davidallen-84122 Exactly how does one begin to follow all the erudite reviews already submitted ? I can only echo everything positive already written,in praise of this classic film and it's leading man, Sir Michael Redgrave.How well I recall my introduction to "The Browning Version",on T.V. in1966. Such was my involvement with Andrew Crocker-Harris and his pitiful existence, that the gesture of kindness from Tapwell and the effect it had on his master,quite disarmed me.In the following scene,where Harris trustingly shared his experience with Millie,her cruel rebuff had me almost jumping out of my chair in anger.The poor man's last vestige of dignity had been stripped from him. Ten years later,in 1976,down here in Auckland,I was indeed fortunate to meet Sir Michael,up close and personal,following his live performance in "Shakespeare's People".As I stood trembling,all alone,at the gloomy stage-door of His Majesty's Theatre (sadly,later demolished),I wondered how I was going to address this knighted legend of stage and screen.Finally, the man himself appeared before me,looking pale and tired (I believe he was already in poor health).Sir Michael fixed his gaze on me but spoke no words, leaving me to warble on,nervously singing his praises.I do remember telling him how his performance in "The Browning Version" had continued to haunt me through the years.Despite the very dim light,he graciously granted me his autograph which I treasure to this day,along with his photo and several of his best films on DVD.To affirm Sir Michael's incredible versatility,just view "The Browning Version","The Importance Of Being Earnest"and "The Dam Busters", in that order.You don't get much better than that.

d_m_s Michael Redgrave's performance is excellent in this film. I thought he played the unemotional, cuckolded husband perfectly throughout. I also enjoyed Wilfrid Hyd-White's comical performance (which is identical to his enjoyable performance in The Third Man).I like low-key films with plain, simple, un-flashy directing styles and Anthony Asquith's simple 'point & shoot' directing technique fitted the story perfectly.Other performances were not so good, often being a bit too OTT (I'm thinking mainly of the man having the affair with Redgrave's wife and some of the school boys).Overall, the film was enjoyable, though I don't feel it has any repeat-viewing value. I would have given it a higher score but the last 20 minutes or so became a bit too saccharine for me. I don't know if Terrence Rattigan wrote this from personal experience but the ending certainly felt like it was a bit of wish fulfilment and I found the excessive applause at the end of Redgrave's speech inauthentic. Also, the film was a bit too biased to be really exceptional. It was very much from the POV of Redgrave's character and very much against his wife but I do not feel we understood her character enough, since her background and reasons for her behaviour (though briefly touched upon by Redgrave late in the film) was not really explored. So it was a bit too biased in trying to make us sympathetic to Redgrave, which made it slightly less enjoyable for me.

rooster_davis I am proud to join the others who have rated this film so highly. Despite being in black and white, despite there being no real 'action', this movie shows that a riveting story with engaging characters is all it takes to provide great cinema. Here we have an English schoolmaster, a very dry fellow who is unpopular with the students and married to a beautiful but evil woman who cheats on him. He is being forced to 'retire' from his position, just shy of being eligible for a pension. Just as he is upon his last day on faculty and preparing for his farewell address, two people get through the emotional wall he has built around himself - the man with whom his wife has been unfaithful to him, and a student who sees the humanity of the old schoolmaster, and actually likes him. I don't want to give away the story - but from the beginning to the end it will hold your attention. The old schoolmaster is brilliantly played by Michael Redgrave; his beautiful but ice-cold wife is the perfect villain; the young student "Taplow" could not have been played by a more believable or engaging youngster. The climax in the second from last scene is edge-of-your-seat powerful, and if you haven't been won over by this point, you will be after it.Forget special effects, 3-D, vapid starlets with big bosoms, and hip actors spouting vulgarities. Those are things of pale efforts and motion pictures which make far more money than they deserve. "The Browning Version" is a classic, a work of cinema which will stand forever as testimony to acting talent, brilliant writing, and most of all, a great story which draws you in and which you will never forget. I only wish I could give this movie more than a 10. It is THAT good.

day-myron I was 15 and studying the play for GCE exams in the late '60s whilst at boarding school; in a place not totally disassociated in my mind's eye from the setting of the play. It evoked sympathy and attachment within me because of the parallels within it and my own situation. We were told not to watch the film if it came on television as it would or might change our perception of the play in its written form. I happened to be in Maidstone one Saturday afternoon and noticed that it was the second film on at a local flea-pit. as I was always looking for shortcuts in ways to learn (lazy) I ignored the remonstration not to see the film and went in. Having read the play six or seven times and even had an opportunity to act the play within a class setting; I established myself as a critical observer. I was not ready for the absolute impact that it had on me, here were the characters of my imagination and reality acting out this story to which I was so attached, in a manner and style to which I knew to be square and true with my own perception. I will not re-hash the plot as others have done a superb job of that, but will add that this film has a pace and acting precision seen only but a few times, and then to no greater effect than is seen here. Redgrave's performance is flawless, the supporting cast are absolutely perfect and I can think of none who could have improved it by their presence. I left the cinema in shock; returning to the school numb from the experience and the knowledge that I just had to share the fact I had seen it; I came clean and told the head English master (born in 1898), he gated me for a month, and then asked if I enjoyed it, I gushed about all of it and how it had increased my understanding of the tragedy and ultimate renaissance of Crocker Harris. Strangely the love of this play and the admission of my transgression created a strong bond between myself and this crotchety old teacher; even ironically to his lending me a copy of the "Browning Version". This is a great movie, a true work of cinematic genius. The movie is available on DVD so you have no excuse.