This Sporting Life (1963)

100% of critics liked it
(16 reviews)
88% of users liked it
(1,704 ratings)

Adapted by David Storey from his own novel, This Sporting Life stars Richard Harris as Frank, an athletic coal miner who aspires to the greener pastures of professional rugby. Soon establishing himself as one of the most brutal and arrogant players in the business, Frank begins to amass a fortune.… More Adapted by David Storey from his own novel, This Sporting Life stars Richard Harris as Frank, an athletic coal miner who aspires to the greener pastures of professional rugby. Soon establishing himself as one of the most brutal and arrogant players in the business, Frank begins to amass a fortune. He also falls in love with his landlady, Mrs. Hammond (Rachel Roberts), who initially resists his advances. When she finally gives in, their relationship hinges on sex alone, as Frank practically begs Mrs. Hammond to give of herself emotionally and she remains incapable. At the wedding ceremony for one of Frank's teammates, Mrs. Hammond unexpectedly lashes out at her swaggering lover. They split up, but Frank, who until now has equated happiness with wealth, is unable to get over the permanent loss. In the end, with nothing else left, all of Frank's self-worth becomes contingent on his rugby performances, though Frank and the other players are exploited to such a degree that this also proves disastrous. Widely regarded as one of the finest British feature films ever produced, the gritty and bleak This Sporting Life not only marked former documentary filmmaker Lindsay Anderson's first feature, but became one of the harbingers of the "Angry Young Man" school of filmmaking. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Rating, Runtime: Unrated, 2 hr. 14 min.
Directed By: Lindsay Anderson
Written By: David Storey
Genres: Drama, Classics

In Theaters: Jul 16, 1963 Limited
On DVD: Jan 22, 2008

Critic Reviews

Variety Staff, Variety
Lindsay Anderson, making his debut as a feature director, brings the keen, observant eye of a documentary man to many vivid episodes without sacrificing the story line.
John Petrakis, Chicago Tribune
It's impossible not to appreciate the remarkable performances (both Harris and Roberts were nominated for Oscars) or the realistic rugby scenes that earned Harris a broken leg.
Dave Kehr, Chicago Reader
Probably the best crafted of the British 'kitchen sink' movies.
David Jenkins, Time Out
The film is raw and confident, but it's a little shallow, too.
, Film4
This Sporting Life exhibits astonishing vigour and a fierce engagement with life, but the bitter poetry is all its own.
Wendy Ide, Times [UK]
I can't think of a sport movie that is better photographed. The black and white cinematography is gorgeously stark, the perfect medium for this bleakly unforgiving tale.
Peter Bradshaw, Guardian [UK]
This Sporting Life shrewdly anticipates modern Britain: a dour, yet thrilling and exhilarating film.
Sukhdev Sandhu, Daily Telegraph
I'm tempted to see it as one of the strongest films of that period, every frame of which pulsates with drama, class confusion and erotic force.
, TV Guide's Movie Guide
From its virtuoso opening shot of a rugby scrum -- from the bottom, looking up -- to its final emotionally draining moments, This Sporting Life is a captivating, visceral film experience.
Arthur Ryel-Lindsey, Slant Magazine
"You'll be what you are, self-reliant." A ringing quote that defines a film, a movement, a director, and a tremendous DVD set.
Arthur Ryel-Lindsey, Slant Magazine
This Sporting Life is a quintessential entrant in Britain's kitchen-sink realism of the late-'50s and '60s.
Tom Milne, Time Out
A reminder that something really was stirring in those days of the British New Wave before it frittered itself away.
, Film4
It's about rugby league, beer, grit and tough lads, but it's also a profound commment on relationships loaded with symbolism and rich in emotion.

Read all 13 critic reviews

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Featured Audience Ratings

Cassandra M

"This Sporting Life" is one of the most famous of the British "kitchen sink" dramas of the 1950s and 1960s ("kitchen sink" films were very gritty, social realist films which were very popular in Britain at one time). Frank Machin (Richard Harris) is a… More
"This Sporting Life" is one of the most famous of the British "kitchen sink" dramas of the 1950s and 1960s ("kitchen sink" films were very gritty, social realist films which were very popular in Britain at one time). Frank Machin (Richard Harris) is a brutal, young miner in a city in northern England. Hoping for fame and fortune, he becomes a successful Rugby League football player. He uses his fame and fortune, along with physical violence, to try to force his widowed landlady (Rachel Roberts) to fall for him. Photographed in bleak black-and-white, the film's scenes of emotional and physical domestic violence are still shocking today. Also notable are the violent, stylishly-shot rugby matches. The cast are brilliant without exception, especially Richard Harris who manages to invest even his totally unsympathetic character with some degree of humanity.
Ken S

The British Raging Bull.
jay n

One of the original angry young man films is extremely well acted by the leads but is a rather dispiriting experience to sit through.
Emily B

Powerful performances by both Richard Harris and Rachel Roberts.