The Deep Blue Sea

“A beautiful swoon of a film. Terence Davies at his best.” –Esquire

“Exquisite, nuanced, romantic… Rachel Weitz will break your heart.” –Entertainment Weekly

Terence Davies, master chronicler of post-WWII England, directs Rachel Weisz as a woman whose overpowering love threatens her well-being and alienates the men in her life. In a deeply vulnerable performance, Rachel Weisz plays Hester Collyer, the wife of an upper-class judge (Simon Russell Beale) and a free spirit trapped in a passionless marriage. Her encounter with Freddie Page (Tom Hiddleston, Midnight in Paris, The Avengers), a troubled former Royal Air Force pilot, throws her life in turmoil, as their erotic relationship leaves her emotionally stranded and physically isolated. The film is an adaptation of British playwright Terence Rattigan’s 1952 play with the same title, which features one of the greatest roles for an actress in modern theatre.

Through flashbacks, Mr. Davies creates memorable cinematic compositions against the backdrop of England emerging from the war years. His signature style includes beautiful tracking shots as well as the use of popular music of the day, and here, a powerful use of Samuel Barber’s majestic “Opus for Violin and Orchestra.” Besides his two acclaimed semi-autobiographical features Distant Voices, Still Lives, and The Long Day Closes, Mr. Davies films include The House of Mirth, and The Neon Bible. Davies memorably visited the Wexner Center in 2000 to present The House of Mirth to a sold-out audience. (98 mins., digital presentation)