Watch The Browning Version For Free

Very well executed

I think this is a new genre that they're all sort of working their way through it and haven't got all the kinks worked out yet but it's a genre that works for me.

Actress is magnificent and exudes a hypnotic screen presence in this affecting drama.

An old-fashioned movie made with new-fashioned finesse.

"The Browning Version" is a 1951 movie based on a play by Terrence Rattigan & one of my all-time favourites. Michael Redgrave plays schoolmaster Arthur Crocker-Harris who teaches Greek & Latin at a public school for boys. As a young man he was an award- winning classical scholar but as a teacher he has been a failure who, as he has got older, has become an embittered, stolid & pedantic man. This is partly due to his having an unfaithful, bitchy, hard-nosed wife, Millie, played by Jean Kent. She is having an affair with the chemistry master, Frank Hunter, played by Nigel Patrick. His somewhat sour, unsmiling demeanour makes Mr. Crocker-Harris very unpopular with his pupils who refer to him as "The Croc". He has a heart condition which is forcing his imminent early retirement & it is fairly obvious that the headmaster, (Dr. Frobisher played by Wilfred Hyde-White), won't be sorry to see him go. His wife's only concern is that he gets his full pension entitlement!. His replacement schoolmaster Mr. Gilbert has been invited to look in on his last few lessons to take notes. He informs Crocker-Harris that he is also known by his pupils as "The Himmler of the lower fifth". He was unaware of this & is obviously hurt by the knowledge. One of his pupils,(Taplow played by Brian Smith) does feel sympathy for him & gives him a retirement present. It is a translation by the poet Robert Browning, (hence the title of the play), of the Greek poet Aeschylus "Agamemnon". Taplow has highlighted a quote from the text which translates as, "God from afar looks down graciously on the gentle schoolmaster". Crocker- Harris is moved to tears by this unexpected show of appreciation by one his pupils. On the last day of term he has to make a retirement speech at assembly & the headmaster hopes it will be brief & not too much of an embarrassment. In a touching speech Crocker-Harris opens his heart out about his failure as a teacher. The chemistry master is also moved by it & realises that the affair with his hard-hearted wife was a mistake & resolves to end it. "The Browning Version" is the kind of thought-provoking movie that doesn't get made any more &, probably, won't in the future. I find that rather depressing!!!.

Talk about a sad, pathetic and emotionless guy...he's almost a robot.Most of this film is about a retiring teacher who has no personality, no emotions, no love and doesn't care about anyone. He never stands up for himself and his wife walks all over him. This is what you'll get for about 90% of this film...but wait for the ending.You remember the ending of Scent of a Woman? Remember when you cheered at the speech Pacino gave? Watch this and see a man with no respect givin him by his peers, wife and his students. Watch him get his self respect back from his peers and his students. Watch him redeem himself.I dare you not to cheer or shed a tear when he finally speaks at his final farewell speech to the students. The ending of this film is all about acting. You don't have to yell and scream and show a lot of emotion to get a point across on film. You just have to do what this guy does....be humble...and honest.Wow...what an ending.

This is an exceptionally written and acted film--one that I strongly recommend. However, I warn you up front that it is often hard to watch because it deals with some very sad and pathetic people--particularly the lead, played by Michael Redgrave. The film is about the final weeks in a job by a long-time teacher at an upper-class British school. It seems that a sickly middle-aged teacher (Redgrave) is leaving and, unfortunately, his leaving isn't causing any sense of loss among the students or faculty. That's because long ago this teacher's spirit dwindled away--much of because he is locked in a loveless marriage. And, over time, his disappointment in love has been translated into a coldness towards his students. It's a fascinating but powerful study of a pathetic man--a man, who at mid-life, has come to realize that his life has been a waste and his wife could care less about him.This is a wonderful film--and an interesting contrast to the old character from "Goodbye, Mr. Chips". While Chips was a bit stuffy, he adored his students and was beloved...whereas, with the character from this film Redgrave plays a man who is bitter and sad...yet by the end manages to keep some level of self-respect.By the way, my wife hated that this film never really got to the heart of why the teacher and his wife were so cold towards each other. There is a scene that alludes, mildly, to perhaps him being impotent or perhaps even gay--but she needed to know this in order to love the film and was disappointed it was never revealed. See the IMDb trivia for more on this, by the way.

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.