Look Back In Anger

[charliechaplinfan]

I've wanted to watch this movie for so long, the DVD companies just kept passing over it and finally it has been released. It's the first of the angry young men movies to come out of Britain. Written by John Osbourne, it was a hit on the British stage, it must have caught the British by surprise after the niceties of plays by Terence Rattigan. I can see similarities between this and A Street Car Named Desire, lower class men, middle class women, mild mannered friend.

Any film that stars Richard Burton and Claire Bloom is bound to be worth watching but for me the best performance is given by Mary Ure, she's more naturalistic and her character has dignity despite having indignity and after indignity heaped upon her by Jimmy and then by her friend Eleanor. The chemistry between Richard Burton and Claire Bloom is evident, they had starred on stage previously.

I hadn't expected Jimmy Porter to be as angry as he was, I struggled to see any redeeming features at all. I'm not sure he'd had an awakening at the end of the film. He'd spent time with Eleanor never seeming to miss Alison, Eleanor is even referred to as his wife. Jimmy doesn't break with Eleanor, Eleanor breaks it after meeting Alison in a cafe and realising how she had suffered in the meantime.

I can only imagine that Alison just can't bear to be without Jimmy, he's Richard Burton, the man with the gorgeous voice but I can't buy Jimmy's charisma.

All this said, I did like the film and want to see it again because I felt that there was so much I didn't understand.

[stuart.uk]

Alison

As I'v said many times I find myself comparing the Burton/Ure partnership both in LOBIA and Where Eagles Dare, in which they are romatically involved in both films. In both films Burton plays men of violence, but while Ure is the victim of his abuse in LBIA, she is very much his equal in WED, as capable as he is at kicking ass. In WED I thought Mary Ure one of the first great action heroines

It's a while since I've seen LBIA, but if I remember while he beat up wife Alison, Billy despite his treats to do so never laid a hand on mistress Claire Bloom, yet it was Alison that was his true love.

[charliechaplinfan]

Yes, it's very complex. Perhaps Alison allowed herself to be his victim whereas Eleanor never would. I haven't seen Where Eagles Dare, even though it's one of my hubby's favorites. I'm not sure that Richard Burton was the best casting in this film, he was too old, 25 is mentioned as his age, not in any stretch of the imagination could he have passed for that. it would have been better not to mention an age.

A couple of nights before I watched This Sporting Life, this too left me with questions and the knowledge that I would revisit it again just like Look Back In Anger.

Of all the angry young men films my favorite remains A Kind Of Loving.

[stuart.uk]

Alison

Spolier alert

Are you aware of the tv series of A Kind Of Loving. I think it was better than the film and probably closer to the book. Clive Wood played Vic, who worked in a music shop and liked classical music. Joanna Whalley played Ingrid, who liked Tommy Steele in his pop star days. At the end of the film Vic, who now owns the music shop, and Ingrid reunite, but in the series the story carries on from there and they split up, they had nothing in common. Vic, a few yrs later falls for an actress Donna, played by Susan Penhaligan, with whom he had more in common

[charliechaplinfan]

I've heard of the TV series but so often with favorites, no one can take their place. Part of my fondness for the film is that it was filmed around here and I can recognise the places. Another fondness is Alan Bates, he is my favorite of all the actors who came through around that time. There's just something extra special there.

[charliechaplinfan]

I didn't know it existed. Thanks for that Kingrat.

[stuart.uk]

Alison

One of the things This Sporting Life is that it reminds me of the days sportsmen, particulary Rugby League players didn't earn a lot of money. I get the impression the players of the sport in the 21st Century have a much more lavish lifestyle than lodger Richard Harris did in the film.

[charliechaplinfan]

Yes, how times have changed. I don't think football players earned that much. I'm not a huge supporter of either, thankfully because the cost of tickets for the games these days is astronomical. What happened to the days when it was a rite of passage for a young boy to go to a game of football with his Dad?