The
lowdown: Set in Yorkshire in the 1960s, 'This Sporting Life'
is the story of Frank Machin (Richard Harris),
a coal miner who dreams
of bettering himself by becoming a professional rugby league player. His
jealousy of
the captain of the local
team prompts him to pick a fight with the man in a nightclub, and Machin
then asks the
ageing talent scout, 'Dad'
Johnson (William Hartnell), to organise a trial with the local team. The
owner of the
team, Gerald Weaver (Alan
Badel) is impressed by Machin's rugby skills and he is signed up, although
team
manager Charles Slomer (Arthur
Lowe) is not convinced that his brutal style of play is appropriate for
the team.
However, Weaver agrees to
Machin's demand for a sign-on fee of 1,000 pounds.
Machin's on-field success
quickly leads to fame, fortune and the attentions of women, but his new-found
wealth
soon goes to his head. He
buys an expensive car and courts his landlady, Margaret Hammond (Rachel
Roberts),
a widow with two young whose
husband died in an accident at Weaver's company. She is still mourning
for her
late husband and cannot
return his affections, while Weaver's wife tries to seduce him. Machin
had developed a
friendship of sorts with
Johnson, but shuns the old man after his on-field success. Meanwhile, Machin
is unable
to control his violent streak,
both on and off the playing field, and he hits Hammond after she reveals
that she is
not able to return his feelings.
He moves out of her home after an argument about her late husband, but
quickly
rushes to her hospital bed
when he learns that she has suffered a cerebral hemorrhage. She dies without
having
regained consciousness,
and all Machin has left is his football...
The story is told largely
in a series of flashbacks, with Machin reminiscing about his rise as a
rugby player while
sitting in a dentist's chair
after having two teeth knocked out during a match. The film, which is often
described
as a kitchen-sink drama,
is a bleak and gritty look at working-class life in 1960s England, and
the rugby scenes
are very realistic. It is
highly recommended for people who enjoy classic British films (and league
fans). Harris is
brilliant, and he was nominated
for both a BAFTA and an Academy Award in 1964, while the supporting cast
are
also excellent. It was one
of Hartnell's last film roles before stepping into the Tardis.
Video
clips: A visit
to the dentist 7.4mb
Frank and Johnson
12.1mb
Video
clips: Frank is signed
up 3.2mb
Frank played a blinder
9.7mb |
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