IMDb > A Sense of Freedom (1979)

A Sense of Freedom (1979) More at IMDbPro »


Overview

User Rating:
7.1/10   148 votes
MOVIEmeter: ?
Down 11% in popularity this week. See why on IMDbPro.
Director:
Writers:
Jimmy Boyle (book)
Peter McDougall (writer)
Contact:
View company contact information for A Sense of Freedom on IMDbPro.
Release Date:
18 October 1985 (USA) more
Genre:
Awards:
1 nomination more
NewsDesk:
Grind Madness At The BBC (Musick Review)
 (From Fangoria. 27 October 2009, 7:32 AM, PDT)

User Comments:
A Social Document more (11 total)

Cast

  (Credited cast)
David Anderson ... Tam
Bill Armour ... Prison warder
Bill Barclay ... Bill
Martin Black ... Bobbie Dugan
Jim Boyce ... Sgt. Bobbie
Monica Brady ... Sheila
Jim Byars ... PC Green
Vince Cunningham ... News vendor
Jake D'Arcy ... Robbie
Scott Douglas ... Desk sergeant
Ken Drury ... Prison warder
Jackie Farrell ... Prison warder
Myra Forsyth ... Mrs. Johnson
Kate Gardiner ... Boyle´s mother
Jim Gibb ... Gus
Roy Hanlon ... Chief officer
David Hayman ... Jimmy Boyle
Billy Jeffrey ... Archie
Paul Kermack ... Prison doctor
James Macdonald ... Sergeant
Fulton Mackay ... Insp. Davidson
Lesley Mackie ... Malkie´s wife
Hugh Martin ... Prison governor
Jimmy Martin ... Mr. Doherty
John McGlynn ... Prison warder
Bruce McKenzie ... Hospital doctor
George Morgan ... Priest
P.H. Moriarty ... Prison warder
John Murtagh ... Piper
Anne Myatt ... Tam's wife
Hector Nicol ... Uncle Jody
Alex Norton ... Malkie
Jeff Norton ... Prison warder
Ron Paterson ... Prison governor
Billy Riddoch ... Fisherman (as Bill Riddoch)
Gaylie Runciman ... Sadie
Sean Scanlan ... Jackie
Farrell Sheridan ... Prison warder
Gerry Slevin ... Prison governor
John Stahl ... Det. Sgt. Williamson
David Stewart ... Judge
Irene Sunters ... Agnes
Gordon Taylor ... Prison warder
Frank Welshman ... Barman
Alexander West ... Ben
Jan Wilson ... Mrs. Docherty
Jimmy Yuill ... Dunkie
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Additional Details

Runtime:
81 min
Country:
Language:
Color:
Sound Mix:
Company:

Fun Stuff

Movie Connections:
Featured in Scotland on Screen (2009) (TV) more

FAQ

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5 out of 7 people found the following comment useful.
A Social Document, 6 July 2003
Author: simon dyster from united arab emirates

An interesting movie to say the least.....

I watched this film by complete accident and have never discounted the influence it has served in my life.

Once the film had been seen I went onto read the book (much more intense) and then the sequel (the pain of confidement). Eventually having lost the movie some years ago I managed to win a copy on Ebay some weeks ago, once again opening me up to the harshness and bleakness this film gave me and still does.

A wonderful performance by David Hayman (totally hard, totally cold) and others (watch out for Rab C Nesbitt and Fulton Mackay from Porridge).

The film portays the true story of Jimmy Boyle as rather biased towards Boyle forgetting the effect he would have on some peoples life. Do not forget that these prison officers took some almighty provocation from Mr. Boyle and when Mr. Boyle in the movie questions the officers about wether they are any different from him they're answer is "we have families at home waiting for us...."

Having watched the majority of British Prison movies (Macvicar, Scum) once is left with the feeling that this is the top one. So sad that is has not enjoyed it's day on DVD yet.

I visited Peterhead Prison some years ago and was astonished with it's look, goodness knows only what it was like inside.

The brutal nature of the film is also astounding, knife slashing, prison beatings and a quite astonishing deterrent by Boyle to avoiding such beatings (Urgh!).

Do such beatings deter, well now adays people believe such punishment has no effect and is unfair on the criminal, funny that as Boyle is now a reformed character preaching to the addicted masses, one could be contraversial and say that his punishment served as his "sense of freedom"

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