On a side note, these films that you find by yourself rather than by recommendation seem to be more enjoyable. It is probably because you have not heard any hype about them so you don't expect anything. If they are bad, well, you just forget about them. But if they are goo, you are out for a treat.
The Browning Version definitely belongs to these treats. It is based on a play by Terence Rattigan. The play depicts the life in a typical British private school with its teachers and pupils. It centers on a schoolteacher Andrew Crocker-Harris, rather an unusual persona who is not very sociable, nor charismatic and who is shown in his relationships with other people including his wife, his colleagues, his boss and his pupils. It starts pretty much the way you expect such characters live but gradually, then suddenly, the worm turns and whoa! We have almost a different character. The transformation is truly wonderful.
Crocker-Harris is despised by his pupils but one of them feels pity for him and that line in the movie has certainly the most interesting development. He is despised by his wife and that turns out to be another story line. He is pitied and by his colleagues and that turns out really unexpectedly. All these stories are intertwined and together they form the most intricate but elegant plot. At the end he finally realizes what his life was all about and get well deserved admiration and respect.
The acting in this movie is very good. The actor in the principle role is Michael Redgrave is superb. It is especially amazing as the movie is very old: it was released in 1951. If you want to know what this actor is capable of, just watch him in another movie by the same director Anthony Asquith The Importance of Being Earnest. It is hard to believe it's the same actor. I think he really enjoys acting and puts all his soul in his work. Other actors in the movie are great too, especially the boy Brian Smith as Taplow.
The film has a good ending too, which is another credit for it. So many movies are ruined by weak finishes.
So if you are interested, check it out, I think you'll like it if you enjoy British literature.
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