Hester Collyer, a woman who has left her husband for a younger lover, finds herself alone in a London flat — and must decide whether to go on.
In The Deep Blue Sea (1955), based on Terence Rattigan’s play, Vivien Leigh plays Hester Collyer, who has left her husband, Sir William Collyer, a judge, for Freddie Page, played by Kenneth More, a former RAF pilot. When Freddie, who cannot match Hester’s passion, leaves her, Hester attempts suicide and is rescued by her neighbours, including Mr Miller, played by Eric Portman.
Leigh plays Hester with a raw, unguarded emotion. She shows Hester’s love, her despair and her stubborn will to live, and she makes the character’s pain feel completely real, without ever turning her into a mere victim.
The Deep Blue Sea is a powerful drama of love and loneliness, and Leigh’s Hester is one of her finest screen performances: a woman who, in the depths of despair, finds a reason to continue.