Sunday Bloody Sunday (1971)

User Rating:

7.2/10   

Director:

John Schlesinger

Writer:

Penelope Gilliatt (writer)
(more)

Release Date:

8 September 1971 (USA)

Genre:

Drama

Tagline:

It's about three decent people. They will break your heart.

Plot:

Divorced working woman Alex and well-to-do Jewish family doctor Daniel Hirsh share not only the same...

Plot Keywords:

Doctor | Jewish | Artist | Marijuana | Rain

Awards:

Nominated for 4 Oscars. Another 12 wins & 5 nominations

Cast

Peter Finch	...	Dr. Daniel Hirsh
Glenda Jackson	...	Alex Greville
Murray Head	...	Bob Elkin
Peggy Ashcroft	...	Mrs. Greville
Tony Britton	...	George Harding
Maurice Denham	...	Mr. Greville
Bessie Love	...	Telephone Operator
Vivian Pickles	...	Alva Hodson
Frank Windsor	...	Bill Hodson
Thomas Baptiste	...	Prof. Johns
Richard Pearson	...	Middle-aged Patient
June Brown	...	Female Patient
Hannah Norbert	...	Daniel's Mother
Harold Goldblatt	...	Daniel's Father
Marie Burke	...	Aunt Astrid
Caroline Blakiston	...	Rowing Woman
Peter Halliday	...	Husband
Douglas Lambert	...	Man at Party
Jon Finch	...	Scotsman
Kimi Tallmadge	...	Lucy Hodson
Russell Lewis	...	Timothy Hodson
Emma Schlesinger	...	Tess Hodson
Carl Ferber		(as Karl Ferber)
Patrick Thornberry	...	Baby John Stuart Hodson
Robert Rietty	...	Daniel's Brother
Liane Aukin
Robin Presky
Edward Evans
Gabrielle Daye
George Belbin
Richard Loncraine	...	Tony (Bob's partner)
Royce Mills
Monica Vassiliou
John Rae
Ellis Dale
Joe Wadham
Henry Danziger
Ann Firbank	...	Party Guest
Derek Gilbert
William Job
Nike Arrighi	...	Party Guest (as Nikki Arrighi)
Francis Ghent
Donald Sumpter
Rohan McCullough
Barbara Markham
Robert Wilde
Esta Charkham
Hilary Hardiman
Simon Joseph
Gideon Kolb
Martin Lawrence
Mercia Mansfield
Reuben Elvy
Jovey Douben
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Henry Gilbert	...	1930s Flashback Rabbi (scenes deleted)
Helen Lindsay	...	(scenes deleted)
David Webb	...	Restaurant Owner (scenes deleted)
Cindy Burrows	...	(uncredited)
Daniel Day-Lewis	...	Child Vandal (uncredited)
Petra Markham	...	Designer's girlfriend (uncredited)
John Warner	...	Party Guest (uncredited)

Directed by
John Schlesinger

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Penelope Gilliatt		writer
David Sherwin		uncredited

Produced by
Joseph Janni	....	producer
Edward Joseph	....	associate producer

Original Music by
Ron Geesin

Cinematography by
Billy Williams

Film Editing by
Richard Marden

Production Design by
Luciana Arrighi

Art Direction by
Norman Dorme

Costume Design by
Jocelyn Rickards

Makeup Department
Betty Glasow	....	hairdresser
Freddie Williamson	....	makeup artist

Production Management
Hugh Harlow	....	production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Michael Green	....	third assistant director
Simon Relph	....	first assistant director
Nigel Wooll	....	second assistant director (uncredited)

Sound Department
David Campling	....	sound editor
Gerry Humphreys	....	sound re-recording mixer
Alan Jones	....	assistant sound editor
Eddy Joseph	....	assistant sound editor
Simon Kaye	....	sound recordist

Camera and Electrical Department
David Harcourt	....	camera operator

Music Department
Douglas Gamley	....	musical director

Other crew
Ann Skinner	....	continuity

Production Companies

• Vectia

Distributors

• United Artists Corporation (1971) (UK) (theatrical)
• United Artists (1971) (USA) (theatrical)
• Criterion Collection, The (USA) (laserdisc)
• MGM Home Entertainment (USA) (DVD)
• Warner Home Vídeo (19??) (Brazil) (VHS)

Runtime:

110 min

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.66 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Canada:18+ (Quebec) | Canada:R (Ontario) | Canada:R (Manitoba) | France:-16 | West Germany:18 | Australia:R | Argentina:16 | Finland:K-16 | Norway:16 | Sweden:15 | UK:15 | USA:R

Filming Locations:

Hampstead Heath, Hampstead, London, England, UK

Company:

Vectia

Trivia:

A number of scenes that had been filmed with Ian Bannen were not re-shot some performers listed on cast breakdown (kept by BFI special Collections) were not rehired to film their roles with Peter Finch.

Quotes:

Daniel: When you're at school and you want to quit, people say 'You're going to hate it out in the world.' Well, I didn't believe them and I was right. When I was a kid, I couldn't wait to be grown up, and they said 'Childhood is the best time of your life.' Well, it wasn't. And now, I want his company and they say, 'What's half a loaf? You're well shot of him'; and I say 'I know that...
[...]

Movie Connections:

Featured in Indie Sex: Censored (2007) (TV)

One of the truly great adult films of the century

I first saw this at 17 in 1971 and was of course struck by the frankness in the portrayal of the relationship between Murray Head and Peter Finch. People in the suburban audience where I saw it SCREAMED when the two men first kissed. (Someone screamed at a director's screening of the film, much to Schlesinger's consternation. It turned out to be Finch's wife.) One of the reviewers complained about Head's acting, but he is playing a very shallow character whose youth and beauty attract Glenda Jackson and Finch. The film holds up really well today with its complex characters and lack of stereotypes and simple judgments about people. There is also enormous charm and humor in the film, especially in the supporting players. The imagery in the film stays with me--the dog killed by a car, the Mummy's milk in the fridge, the inner workings of telephone switching, driving through the rain in London, men and women making love, precocious children smoking dope, and so much more. It feels like life. It also made me a lifelong fan of Finch, who went on to win a posthumous Oscar for "Network," and Jackson, a two-time Oscar winner, who represents Hampstead in Parliament now. Probably my favorite film of all time.