THE BROWNING VERSION (1951)

The ‘tasteful’ work of British filmmaker Anthony Asquith & scripter Terrence Rattigan made easy pickin’s in the days of gonzo film criticism. But there’s little sense (or justice) in drubbing their achievements just to celebrate more disreputable things. There’s room enough for both. (Daniel Mann’s stiff version of Rattigan’s SEPARATE TABLES shows how deceptively tough these adaptations can be.) This haunting, melancholy work about a mediocre ‘Public’ school master whose life has grown cold to the touch holds up beautifully, far better than the ill-conceived Mike Figgis remake. While the restraint that’s built into the material may look like stiff upper lip sentimentality, time has revealed an enriching pentimento of sub-text in much of Rattigan’s work. As the failed husband & teacher, Michael Redgrave gives a bravura perf scaled to fit on a pinhead; Jean Kent allows us to see right thru her horrid behavior as his resentful wife; while Nigel Patrick makes a real character out of a largely structural element and Brian Smith is memorable as the polite student whose eponymous gift provides a merciful balm.