THIS SPORTING LIFE

UK, 1963, 128 minutes, Black and white.
Richard Harris, Rachel Roberts, Alan Badel, William Hartnell, Colin Blakely, Arthur Lowe.
Directed by Lindsay Anderson.

This Sporting Life is one of the best of the English dramas of the early '60s. The angry young men had made their mark in English literature, drama and cinema in the late '50s - people like John Osborne, and Tony Richardson directing his films; Karel Reisz and Alan Sillitoe and the filming of Saturday Night and Sunday Morning. Richardson, Reisz and others joined with Lindsay Anderson to form a group making films of these glimpses of life in its harshness and reality. Reisz produced This Sporting Life and asked Anderson to direct. Anderson had made only short features and was a prominent stage director. He made his mark with his few films: If, 0 Lucky Man, and the American Film Theatre version of In Celebration. Collaboration by David Storey, author of This Sporting Life, was considerable in Anderson's films.

Anderson also drew one of Richard Harris' best performances from him. Harris won and Oscar nomination. Rachel Roberts has seldom been better than she is in this film. There is an excellent supporting cast and each of the characters is brought vividly to life. The film, while a slice of life, is presented generally in flashbacks and is really the portrait of an ordinary man with a driving ambition. He wants to succeed in football and does, unscrupulously. He also has a sensitive side but is unable to communicate it to a widow, Margaret Hammond, played by Rachel Roberts. The end is tragic. However, Frank Machin, the hero, has to live on. There is strength, passion, vision and involvement in the film and this is dramatically communicated to its audience. An excellent film which has stood very well the passing of years.

1. The impact of this film? Its humanity, passion, authenticity?

2. The qualities of British production? The realism, toughness? The adaptation from a novel? Lindsay Anderson and his stage work? The strength of the black and white photography, the blending of reality and imagination? The musical score?

3. The screenplay and its structure: the audience involved in the middle of the story, the flashbacks into Frank's life, career, relationship with Mrs. Hammond? The progress on the Christmas Eve and his going to the party and the further flashbacks? The thrust forward from the Christmas Eve party? The dramatic impact of this presentation of past, present and future? The significance of the past within the conflicts of the present? The flashbacks highlighting Frank's opportunities and the different roads that he might have taken? The motives for his taking various decisions and paths and their repercussions? Audience involvement with the character via the flashback technique?

4. The film's award nominations, prizes? Its classic status? Its impact in its time, in succeeding decades? Audience response and involvement?

5. The significance and tone of the title? Its ironies? The humour and pleasant side of sporting life and chances? The competitiveness and goals of sport? Sport used as fact, symbol? A mode of observation of life as well as a critique?

6. The presentation of football as the symbolic and realistic sport? The opening sequence and its reality, hard play, strategies and techniques, the managers, the supporters? The mystique of football and competition? The fans on the weekend and their glorifying their sporting heroes? A man's sport and the focus on the masculine ethos? Teamwork, individuals and self assertion as well as work within the team? The need to win, tactics, glory? The horseplay at the background of the serious sport - the showers and baths and the horseplay there, the parties, the awards? The drinking and comradeship? The importance of success and being in favour? The comments on footballers seeming to be apes on the field - the way this was visualised? As a fair comment on the reality? The insertion of the various football sequences into the film for its pacing? The final sequence and the camera with drawing from the game? Football as a context for this presentation and interpretation of an ordinary man's life?

7. The contrast with Frank's sensitive side? His boarding with Margaret, his regard for her, his relating well with the children? Discussing with Margaret? His attitude towards her husband, her polishing the boots? His meals? Her reserve with him and his trying to draw her out? Interest in her? Discussion about the football and her lack of response, her response to the $1000 cheque? Her comments on Johnson and his love for Frank? The more playful side of Margaret and Frank's ability to draw her out? The car, taking the children for a ride? The long picnic sequence and the throwing of the ball, the water? The sexual relationship? His hopes for her? The restaurant sequence and the giving of the fur? The clash especially at the wedding? His being thrown out? His leaving and staying in the doss house? His anguish when he returned and found her in hospital? His grief and presence at her death? The tenderness in him? The other side of the tough exterior? The scream of grief?

8. How well did Richard Harris' performance combine these aspects? The football and the treatment of his teeth? The party and his feelings, memories? His failure with Margaret? His failure at the hospital? The final game and the audience leaving him in the distance playing? The portrait of a man? The symbolism of a man - strong and tender? How well observed, insight into character? His drive, goals, ambitions, experience?

9. Rachel Roberts' portrait of Margaret? Her being seen through Frank's eyes? The audience sharing his perceptions of her, judging her from a different angle? Seeing her at home and the domestic sequences, her reserve, fears? Her comments on Frank and his behaviour, the critical remark, holding in her feelings? Her care for her children? Her needs, having the boarder despite what people would say? Her memories of her husband, the polishing of the boots? The later revelation of the story of his possible suicide and Frank's using it against Margaret? Was it possible? Her laughter at the $1000? Her changing in her attitude, the car ride, the picnic and her standing back and then laughing? The sexual relationship and its intensity? Her response to Frank? Her holding herself in reserve, feeling like a kept woman and despising herself? Her puritanical attitudes, impossibility of enjoyment? Her fears? The gift of the fur and her response, the dinner and her embarrassment? The wedding and her comparisons with herself? The visits to the graves? The anger at Frank and the slaps- at the wedding? Her driving him out? Her illness? The pathos of her death? The portrait of a woman?

10. The significance of the spider in the hospital, Frank killing it, the blood from Margaret's mouth?

11. The portrait of Johnson - the old man and his affection for Frank, following him, being called Dad, wanting to help following the team around, offended when offered money, the visits to Frank, Weaver spurning him? His sudden absence? The father-son relationship, Johnson's love for Frank?

12. The presentation of Weaver and his control of the team, his attitudes at meetings, the bargaining about Frank's salary? The falling out with Frank? The sexual innuendo? His happiness with the team and the singing 'For He's A Jolly Good Fellow'? His wife and her meeting Frank? Mrs. Weaver and her attempts at seducing Frank and his response? Her later ridiculing of Frank? The film's critique of the couple?

13. Slomer and the comparisons with Weaver, his dislike of Weaver, his criticisms of Frank and seeing that he deliberately brutalised the player for his own ambitions? The Christmas party and Slomer's control of Frank?

14. The presentation of the team - the initial fights and Frank's abrasiveness, the captain and his being punched at the dance? Later friendships and concern? Maurice as a good friend? The outing with the girls, Frank's singing in the club? Their discussions about life? Maurice's engagement and wedding? The sketching in of the personalities of the team?

15. The presentation of the team ~ hard play, horseplay? Looking like apes on the field? A just criticism of football?

16. A perceptive view of a particular way of life, the realistic treatment, the insight and perceptions?