This is an excellent film for the moviegoer who likes to explore the different genres of movie-making. I would hesitate to recommend it as mainstream entertainment. It is too slow and moody for most viewers.
The social milieu of the new wave of British realism in the 50's and 60's is often marked by stark photography, aimless human lives and strict social mores. This one is part of that genre. Class clearly was at the core of this brand of cinema and the entrapment that many working class people found themselves in.
Possibly motivated by the need to expose these class distinctions, director, John Schlesinger, (and others like Tony Richardson) did not hesitate to show the fate of those on the other side of the tracks, often set in towns and cities of Northern England.
It is noteworthy to see the portrayal of a young man who gives up his dreams (travel and career) to marry his pregnant girlfriend. In an age when males are often portrayed as cads, this film is a fitting counterpoint. Being badgered by both wife and mother-in-law is what he gets for fulfilling his social obligation.
The role of Vic Brown is played by Alan Bates in one of his earliest roles. This actor, who died only a few years ago, left a strong film legacy along with many of his contemporaries...Richard Harris, Albert Finney, Tom Courtenay, Rachel Roberts, and some others. Bates gives a fine character portrayal that is well worth watching 45 years on.
The social milieu of the new wave of British realism in the 50's and 60's is often marked by stark photography, aimless human lives and strict social mores. This one is part of that genre. Class clearly was at the core of this brand of cinema and the entrapment that many working class people found themselves in.
Possibly motivated by the need to expose these class distinctions, director, John Schlesinger, (and others like Tony Richardson) did not hesitate to show the fate of those on the other side of the tracks, often set in towns and cities of Northern England.
It is noteworthy to see the portrayal of a young man who gives up his dreams (travel and career) to marry his pregnant girlfriend. In an age when males are often portrayed as cads, this film is a fitting counterpoint. Being badgered by both wife and mother-in-law is what he gets for fulfilling his social obligation.
The role of Vic Brown is played by Alan Bates in one of his earliest roles. This actor, who died only a few years ago, left a strong film legacy along with many of his contemporaries...Richard Harris, Albert Finney, Tom Courtenay, Rachel Roberts, and some others. Bates gives a fine character portrayal that is well worth watching 45 years on.