Certainly, American films had their share of working-class dramas in the late 1950's and 60's, but none of them were as greedy or NuWave like the British films of that era. A factory town become the subject of controversy and violence due to a strike that has one worker, Richard Attenborough, crossing the line and labeled a scab and eventually ostracized. He tolerates it in silent pain, that is until his family is harassed which causes him to erupt in a very public lambasting.
The performances of Attenborough, Pier Angeli (as his wife) and Bernard Lee are very strong, with a sensational ensemble and terrific direction by Guy Green and a wonderful Oscar nominated script by Bryan Forbes. "If you can't be yourself, what's the point of having children?" Attenborough expresses when seemingly beaten, a battle being fought on today.
His desire to stand up for what he believes in has been a theme in movies for years, and here, it's fought for in an extremely angry manner which indicates that the crowd is not always right. You really feel like you are in the middle of a headline-grabbing story in watching this, with the gritty lifestyle of these working class men turning them into robots manipulated by a system claiming to be on their side. Potent drama that stands the test of time and gives a not so pretty look into the worst of human nature.
The performances of Attenborough, Pier Angeli (as his wife) and Bernard Lee are very strong, with a sensational ensemble and terrific direction by Guy Green and a wonderful Oscar nominated script by Bryan Forbes. "If you can't be yourself, what's the point of having children?" Attenborough expresses when seemingly beaten, a battle being fought on today.
His desire to stand up for what he believes in has been a theme in movies for years, and here, it's fought for in an extremely angry manner which indicates that the crowd is not always right. You really feel like you are in the middle of a headline-grabbing story in watching this, with the gritty lifestyle of these working class men turning them into robots manipulated by a system claiming to be on their side. Potent drama that stands the test of time and gives a not so pretty look into the worst of human nature.