The Original Version: “The Browning Version”
Thursday, November 3rd, 2011© A.J. Malouin 2011
(Rating: 4 by A.J. Malouin.) (See our side-bar page “How We Rate Movies”)
(1951/UK. Directed by Anthony Asquith.)
Kudos to Bob, of our “A.J. Malouin’s Movies @ Gayle’s Chocolates” film club, for pointing us at the original version of “The Browning Version.” Over the course of the last three weeks, our club has had the chance to see both the original version and the Mike-Figgis 1994 remake. Our club saw these two versions back-to-back, and agrees that the 1951 version is vastly superior. In it, Michael Redgrave gives what most commentators consider to be the performance of his career.
We could — and permaybe will, later — go on and on about the culture of the original version, and the short-comings of the re-make.
Suffice to writer here, write now, that our club loved the 1951 version, and also loved screening the two versions back-to-back for a discussion of similarities and differences in the two interpretations of the playwright’s original material.
Bottom line? We are on the cusp of creating one of the greatest film review clubs ever! No joke.
[Send your comments to <50films@malouin.us > and we’ll publish them here. —Ed.]