This Sporting Life
One of the finest British films ever made, this benchmark of "kitchen-sink realism" follows the self-defeating professional and romantic pursuits of a miner turned rugby player eking out an existence in drab Yorkshire. With an astonishing, raging performance by a young Richard Harris, an equally blistering turn by fellow Oscar nominee Rachel Roberts as the widow with whom he lodges, and electrifying direction by Lindsay Anderson, in his feature-film debut following years of documentary work, This Sporting Life remains a dramatic powerhouse.
Special Features
- New, restored high-definition digital transfer
- Audio commentary featuring Paul Ryan, editor of Never Apologise: The Collected Writings of Lindsay Anderson, and David Storey, screenwriter and author of This Sporting Life
- Theatrical trailer
- Lindsay Anderson: Lucky Man? (2004), a short documentary from BBC Scotland featuring interviews with many of the director's friends and collaborators
- New video interview with Anderson's first producer and close friend Lois Sutcliffe Smith
- Meet the Pioneers (1948), Anderson's first film, a documentary short about a mining engineering firm
- Wakefield Express (1952), an early documentary by Anderson about the town that later served as the setting for This Sporting Life
- Is That All There Is? (1992), Anderson's autobiographical final film
- English subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing
- PLUS: A new essay by film scholar Neil Sinyard and an article by Anderson from 1963
New cover by Sarah Habibi
Special Features
- New, restored high-definition digital transfer
- Audio commentary featuring Paul Ryan, editor of Never Apologise: The Collected Writings of Lindsay Anderson, and David Storey, screenwriter and author of This Sporting Life
- Theatrical trailer
- Lindsay Anderson: Lucky Man? (2004), a short documentary from BBC Scotland featuring interviews with many of the director's friends and collaborators
- New video interview with Anderson's first producer and close friend Lois Sutcliffe Smith
- Meet the Pioneers (1948), Anderson's first film, a documentary short about a mining engineering firm
- Wakefield Express (1952), an early documentary by Anderson about the town that later served as the setting for This Sporting Life
- Is That All There Is? (1992), Anderson's autobiographical final film
- English subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing
- PLUS: A new essay by film scholar Neil Sinyard and an article by Anderson from 1963
New cover by Sarah Habibi
Cast
- Richard Harris
- Frank Machin
- Rachel Roberts
- Mrs. Hammond
- Alan Badel
- Weaver
- William Hartnell
- Johnson
- Colin Blakely
- Maurice Braithwaite
- Vanda Godsell
- Mrs. Weaver
- Anne Cunningham
- Judith
- Jack Watson
- Len Miller
- Arthur Lowe
- Slomer
- Harry Markham
- Wade
Credits
- Director
- Lindsay Anderson
- Based on the novel by
- David Storey
- Producer
- Karel Reisz
- Screenplay
- David Storey
- Cinematography
- Denys Coop
- Music
- Roberto Gerhard
- Conducted by
- Jacques-Louis Monod
- Art direction
- Alan Withy
- Editing
- Peter Taylor
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