The Loneliness of a Long-Distance Runner

The Loneliness of a Long-Distance Runner 1962

• Director: Tony Richardson
• Based on the story by Alan Sillitoe
• Cast: Tom Courtney, Michael Redgrave, Avis Bunnage, Alec McGowen, James Bolam, Topsy Jane, Julia Foster, John Thaw, James Fox
• Personal “oh yeah him/her” reaction, i.e. have seen this actor in:
• Tom Courtney – The Guernsey Potato Peel Pie Literary Society, The Unforgotten, The Quartet, Last Orders, Whatever Happened to Harold Smith?, The Dresser, One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich, Doctor Zhivago
• Michael Redgrave – The Go-Between, Oh What a Lovely War
• Avis Bunnage – Inspector Morse, Gandhi, The Mayor of Casterbridge, Tom Jones
• Alec McGowen – Gangs of New York, Longitude, Henry V, Never Say Never Again, Twelfth Night
• James Bolam – To Kill a King, As You Like It, O Lucky Man
• Julia Foster – Richard III, Henry VI parts 1, 2 and 3, Alfie
• John Thaw – Inspector Morse, Chaplin, The Life and Death of King John
• James Fox – London Spy, Downton Abbey, Merlin, The Kid, Sherlock Holmes, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, The Remains of the Day, As You Like It, Absolute Beginners, Isadora, Thoroughly Modern Millie
• Why? A real classic
• Seen: Twice before. Now 16 February 2020      

       Young Colin (Courtney) comes from a family of runners, mostly from the police. The film opens with him being brought to Borstal prison.

       A series of flashbacks show Colin’s life before prison. His father, a labourer and union activist, is dying, then dies. His mother is having a hard time coping, then with the factory’s death insurance she ups her standard of living. She and Colin do not get along. Colin himself carries on with stealing cars, charming the girls and burgling a bakery.

       In prison he is sullen, bitter and disrespectful, but one of the Governor’s (Redgrave) favourite theories of rehabilitation for the inmates is sports. A public school has agreed to a meet and the most interesting is the long-distance running event. And Colin is a runner. He’s chosen to represent Borstal and on the surface he becomes compliant and eager to please. But he has his own agenda in this bitter class conflict.

       No spoilers, but the first time I saw this film in the 60’s the ending hit me like a ton of bricks. It’s still the best of the angry-young-man films from the Britain of the 60’s and it’s still one of the most powerful films of all time. The black and white photography is beautiful and young Tom Courtney shows all the signs of his continued greatness.

       See it.

5* of 5