Genre:
Drama
Release Date: 01/22/2008
Dubbed: English
Sound: DD1
Run Time: 134 Minutes
Flags: Adult Situations, Questionable for Children
Distributor/Studio: Criterion
Adapted by
David Storey from his own novel,
This Sporting Life stars
Richard Harris as
Frank, an athletic coal miner who aspires to the greener pastures of professional rugby. Soon establishing himself as one of the most brutal and arrogant players in the business,
Frank begins to amass a fortune. He also falls in love with his landlady,
Mrs. Hammond (
Rachel Roberts), who initially resists his advances. When she finally gives in, their relationship hinges on sex alone, as
Frank practically begs
Mrs. Hammond to give of herself emotionally and she remains incapable. At the wedding ceremony for one of
Frank's teammates,
Mrs. Hammond unexpectedly lashes out at her swaggering lover. They split up, but
Frank, who until now has equated happiness with wealth, is unable to get over the permanent loss. In the end, with nothing else left, all of
Frank's self-worth becomes contingent on his rugby performances, though
Frank and the other players are exploited to such a degree that this also proves disastrous. Widely regarded as one of the finest British feature films ever produced, the gritty and bleak
This Sporting Life not only marked former
documentary filmmaker
Lindsay Anderson's first feature, but became one of the harbingers of the "Angry Young Man" school of filmmaking.
~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
;)
