So, I know what you’re thinking – The Brittas Empire? Romantic? Do me a favour! But, hear me out, and I will try to convince you. First, here is the kiss, all six seconds of it…
Still not convinced? Well, let me try to explain…
Reason 1: These characters have been on a slow burn/near miss/friends to lovers trajectory ever since the series began. Laura Lancing kissed Gordon Brittas for the first time back in Series 3, for goodness’ sake! Admittedly, all this did at the time was confuse Brittas, but she made it pretty clear that she’s falling for him, in spite of his many, varied and documented flaws. He’s gobsmacked by this first kiss, sure, but there is a moment after she’s left when he’s dealing with the shock, and he’s thinking, “actually, maybe I love her, too…”
Reason 2: They’ve had near misses. A lot. In ‘Mr Brittas Changes Trains’, when Brittas is under hypnosis, and acting, for once, like a fully rational human being, Laura kisses him again. Alas, midnight comes and she flees like Cinderella, and her handsome, hypnotised prince turns back into, well, Brittas.
Reason 3: Gordon loathes Laura’s (no longer ex) husband Michael. Not just dislikes him, but loathes him with a gut churning, eyebrow furrowing, nostril flaring passion. Michael is the only character in the entire show who evokes this kind of visceral hatred, and while we can put this down to Gordon’s innate sense of justice, and desire to always do the right thing, however misguided, I believe there is a lot of unacknowledged affection and emotion behind that which he just can’t consciously process. In his world, it would be wrong and immoral to be unfaithful to Helen, whom he also loves, but whom he doesn’t understand and who definitely doesn’t understand him, so the frustration about not being able to act on this love for Laura comes out as absolute loathing for the man who can. Michael mistreats Laura, a woman Gordon loves, so Michael must be hated. We see this most prominently in ‘Shall We Dance’, when Brittas, while completely drunk, really does seem to acknowledge his heartbreak at losing Laura, and at other points throughout.
Reason 4: I mean, just LOOK AT THE KISS! And this is where I need to, as GCSE English Literature examiners would say, ‘come out’ from the text and focus on the craft, not just of the writers, but also of the actors. Chris Barrie and Julia St John, having worked together for five series, have such a beautiful chemistry, and this kiss is the pinnacle of that. Now, I’ve always, always maintained since Chris Barrie played a lovelorn Rimmer pining over Yvonne McGruder, and then years later, Hillary the butler to Lara Croft in the Tomb Raider films, that this man was made to play a romantic lead. In the six seconds of film where Julia and Chris get to act out Brittas’ daydream that Laura declares her love for him, that kiss is, well, just…perfect. And it totally proves my point!
But why? Well, let’s break it down a bit.
Firstly, there’s the eye contact. When Julia, as Laura, rises from the desk, she moves around it, with one hand on the surface to steady herself, as if her knees can’t quite support her. The thought of what she’s about to do is giving an adrenaline rush that makes her unsteady on her feet. Despite this, though, she maintains eye contact with Chris as Brittas, who is watching her progress towards him, turning his body towards her in a fluid, instinctive gesture that appears natural and not at all stilted. He’s not shocked, not appalled, but eager for them to touch, and it’s the most relaxed I think we see him in the entire show.
Unlike the first kiss, back in series 3 where he simply doesn’t know what to do with himself, how to react, this one is natural, soft, and totally consensual. Of course, that’s because it’s Brittas’ fantasy, but that doesn’t take away from the performance one bit. In fact, the contrast is great because it suggests what Brittas would be like if he truly allowed himself to acknowledge his feelings for Laura. In addition, the contrast works here because it’s NOT out of character, as it’s Brittas’ daydream – it’s a different, more free Brittas, who is able to give into his feelings for Laura, but it’s resolutely in character, and allows Chris Barrie and the writers and directors to showcase a dimension of the character that we wouldn’t normally see, using a conventional storytelling trope.
Then, as Laura reaches him, Brittas opens his frame and Laura sinks down onto his lap. One hand slides up to his face, with fingers gently placed, caressing his cheek, either side of his ear, maintaining that eye contact until both their eyes close. Brittas leans back in the chair, completely enthralled, but also at ease, as she does this. It’s as if he’s been waiting for this moment since the first time they met. His head leans against the high back of the chair, and as the kiss deepens, his left hand moves up Laura’s back, gently drawing her closer to him, and intensifying the kiss, which is both soft, gentle and passionate.
If I’m being honest, it’s the hand placement that does it for me. Julia St John’s hand, just holding Chris Barrie’s face and guiding him into the kiss is the softest thing, and Chris echoes this so beautifully when he slides his hand up her back and under the hood of her top. And, I think I can *just* see his other hand literally mirroring hers, on her cheek, bringing her ever so gently closer, deepening that intimacy. They are completely in sync, and no matter how many times I watch it (and I’ve now watched it a lot!), I just can’t get over how their moves, and the staging of it, make it one of the most gorgeous onscreen kisses I’ve ever, ever seen. It feels both elegant and spontaneous, which is a testament to the skill of these two actors. Interestingly, there’s a hush from the audience as well, which perhaps shows the power of the moment to delight and surprise. It’s six seconds of the purest passion, and I really wish it had been longer!
Of course, to add to the poignancy, it’s all a daydream, and goodness knows what was going through Brittas’ mind later – I can imagine the character would have felt incredibly conflicted to have allowed himself the indulgence of such a thing. But, in terms of pure stagecraft and onscreen chemistry, I take my hat off to Chris Barrie and Julia St John. In that short time, they created perfection, and something that I, as a writer of romantic fiction, endeavour to create in my novels. I never thought, when I revisited The Brittas Empire after thirty odd years (and I have no memory of having watched that scene the first time around), that I’d end up reacting so strongly to a scene in it, and calling it one of the most beautiful onscreen kisses of all time, but for me, I have to say, it’s right up there. Thank you, Chris and Julia, for creating a little bit of magic.
And, because anyone who knows me, or has followed this blog since its inception knows a post like this would be incomplete without a fanvid, (I believe the common parlance these days is to name them “fancams”, but what can I say, I’m old school!), here’s mine. I’ve slowed down the kiss to a full 25 seconds, so you can really see the details I’ve spent the past however many words discussing, and put it alongside an iconic 1980s love song. Enjoy…
And if you’d like to read how I deal with moments of delicious romantic tension, why not take a look at my novels? Click the pic to go to Amazon!
Fay Keenan 