Customer Reviews

This Sporting Life [ NON-USA FORMAT, PAL, Reg.2 Import - Spain ]

5 star:		(20)
4 star:		(7)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This masterpiece by Lindsay Anderson should be on any film aficionado's must-see list. It is an uncompromising study of alienation, social class, maturity, and loneliness. Richard Harris gives a performance of astonishing realism: it seems unlikely he could ever surpass it. The character moves from physicalized anger to tenderness often within a moment. Harris builds to a completely believable dramatic eruption by the climax. He is matched all along the way by Rachel Roberts, a great actress in an unforgettable role: a woman unwilling to let go of the past and the pain it contains.

Anderson populates the film with several other memorable characters--an older man who seems to be in love with the hero, the grasping team-owner's wife who wishes to possess him.

The film contains scenes of nearly unbearable intensity and anguish (Frank's drunken ballad sung in a bar, or Margaret's pleading to be left alone). Also of note is the film's unusual structure, functioning on two levels at once: in "real time" and in Frank's memory, which he may be coloring by his own reactions (something for the viewer to contemplate).

The black and white cinematography is often beautiful as it poeticizes Frank's plight (for example, near the end of the film, he ends up wandering along moonlit railway tracks in a world of steely, silvery loneliness. Also of note, the wonderfully nightmarish music by Roberto Gerhard, an avant-garde composer who differed with the director on the scoring the film.

See the film on DVD for maximum quality. Although the disc contains no special features, it is good to know this great picture has been preserved in the new medium.

I am pleased to see that Criterion has recently introduced the work of British director Lindsay Anderson to its oeuvre of classic and/or challenging films. Anderson may not have great name recognition to modern audiences (although he made films as late as 1993), but his movies were pivotal in helping to establish a more realistic and topical British film industry of the sixties. Many of Anderson's films featured an "angry young man" antihero as their protagonist, and this lent a certain toughness to his work that became his early trademark. With the inclusion of "If..." and now "This Sporting Life" in the Criterion collection, I hope younger film enthusiasts will check into Anderson's legacy!

Highlighted by a gritty realism that captures both the world of rugby and working class England, "This Sporting Life" is primarily a romance--albeit an unlikely one. Richard Harris is full of bravado and arrogance as a young rugby player who sees the sport as an opportunity to raise his income, if not exactly his station. Embraced and exploited by the ball club, he soon becomes seduced by success. But really, he just wants to feel acceptance--particularly from the widow who rents him a room. Rachel Roberts is a vital blend of strength and vulnerability in this role. This is perhaps her finest screen performance. As her resistance gives way to moments of joy and back again--every feeling is telegraphed by her face. This slow-burning romance inevitably erupts in a fury and passion rarely seen in film--and this remarkable duo are given the opportunity to explode with emotional fireworks.

The social aspects and commentary that mark Anderson's film career are all present in "This Sporting Life." However, by focusing on the intimacy of the central protagonists, the film comes across more as a character study than message movie. The screenplay is tight and honest, and the film really challenges the viewer to delve into the darkest parts of Harris' emotional state. Not a particularly upbeat film, "This Sporting Life" might not be for everyone. But for those that enjoy remarkable performances and serious drama, it's hard not to appreciate the film's adult tone.

Check out Anderson's work and specifically "This Sporting Life." Both Harris and Roberts garnered Oscar nominations for their roles, and it is easy to see why! Powerful and even brutal, this "Life" proves that relationships can be as tough as a contact sport! KGHarris, 11/07.

While viewing this film again recently, I was curious to see if it has lost any of its edge since I first saw it almost 40 years ago. It hasn't. In fact, in light of almost daily revelations of inappropriate (if not illegal) conduct by professional and even by so-called amateur athletes, it has perhaps even more relevance today. In my opinion, Richard Harris (Frank Machin) delivers his finest performance as a coal miner in Northern England (Yorkshire) who gains fame and fortune as a professional rugby player. I am reminded of Scorcese and De Niro's presentation of Jake La Motta in Raging Bull. (Both athletes fail in their personal relationships for precisely the same reasons they succeed in competition.) Rachel Roberts plays Mrs. Hammond, the only person Machin sincerely cares about, other than himself. Most of the time, she endures his use and abuse of her but in one memorable scene, she confronts him as the arrogant bully he is. He appreciates her only after....

David Storey wrote the screenplay based on his novel (same title) and, under Lindsay Anderson's crisp and sure direction, each member of the cast delivers a superb performance, including Glenda Jackson in what I think is her debut role. The colorful, often violent action on various playing fields is effectively portrayed, in stunning contrast with the drab lives of those who cheer on the teams. Credit Denys Coop for the cinematography. In essence, this film explores the nature and extent of one man's raw ambition and almost animalistic determination as his natural talents enable him to seize opportunities available to few others. Comparisons of This Sporting Life with Raging Bull are not a stretch. (Presumably De Niro saw this film prior to portraying La Motta. Did Harris see Brando in On the Waterfront before portraying Machin?) This is a dark film in terms of its tone and setting; also in terms of what it reveals about the values of young men such as Machin whose fame and fortune can be gone so quickly, and often unexpectedly. Then what? Within its own self-imposed limits, this is a "classic" film.

Richard Harris is superb (and so young!) as a driven but unsophisticated rugby player struggling to make something of himself. He becomes involved with his grieving landlady, a widow, and persists in trying to get her to feel something for him. Everything is a struggle for the characters in this film, which is realistic but evokes time creatively via flashbacks and cuts to create a stong emotional impact. Lots of mud and broken teeth in the very gritty rugby scenes.

Richard Harris uses all his knowledge and love of rugby football in his award nominated role. If the footballing parts of this movie are not for the faint hearted, then neither is the harsh look at life in north of England. This is no romantic comedy but the best film of it's genre. A classic of 1960's British movies!

Richard Harris: Early Roles

Though Richard Harris starred in a couple of classic films in the 1990's (The Field, Unforgiven) his career has been highly inconsistent and many of his 70's and 80's roles were just plain forgettable. He is, nonetheless, an actor with undeniable appeal and an actor who is revered by other actors if not by the general public. I think this is mainly due to his early work. The two films that I associate Harris with are Lindsay Anderson's This Sporting Life (1963) & Michelangelo Antonioni's Red Desert (1965). Both of these films are must-sees for cinema fans. The Anderson film is perfectly suited to Harris' raw talent and temperamant as Harris was himself a pro Rugby player. Personally, however, I prefer the Antonioni film which casts a much matured & much mellowed Richard Harris who has refined his talent & temperament and his acting style. Nonetheless, the Anderson film is every bit as good as many critics say it is even though its hard not to think of the more appealing Brando film On the Waterfront while watching it. In This Sporting Life, Harris essentially plays the animal side of himself (with a dose of Brando thrown in for good measure); in Red Desert Harris is forced to draw upon the more refined side of his character and the performance is fascinating; in Red Desert Harris' character is, in turns, hot with interest & emotion and cold with indifference.

Richard Harris & Marlon Brando as Working Class Heroes

Like Brando, Harris posseses an abundance of both proud masculine prowess & sleek feminine grace; and both actors find compelling ways to use their natural qualities. Some criticize Harris for copying Brando's acting style and I think that is a fair criticism as there are a handful of scenes that are very much Brando impersonations, but I also think that the Harris performance and the film overall cannot be dismissed as merely a British take on method acting or a British re-make of On the Waterfront. While both films are about working class athletes, they are each about very different kinds of characters in very different kinds of social systems and each character has very different kinds of hurdles to overcome. On the Waterfront has a lot going for it because Brando plays a much more likable character than does Richard Harris and this is partly because the Brando character really has no awareness of just how corrupt the game and humanity are until it is too late. The oft quoted revelation scene in On the Waterfront is justly famous. But the Harris character in This Sporting Life never really shows any vulnerability because he is never fooled by his handlers. He is smart enough to know what he's getting into when he signs up with the City League; he knows who he works for; how much he gets paid; and what the game is all about. There is no real moment of innocence lost because there never was any innocence to begin with. Harris is excellent (almost as excellent as Brando), but because the character he plays is intelligent he is also less sympathetic than the Brando character who is not. We tend to view Brando as the innocent victim of a corrupt community/sport/nation/humanity while we see Harris less as a victim than as a willing accomplice in his own downfall/destruction. We also tend to think that had Harris's character simply read less sensationalistic literature, or been more of a team player on the Rugby field and off, he would have been more likely to mature in more refined ways and actually develop emotional attachments. This might be a comment about class but its also a way of making it more difficult to read the character simply as a victim of class exploitation.

American and British Social Reality

Finally, what unites these two films is their social content. In the British film This Sporting Life, Harris' character never really thinks social mobility or self-transformation is really a possibility and this is one reason he clings to the very symbol of working class squalor: the single mother with two kids. Whereas in the American film On the Waterfront social mobility and self-transformation is a dream that rarely leaves the Brando character's mind. This is perhaps the key difference between the British and the American visions of class in life and in film. The British are uncomfortable with social mobility and tend to feel more comfortable when class distinctions are clearly demarcated; while the Americans, at least in theory and in art, tend to view people not according to class but according to their aspirations and accomplishments. In the end,both films suggest that class is a social determinant, but neither film really suggests that class is the sole determinant.

One further note: The producer of This Sporting Life was Karel Reisz who later directed a very interesting film that also deals with class & education & identity & self-destruction called The Gambler starring James Caan.

This drama offers a gripping story and outstanding performances. The affair between a frigid widow and a professional rugby player who carries the violence of the football field into his personal life is painfully detailed and will have you captivated throughout the whole film.
A powerful film characteristic of the British dramas of the 50s and 60s based on working class life in rural England. Director Lindsay Anderson is one of the major contributors to this genre.

This is the British "Streetcar Named Desire." Harris rock and rolls as an unforgiving animal rugger. His passion and rage will blow you away, plus lots o' good ruby scenes.

I've seen this film roughly seven times and each time I grow to love it even more. It's sublimely acted, ferociously directed and brilliantly constructed. The script is poignant and focused; the mood and atmosphere is masterfully conflicted (yes, I said and mean conflicted; it's a brilliant take on conflicting emotions) and the overall feel this film delivers is one of pure satisfaction, even if the film is heartbreakingly bleak and somber.

The film tells the story of Frank Machin, a young gruff man who allows Rugby fame to go to his head and destroy his hopes for a happy life. Renting a room from a young widow named Margaret, Frank finds himself wanting to be a center part of her family (she has young children) but is constantly finding himself on the outskirts due to his demeanor. He is segregated from the team despite his athletic ability and ferocious drive. He has one loyal friend in Maurice, a fellow teammate, but his own selfishness causes him to almost reject Maurice's friendship.

Frank is a mess of man who hasn't a chance.

The film works as two films; an exciting and engrossing sports story as well as a thought provoking character study. The story is told through flashbacks that tell us a little at a time the type of man Frank is and the effect he has on the people around him. His relationship with Margaret seems to be the central theme running throughout the film, and the final explosive confrontation between the two is the most profound scene in the film, tying up all out thoughts of this man and our reservations about his future.

This is one of those rare films that fully explains it's character, for when the credit begin to roll you feel as if you truly know this man. Director Lindsay Anderson brilliantly weaves this tale together with such fluidity that we are drawn in by every frame. He presents such a solid case for us, reflecting on Machin's social standing as well as his dire loneliness to flesh out this man; and in the process he taps into the alienation and resentment that festers under the skin of those around him, namely Margaret.

I am a firm believer in the fact that Richard Harris should have won the Oscar for his riveting portrayal of Frank Machin. Yes, I know, I've mentioned this before in my review of `Lilies of the Field', but it bears repeating. Harris is leagues ahead of the performance that actually won that year, so far ahead in fact that it is an insult to have lost; truly. He captures the inner struggle of this man with delicate precision on dire determination. You cannot take your eyes off this man as he constructs this man from the ground up and delivers a blisteringly real performance. He is aided by Rachel Roberts, who was also outstanding, as well as Alan Badel, William Hartnell and the Oscar snubbed Colin Blakely who brilliantly counteracts Harris's harshness with a solid and joyful supporting performance.

All around this is a home run, or should I say touchdown.

One of the greatest sports films ever made Lindsay Anderson's This Sporting Life is a film that while not always easy to watch demands to be seen. Richard Harris, in a Cannes best actor winning role, plays Frank Machin, a ex coal miner who becomes a rugy star in his north London community. Machin is a broodish brute of a man trying to escape his social situation in the only way he knows how by playing violent City League rugby. His success on the field is mirrored by his loneliness and detachment off the field as he attempts to gain the love of his emotionally dead widow landlady Margaret Hammond (Rachel Roberts).

This film forms the template for many of the great sports films that followed it. It was especially important to Martin Scorsese in his film Raging Bull. Harris'performance is incredible. It is almost as if he were channeling Brando's performance in On the Waterfront. The film's structure is also unique. Machin's story is told in a series of flashbacks on the day that he got his teeth knocked out on the rugby field.

This film offers an emotional rollercoaster ride like no other that I've seen recently.Shot in harsh white light by Denys Coop. The color palette matches the loneliness and social stratification felt by the main characters. This is not an easy film to watch but it does have its rewards. This is part of the origins of the so-called angry young man cinema of the 1960's. It was this type of film that introduced the world to Britain's working class.

I viewed this film in the Paramount VHS edition which provided an adequate viewing experience. The film is available in a rare DVD edition. The costly nature makes purchase of the DVD impossible for me but it is my understanding that there are no special features.

Do yourself a favor and seek it out. View it as a great sports film or social commentary but see it.