A woman’s heart is a fragile thing. 

Imagine being married to a man for 45 years and discovering your relationship was not what you thought it was.

Imagine finding this out six days before your 45th wedding anniversary party. And the only reason you ever find out is because of a letter.

Kate Mercer’s (Charlotte Rampling) life collapses after her husband, Geoff (Tom Courtenay), receives a letter from Switzerland informing him that his former girlfriend’s body has been discovered after 50 years.

Geoff and Katya had been mountain climbing in the Swiss Alps. Katya had fallen into a fissure in a glacier, her body irretrievable. The letter explains that when she fell into the body of water, it was entombed in ice.

When Kate questions why he was sent the letter in the first place, Geoff tells her he was Katya’s next of kin. Unsurprisingly, this answer doesn’t sit well with Kate. Geoff tells her that they had to pretend to be married to find lodging together - it was 1962 after all.

Once Geoff learns of Katya’s body being found, he debates flying to Switzerland to identify the body.

Now in their late 60s, Kate reminds him of his trouble taking a walk, let alone perhaps having to climb a mountain. And, why would he want to go anyway. It was a long time ago. They’ve had a full life without children — she a retired teacher, he a retired engineering manager and union man who had bypass surgery when their 40th rolled around.

The couple’s most joyful moment is their evening dance to “Stagger Lee.” But when Kate asks Jeff to open his eyes during their lovemaking that follows that dance ...

The soundtrack. You know how you can be riding in your car and a song comes on that ironically fits your current life or love situation? Well, that happens quite often in this film.

For example, Kate and her friend Lena (Geraldine James) are riding in the car on their way to town. The night before Kate had discovered Jeff no longer in bed with her, but up in the attic where he just happened to find a photo of Katya.

The song on the radio: Gary Puckett and the Union Gap’s “Young Girl.” Kate snaps the car radio off before Puckett gets through the rest of the first line of the tune.

So, some might say, hey, get over it Kate, he moved on. He married you. Right? That’s true enough, but, it’s the depth and longevity of his sorrow after 50 years that betrays him — and his wife of 45 years. Yes, (and here’s a real spoiler, folks) Katya was pregnant at the time — a fact Jeff doesn’t share with Kate.

She discovers this on her own while he is at an event for him in honor of the anniversary with all his mates, an event he no longer wants to attend in light of recent events. While Jeff is suffering through the celebration, Kate goes into the attic and searches for the traces of Katya there. She finds slides and loads them into the projector. Some images show Katya with a protective hand on her belly.

The phone rings bringing Kate downstairs. It’s someone from the anniversary venue asking what songs the couple want to have the DJ play.

“Happy Together,” “For What It’s Worth,” and “Smoke Gets In Your Eyes,” Kate manages to summon up.

“We didn’t realize at the time these memories are things aren’t they?” Kate says to Jeff looking at their walls, bereft of any pictures capturing moments of their 45 years together.

“What would you have wanted pictures of,” he asks. Indeed.

The serene English countryside in which they dwell is in direct contrast to the upheaval erupting in their home, their lives.

Rampling and Courtenay give themselves over to these characters and deliver compelling, genuine performances.

Rampling, in particular, conveys Kate’s pain and loss so vividly through her body language and her eyes that you almost feel like you should turn away; that the moments are just too personal to be seen by an observer/audience.

But we cannot. 

“45 Years” opens at The Harbor Theatre on Friday, March 11 at 7 p.m. It continues screening at 7 on Saturday, March 12, Wednesday, March 16 and Thursday, March 17 and at 2 p.m. on Sunday, March 13.