In this story-within-a-story, Anna is an actress starring opposite Mike in a period piece about the forbidden love between their respective characters, Sarah and Charles. Both actors are involved in serious relationships, but the passionate nature of the script leads to an off-camera love affair as well. While attempting to maintain their composure and professionalism, Anna and Mike struggle to come to terms with their infidelity.
Acting
Streep plays two women hiding everything. She's devastating.
Cinematography
The undercliff: all crashing waves and emotional vertigo.
Writing
Harold Pinter's screenplay folds time like origami.
Director
Karel Reisz
Meryl Streep
Sarah / Anna
Jeremy Irons
Charles Henry Smithson / Mike
Hilton McRae
Sam
Lynsey Baxter
Ernestina
Emily Morgan
Mary
Penelope Wilton
Sonia
Charlotte Mitchell
Mrs. Tranter
Peter Vaughan
Mr. Freeman
Colin Jeavons
Vicar
Liz Smith
Mrs. Fairley
Patience Collier
Mrs. Poulteney
John Barrett
Dairyman
Leo McKern
Dr. Grogan
Arabella Weir
Girl on Undercliff
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
Streep's mysterious cape became iconic; costume designer Tom Rand literally couldn't afford more fabric so he made it dramatic instead.
Pinter's screenplay mirrors John Fowles's novel structure but adds the film-within-film layer that didn't exist—making the 'author' himself a kind of character.
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