History Theatre / TheBrowningVersion

There have been numerous film and television adaptations of the play. The most famous is a 1951 production, directed by Anthony Asquith and starring Creator/MichaelRedgrave as Crocker-Harris. Redgrave won the Best Actor Award at Cannes Film Festival, and his performance continues to be regarded as an acting tour de force. A 1985 BBC television production starring Creator/IanHolm and Creator/JudiDench was also well-received. A 1994 remake, directed by Mike Figgis and starring Creator/AlbertFinney, Greta Scacchi and Matthew Modine, received mixed reviews. Many critics disliked the SettingUpdate and alterations to the play, though Finney's performance was generally praised.

* ArmorPiercingSlap: Millie gives Frank one, though it has the opposite effect of what's intended.

* ReassignedToAntarctica: Crocker-Harris' upcoming job is implied to be this.

* WorldOfCardboardSpeech: Crocker-Harris gives a long and moving one to Gilbert, his successor, admitting why and how he failed as a teacher.

Despite its brief length, ''The Browning Version'' is often considered Rattigan's best work (along with ''Film/TheDeepBlueSea'' and ''Literature/TheWinslowBoy''). It serves as a {{Deconstruction}} of the inspirational teacher genre: Crocker-Harris is neither that nor a SadistTeacher, but portrayed sympathetically as a man who lost his way and never achieved his potential.

There have been numerous film and television adaptations of the play. The most famous is a 1951 production, directed by Anthony Asquith and starring Creator/MichaelRedgrave as Crocker-Harris. Redgrave won the Best Actor Award at Cannes Film Festival, and his performance continues to be regarded as an acting tour de force. A 1985 BBC television production starring Creator/IanHolm and Creator/JudiDench was also well-received. A 1994 remake, directed by Mike Figgis and starring Creator/AlbertFinney and Greta Scacchi, received mixed reviews. Many critics disliked the SettingUpdate and alterations to the play, though Finney's performance was generally praised.

'''''The Browning Version''''' is a one-act play by Terence Rattigan, originally written and performed in 1948.

* SympatheticAdulterer: Played with regarding Millie. She certainly has an understandable reason for growing apart from Andrew, but she's so blunt and mean it's hard to like her. The '94 film definitely makes her more sympathetic.

There have been numerous film and television adaptations of the play. The most famous is a 1951 production, directed by Anthony Asquith and starring Creator/MichaelRedgrave as Crocker-Harris. Redgrave won the Best Actor Award at Cannes Film Festival, and his performance continues to be regarded as an acting tour de force. A 1985 BBC television production starring Creator/IanHolm and Creator/JudiDench was also well-received. A 1994 remake, directed by Mike Figgis and starring Creator/AlbertFinney and Greta Scacchi, received mixed reviews. Many critics disliked the SettingUpdate and alterations to the play, though Finney's performance was universally praised.

There have been numerous film and television adaptations of the play. The most famous is a 1951 production, directed by Anthony Asquith and starring Creator/MichaelRedgrave as Crocker-Harris. Redgrave won the Best Actor Award at Cannes Film Festival, and his performance continues to be regarded as an acting tour de force by modern audiences. A 1985 BBC television production starring Creator/IanHolm and Creator/JudiDench was also well-received. A 1994 remake, directed by Mike Figgis and starring Creator/AlbertFinney and Greta Scacchi, received mixed reviews. Many critics disliked the SettingUpdate and alterations to the play, though Finney's performance was universally praised.

* BittersweetEnding: In both feature film adaptations, Crocker-Harris has to leave without a pension and his future career has little prospect of academic or social distinction. But he has managed to break away from his wife, potentially found a new friend in Frank Hunter, and can now look forward to the completion of the book he started long ago.

* HopeSpot: When Crocker-Harris receives Taplow's gift. Only for Millie to ruin it.
* ICouldaBeenAContender: Probably what gives the play its tragic core. Crocker-Harris was as brilliant as the new Classics Master, Gilbert, if not more so, but he let all of that slip after his disastrous marriage.

* NotSoStoic: Crocker-Harris breaks down crying when Taplow gifts him a copy of the ''Theatre/{{Agamemnon}}''.

** Also true for Creator/MichaelRedgrave in the 1951 version; Redgrave was also only 43, but had his hair bleached and shaved the crown of his head to create a bald patch so that he looked closer to 60.

** Also true for Creator/MichaelRedgrave in the 1951 version; Redgrave was also only 43, but was made up to look closer to 60.

* BittersweetEnding: Crocker-Harris has to leave without a pension and his future career will be low in prestige, but he has managed to break away from his wife, potentially found a new friend in Frank Hunter, and can now look forward to the completion of the book he started long ago.

* DefrostingIceQueen: Andrew Crocker-Harris during the course of his last day at work. It arguably starts with Taplow's attempt to inject life into his translation of the ''Agamemnon'', which moves Crocker-Harris to bring up his own youthful and passionate translation. From then on, Crocker-Harris begins to think more and more of [[ICouldaBeenAContender what he could have been]], and what he has become.

* ManlyTears: The pivotal scene in the story is Taplow's gifting of Robert Browning's version of ''Agamemnon'' to Crocker-Harris with the Greek inscription "God looks graciously upon a gentle master", which moves Crocker-Harris to tears because it is the first act of kindness he has received after a series of snubs and disappointments.

There have been numerous film and television adaptations of the play. The most famous is a 1951 production, directed by Anthony Asquith and starring Creator/MichaelRedgrave as Crocker-Harris. Redgrave won the Best Actor Award at Cannes Film Festival for his performance, which continues to be regarded as an acting tour de force by modern critics. A 1985 BBC television production starring Creator/IanHolm and Creator/JudiDench was also well-received. A 1994 remake, directed by Mike Figgis and starring Creator/AlbertFinney and Greta Scacchi, received mixed reviews. Many critics disliked the SettingUpdate and alterations to the play, though Finney's performance was universally praised.

There have been numerous film and television adaptations of the play. The most famous is a 1951 production, directed by Anthony Asquith and starring Creator/MichaelRedgrave as Crocker-Harris. A 1985 BBC television production starring Creator/IanHolm and Creator/JudiDench was also well-received. A 1994 remake, directed by Mike Figgis and starring Creator/AlbertFinney and Greta Scacchi, received mixed reviews. Many critics disliked the SettingUpdate and alterations to the play, though Finney's performance was universally praised.

There have been numerous film and television adaptations of the play. The most famous is a 1951 production, directed by Anthony Asquith and starring Michael Redgrave as Crocker-Harris. A 1985 BBC television production starring Creator/IanHolm and Creator/JudiDench was also well-received. A 1994 remake, directed by Mike Figgis and starring Creator/AlbertFinney and Greta Scacchi, received mixed reviews. Many critics disliked the SettingUpdate and alterations to the play, though Finney's performance was universally praised.

'''The Browning Version''' is a one-act play by Terence Rattigan, originally written and performed in 1948.

There have been numerous film and television adaptations of the play. The most famous is a 1951 production, directed by Anthony Asquith and starring Michael Redgrave as Crocker-Harris. A 1985 BBC television production starring Ian Holm and Creator/JudiDench was also well-received. A 1994 remake, directed by Mike Figgis and starring Creator/AlbertFinney and Greta Scacchi, received mixed reviews. Many critics disliked the SettingUpdate and alterations to the play, though Finney's performance was universally praised.

* NotSoStoic: Crocker-Harris breaks down crying when Taplow gifts him a copy of the ''{{Agamemnon}}''.

* TitleDrop: The title refers to Creator/RobertBrowning's translation of Creator/{{Aeschylus}}'s ''{{Agamemnon}}''. Taplow finds a copy and gives it to Crocker-Harris.

* BrutalHonesty: Millie practices this throughout. Late in the play, Frank rounds it on her, with devastating effect.

* ItsAllMyFault: Both film versions end with Crocker-Harris apologizing to the student body and admitting his failures. Think of it as a self-administered TheReasonYouSuckSpeech.
* JerkassHasAPoint: Millie's not wrong when she asks Andrew why he won't stand up for himself against the Headmaster or other teachers. Even he concedes as much.

* EndOfAnAge: Both film versions heavily play up that Crocker-Harris's teaching style and Classics generally are out of place in the modern day.

* ItsAllMyFault: Both film versions end with Crocker-Harris admitting he's failed as a teacher. Think of it as a self-administered TheReasonYouSuckSpeech.

* NotSoStoic: Crocker-Harris breaks down crying when Taplow gifts him a copy of the ''Agamemnon.''