perigord

The Browning Version (1994)

Albert Finney at his best

The movie lives with the superior performance of Albert Finney, who puts Crocker-Harris alive so tremendously, that you can't help but suffer with him. So much that you nearly wish to jump into the screen… ...to support that poor man in his struggle against unfairness.

Finney plays a senior teacher at an English elite school, who is not very popular, even addressed with the nickname "Hitler" of his form, due to his severe strictness and dry adoration for the classical, but dead poets of ancient Greek and Latin. As a perfect British gentleman he is tied by fully self-controlled formality, holding back all his emotions. He is totally obliged to conventions, always saying yes to everything. Except once.