DB7

Must-have movies: Saturday Night and Sunday Morning (1960)
(Filed: 10/02/2006)

Philip Horne reviews a classic that every film-lover will want to own

For those who know Albert Finney mainly from his middle age - say, as the portly, shambling lawyer in Erin Brockovich (2000) - it will be a shock, a blast of bracing Nottingham air to encounter the slim, muscular, dynamic 24-year-old who plays Arthur Sillitoe's angry young hedonist Arthur Seaton in Karel Reisz's superb Saturday Night and Sunday Morning.

Seaton is an emblematic figure of the era that cast off its fetters and opened up from 1950s austerity into the Swinging Sixties, one of those unsettled, aspiring working-class heroes of the British New Wave that included Richard Burton's Jimmy Porter in Look Back in Anger (1958), Laurence Harvey's Joe Lampton in Room at the Top (1959), Richard Harris's Frank Machin in This Sporting Life (1963), Tom Courtenay in Billy Liar (1963), and Michael Caine in Alfie (1966).

As physically fired-up as any of these, he's a vortex of sensual energy and mischievous rebellion: "What I'm out for is a good time," he announces. "All the rest is propaganda."

The film shows his struggle to have that good time - to the strains of John Dankworth's restless jazz score - despite all the forces of repression and envy that a grim, smoky, cobbled, black-and-white Britain of "fat cows" and "nosey-parkers" can array against him.

"Don't let the b*****ds grind you down" is one of his catchphrases. Significantly, another quote from the film ("Whatever people say I am, that's what I'm not") has provided the title for the debut album from the latest working-class heroes, Arctic Monkeys.

This swaggering factory worker with a chip on his shoulder, a racing bike, an eye for the girls, and quite a stomach for downing pints (though not the beer gut to match) actually isn't, as his foreman asserts, "a bit of a red", but, being a natural rebel, he hates the boss class anyway.

He's having an adulterous affair with the older, loving, attractively earthy Brenda (the magnificent Rachel Roberts), his "married piece" as this harsh world's brutal language calls her. But soon he's going out with a "smashing bit of stuff", the younger, more glamorous Doreen (Shirley Anne Field). We're torn, as he is.

The painful, searing raw sensuality of Reisz's beautifully observed and judged (and edited) film is still amazingly potent: Finney and Roberts are a revelation. Arthur may be ruthless, abrasive - even, as he's called, "a pig"; but his mixture of aggression and decency makes him one of the great characters of British cinema.

arty-dave

Bought Saturday's Telegraph for this as a freebie

Ambrosia

Ditto, keeping an eye out for possibly many more tresures from a quality paper however the Sun did release Highlander so its not that bad and some time ago The News of The World released Buster, The Daily Mirror released Educating Rita and the Sunday Times released Howards End to name a few. My collection grows and grows. Who needs to buy films just wait till the Weekend and scan the news agents shelf.

It is cruel to discover one's mediocrity only when it is too late.

Zandalee

I bought it too as well as the next days freebie 'A Taste of honey'!
I love those old, black and white, British, working class films.
I love the bit in SNSM when Arthur shoots the busy body neighbour up the a**e with the air gun! lol.
The music and songs on the soundtrack are catchy, very 1950's and 60's.

theuofc

I've already posted this in another thread, but if you haven't read it, I thought you also might find this interesting as a footnote to Karel Reisz and as background to his "Saturday Night and Sunday Morning":

I didn't know that Reisz was a teacher in a London elementary school for a few years before SNASM. And I was surprised that he taught elementary school, which takes a lot of patience. Reisz felt that his time as a teacher gave him an understanding of young people and clubs, which helped him make "Saturday Night...".

Best,

Barbara

theuofc

Thanks for the great link

Best,

Barbara

David Brent

I watched this film again the other day and enjoyed it as much as the umpteen other times I've watched it in the past. I still rate it a British film classic.

A gritty, realistic look at life in the industrial gloom of the Midlands in the late fifties.
Where the average lowly paid employee tolerated his depressing weekly factory enviroment with the promise of booze and sex on the weekends, which helped make life a little more bearable. ( A bit like 2006 really :))

Surprising to think that this film caused a lot of controversy when first released. Adultery and binge drinking had not been used much in British films before this release.

Brilliant acting from Albert Finney with great support from Rachel Roberts and Shirley Anne Field. There are also many well known faces in the supporting cast such as Hylda Baker, Norman Rossington, Jack Smethurst and Peter Sallis.

Dave.

bloodworm

Are you sure you saw BW in SN & SM???? Racheal Roberts maybe

C/U The Worm

The one that gets away is always the biggest but not always the best !!

David Brent

Sorry Bloodworm, you are of course dead right. It is Rachel Roberts.
I'll adjust my post.

I tend to get Rachel and Billie mixed up at times.;)

Dave.

hankoler

A classic B and W british film but can anyone tell me the name of the nosey fat lady who hated the character played by Albert Finney.

716Jones

Mrs Bull, played by Edna Morris (courtesy IMDB)

hankoler

thankyou 716

christoph404

Yes, fantastic film, Finney is brilliant in it, as is Rachel Roberts. Trivia that you all probably know, Finney screen tested for Lawrence of Arabia, and was more or less set to play the role, not sure what happened, there are surviving stills of him in the Lawrence Arab costume, he did go on to play Tom Jones of course, he was great in that too,one of our best and perhaps underrated actors, didn't seem to reach the starry heights of say Caine or Stamp, very talented nonetheless.

Joenoir

Wasn't it because he didn't want to sign a long-term contract, he has had a substantial film career, but also valued his stage career.

christoph404

Yes it would seem so, didn't want to commit to the length of time the film would take to shoot and didn't think it would be a success,so jumped ship after 4 days of filming. He was Leans first choice and was more or less unknown at the time, Brando was also a serious "contender" for the part. Wonder if Finney ever regrets his descision? I guess he went on to good things anyway.