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Movies / On DVD / The Loneliness of the Long Distance Runner
The Loneliness of the Long Distance Runner

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The Loneliness of the Long Distance Runner (1962)

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Reviews Counted:19

Fresh:14

Rotten:5

Average Rating:7.2/10

Consensus: Dry and full of angst, this British New Wave classic features potent social commentary and a star making performance by Tom Courtenay as a textbook example of the "angry young man."

Rated: 12A

Runtime: 2 hrs 14 mins

Genre: Dramas

Theatrical Release:11-10-2002

Synopsis: Alan Sillitoe's autobiographical novel about a rebellious 18-year-old living in dreary Lancashire proved to be the perfect material for Tony Richardson to adapt in the early 1960s. The film stars... Alan Sillitoe's autobiographical novel about a rebellious 18-year-old living in dreary Lancashire proved to be the perfect material for Tony Richardson to adapt in the early 1960s. The film stars Tom Courtenay as the disaffected Colin Smith, who ends up in a Borstal, or reform school, after robbing a bakery. The Governor (Sir Michael Redgrave), the institution's chief authority, believes in physical training as a means of rehabilitating his charges. Despite his contempt for all authority, Colin one day inadvertently outruns the school's leading long-distance runner, and the Governor immediately assigns him to be trained for an imminent competition with a well-known public school. During his solitary training exercises, Colin flashes back to scenes of his chaotic youth: his father, a blue-collar worker dying of cancer, and his mother, a foul-mouthed harridan, blowing the insurance settlement on a new lover and a new TV. On the day of the big race, the two schools must share a locker room, and Gunthorpe (James Fox), the captain of the opposing team, reflexively wishes Colin good luck. The surprised boy looks at him as though these are the only words of encouragement he's ever received. Courtenay is exceptional in his film debut, exuding the bitterness typical of the director's early "angry young man" films. Employing jump cuts and undercranked scenes borrowed from the Nouvelle Vague, the film emphasizes the oppressiveness of the boy's environment and the temporary freedom that running offers him. [More]

Starring: Tom Courtenay, Michael Redgrave, Avis Bunnage, Peter Madden

Starring: Tom Courtenay, Michael Redgrave, Avis Bunnage, Peter Madden, Alec McCowen, James Fox, Julia Foster, John Thaw, John Bull, Frank Finlay

Director: Tony Richardson

Director: Tony Richardson
Producer: Tony Richardson
Screenwriter: Alan Sillitoe
Composer: John Addison

[See More Credits]

Reviews for The Loneliness of the Long Distance Runner

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1 - 19 (sorted by date; UK critics are listed first)
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Ultimately, Richardson’s pot-shots at consumerism and class have lost some urgency, but the nihilistic, punky buzz packs an immortal wallop. Classic.

Full Review Source: Total Film | comment Comment
08/04/08
Simon Crook
Simon Crook
Total Film

Most of the period hallmarks of the British New Wave are paraded here.

Full Review Source: Time Out | comment Comment
06/24/06
Time Out
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

A landmark in British cinema, which not only launched Courtenay's career, but also continued the trend of assertively incorporating contemporary social issues into film drama.

Full Review Source: Channel 4 Film | comment Comment
02/10/04
Channel 4 Film
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

It's provocative and enjoyable, but not a classic.

Full Review Source: Empire Magazine | comment Comment
03/30/03
Patrick Peters
Patrick Peters
Empire Magazine
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

The counter-Hollywood bloody-mindedness packs a knockout punch.

Full Review Source: Guardian [UK] | comment Comment
11/19/02
Peter Bradshaw
Peter Bradshaw
Guardian [UK]
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

The film, with its grim Nottingham setting and working class milieu, must have seemed fresh in its day. Now, though, it looks and sounds like a relic from a bygone era.

Full Review Source: BBC | comment Comment
10/07/02
Stephen Applebaum
Stephen Applebaum
BBC
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

In attempting to straddle dramatic realism, Richardson tried hard to avoid moralizing on the hypocrisies of adults or exaggerating the experiences of youth, but in striving for the middle ground, he also strive for mediocrity.

Full Review Source: DVDLaser | comment Comment
08/04/08
Douglas Pratt
Douglas Pratt
DVDLaser

One of the best of the British 'Angry Young Man films.'

Full Review Source: TV Guide's Movie Guide | comment Comment
08/04/08
TV Guide's Movie Guide
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

The performance of Tom Courtenay and the imaginative, if sometimes overfussy, direction of Tony Richardson, plus some standout lensing by Walter Lassally makes this a worthwhile pic.

Full Review Source: Variety | comment Comment
08/04/08
Variety Staff
Variety Staff
Variety
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

No review available.

comment Comment
09/29/07
Cole Smithey
Cole Smithey
ColeSmithey.com

An iconic representation of a time, less so now.

Full Review Source: Filmcritic.com | comment Comment
02/28/07
Chris Barsanti
Chris Barsanti
Filmcritic.com

Splendidly directed by Tony Richardson (just before Tom Jones), this highlight of the working-class British cinema (aka "Young Angry Men" films) features a stunning debut performance by Tom Courtenay that put him at the forefornt of British actors.

Full Review Source: EmanuelLevy.Com | comment Comment
02/14/07
Emanuel Levy
Emanuel Levy
EmanuelLevy.Com

No review available.

comment Comment
02/20/05
Robert Roten
Robert Roten
Laramie Movie Scope

No review available.

comment Comment
05/14/04
Robin Clifford
Robin Clifford
Reeling Reviews

No review available.

comment Comment
04/01/04
Arthur Lazere
Arthur Lazere
culturevulture.net

While this show of compassion may not sit comfortably with those who distrust social agitation and too easy sympathy, it must be said that a splendid presentation is made by Mr. Richardson.

Full Review Source: New York Times | comment Comment
05/20/03
Bosley Crowther
Bosley Crowther
New York Times
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

If anything contributes to its lasting influence, it's not all this lefty stuff, rather the brilliant performance by Tom Courtenay.

Full Review Source: Eye for Film | comment Comment
04/14/03
Keith H. Brown
Keith H. Brown
Eye for Film

No review available.

comment Comment
03/03/03
Brandon Judell
Brandon Judell
PopcornQ

More allegory from the depths of the British kitchen sink.

Full Review Source: Chicago Reader | comment Comment
01/01/00
Dave Kehr
Dave Kehr
Chicago Reader
 
 
1 - 19 (sorted by date; UK critics are listed first)
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