Review of The Loneliness of the Long Distance Runner (1962) by Michael G — 06 Apr 2011

The Loneliness Of the Long Distance Runner tells the story of Colin Smith (Tom Courtenay), rebellious, bitter young man from a working-class family. Colin is completely uninterested in school and determined to not follow his recently deceased father into factory work. Colin and his friend Mike (James Bolam) make pocket money from petty crime and go out some days and nights with two young women theyâ(TM)re interested in. They continue until they get pinched by the police after the robbery of a bakerâ(TM)s shop and are sentenced to Borstal, a British reform school. The governor of the school (Michael Redgrave) takes an interest in the young Colin as he sees the young man has God given talent for sprinting as well as long distance running. The Governor wants to use these talents to beat public school Ruxtonâ(TM)s reigning long distance running champ. He sees it as an important way to demonstrate the success of his reformatory program. Colin finds himself torn between pleasing the Governor and his determination to not play along with those he sees as a corrupt system.

Based on a story by author/screenwriter Alan Sillitoe and directed by Tony Richardson, The Loneliness of the Long Distance Runner was a landmark in the British New Wave movement of the late â~50s and early â~60s. It is probably the quintessential film often characterized as the âangry young manâ? movie that captured the bitterness and resentment in the British post-war landscape. This film perfectly captures the genuine rage and bitterness of these young men towards the ruling class and itâ(TM)s when he throws the Borstal race against the public school during the climactic race that the film shows who Colin is rebelling against where he just spits in the face of the establishment when he decides to stop running just before the finish line. Tom Courtenay, who later would star in David Leanâ(TM)s classic epic Doctor Zhivago, made his screen debut in this film as archetypal âangry young manâ? Colin. His debut performance as Colin is a truly striking one, as Courtenayâ(TM)s facial features do not conform to the typical glamorous standards that actors of pre-war cinema had. His face perfectly communicates what the British New Wave was trying to portray in the oppression of the working class. Tony Richardsonâ(TM)s direction is superb throughout; the b&w cinematography is absolutely gorgeous and there is no way that the film would be as effective if it was not shot in black and white. The film, as well as the British New Wave movement, owes a great debt to the French New Wave with the use of on-location shooting with handheld cameras, as well as the jump cuts that made the French New Wave so famous. Itâ(TM)s a film that is just superb. The Loneliness Of the Long Distance Runner is certainly one of the greatest films to have come out of Great Britain and is probably Tony Richardsonâ(TM)s crowning achievement. Highly recommended viewing. 10/10.