-thriller atmosphere in its second half. The urgency of his investigation—to discover who Sarah's new lover is—keeps the audience engaged as the real, surprising reason for her departure is slowly uncovered.

• Thematic Focus: Despite some watering down of Greene's theology, the film still manages to explore the profound themes of sacrifice, jealousy, and the conflict between human and divine love. It's an adult drama that takes the emotional weight of a solemn promise seriously.

  The Bad

• Van Johnson's Casting and Chemistry: Many critics found Van Johnson miscast as Maurice Bendrix. His portrayal of the obsessive, jealous novelist is often described as bland, lacking the raw passion and internal fire needed for the role. Crucially, the on-screen chemistry between Johnson and Deborah Kerr is frequently cited as being weak, which undermines the entire premise of a passionate, life-altering love affair.

• Narrative Pacing and Structure: The film abandons the novel's complex, retrospective flashback structure in favor of a more chronological narrative. This change lessens the retrospective insight and emotional impact of Bendrix's jealousy. Some critics felt the chronological order and faster pace rushed the development of Sarah's spiritual transformation, making it feel less earned.

• Watered-Down Spiritual Element: Due to the censorship and conventions of 1950s Hollywood, the powerful, challenging theological core of Graham Greene's novel was significantly toned down. The film handles the concept of God and "miracle" more as a narrative device or personal crisis than the profound, unsettling existential force that drives the book.

• A "Random" Reveal: The discovery of Sarah's diary, which explains everything, felt overly convenient to some viewers. The lack of subtle clues or build-up to the diary's content made the major plot reveal feel somewhat abrupt and "randomly produced," shifting the tone too sharply at the end of the story.  
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