Rotten Tomatoes
Cancel Movies Tv shows FanStore News Showtimes

The Browning Version

Play trailer Poster for The Browning Version 1951 1h 30m Drama Play Trailer Watchlist
Watchlist Tomatometer Popcornmeter
89% Tomatometer 18 Reviews 95% Popcornmeter 500+ Ratings
Andrew Crocker-Harris (Michael Redgrave) has been forced from his position as the classics master at an English public school due to poor health. As he winds up his final term, he discovers not only that his wife, Millie (Jean Kent), has been unfaithful to him with one of his fellow schoolmasters (Nigel Patrick), but that the school's students and faculty have long disdained him. However, an unexpected act of kindness causes Crocker-Harris to re-evaluate his life's work.

Where to Watch

The Browning Version

Critics Reviews

View All (18) Critics Reviews
Variety Staff Variety The role of the retiring master is not an easy one, but a prize in the right hands. Michael Redgrave fills it with distinction. Mar 26, 2009 Full Review Tom Milne Time Out Worth watching for Redgrave's powerfully detailed performance as the schoolmaster. Jun 24, 2006 Full Review Nell Minow Movie Mom Rated: 5/5 Nov 12, 2004 Full Review Clyde Gilmour Maclean's Magazine The year's top acting job, beyond any doubt-beyond any doubt of mine, at least-was that of Michael Redgrave as the despairing schoolmaster in The Browning Version, a superior item from Britain. Nov 26, 2019 Full Review Tomas Trussow The Lonely Film Critic When you have Michael Redgrave giving one of the best performances in cinematic history on top of it all, there's not much else left to say other than: bravo. Rated: 4.5/5 Jun 11, 2019 Full Review Dennis Schwartz Dennis Schwartz Movie Reviews It's a blues pic for teachers that lays down some hope in the end. Rated: B Apr 14, 2010 Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

View All (73) audience reviews
William R Fantastic, quite sad but brilliant, far better than the 1994 version. Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars 08/25/24 Full Review Audience Member Michael,Redgrave’s performance in this movie is incredibly moving. Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars 08/27/19 Full Review Audience Member One of the greatest of Rattigan's work, and greatest plays of all time. The acting is consistently superb, as is the direction and the cinematography. This is NOT a comedy, but full-on drama. I've seen it countless times on a VHS version I have, but definitely replace it with a DVD/Blu-Ray if available. Rated 5 out of 5 stars 02/10/23 Full Review Audience Member I really liked this movie, a realistic take on regret. Redgrave is wonderful. Rated 5 out of 5 stars 02/07/23 Full Review Audience Member The first part is a bit too cliched, but then the film improves somewhat at the end. Rated 3 out of 5 stars 02/25/23 Full Review Audience Member Brilliant work by all here. This is how slow burning powerful drama is done. A masterclass on tone, pitch, and subtlety. There is a clarity of revealing by layers in a well written pot boiler. The power of words to convey powerfully hidden emotions in polite society. Brilliant work by all. I was shocked when I saw the it was a stage play originally, bc it is enhanced by strong, lean cinematography. All the cylinders are firing here. A part of me wanted a touch more for the epilogue to fill it more completely, and it turns out the writer added what is now the ending. I still wanted more interaction to signify a step in the right direction beyond the speech which ends the play. Still a great work, I cant commend this enough for its controlled burn. Fascinating. 4.5 out of 5 Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars 01/12/23 Full Review Read all reviews
The Browning Version

My Rating

Read More Read Less POST RATING WRITE A REVIEW EDIT REVIEW

Cast & Crew

An Awfully Big Adventure 40% 57% An Awfully Big Adventure Watchlist Nicholas Nickleby 79% 75% Nicholas Nickleby Watchlist The Stars Look Down 90% 59% The Stars Look Down Watchlist AKA 58% 65% AKA Watchlist All Creatures Great and Small 71% 58% All Creatures Great and Small Watchlist Discover more movies and TV shows. View More

Movie Info

Synopsis Andrew Crocker-Harris (Michael Redgrave) has been forced from his position as the classics master at an English public school due to poor health. As he winds up his final term, he discovers not only that his wife, Millie (Jean Kent), has been unfaithful to him with one of his fellow schoolmasters (Nigel Patrick), but that the school's students and faculty have long disdained him. However, an unexpected act of kindness causes Crocker-Harris to re-evaluate his life's work.
Director
Anthony Asquith
Producer
Teddy Baird, Earl St. John
Screenwriter
Terence Rattigan
Production Co
Javelin Films
Genre
Drama
Original Language
British English
Release Date (Streaming)
Mar 23, 2017
Runtime
1h 30m
Most Popular at Home Now