I recently watched this movie again on TV. The wonderful performances by Tom
Courtenay and Michael Redgrave have not diminished with time. The movie is
also full of technical innovations at the time. One of these is common today, a fast switching between the two time frames of the story. The life of the hero in a quasi-prison and the family life that led to his capture and conviction. The movie also predates the current of "Angry Young Men" that was to be so prolific in
British Cinema. Others have remarked on the wondrous scenes of Courtenay
running in open countryside as he trains for a long distance competition. The accompaniment of a jazz trumpet also fit well. But to me the core of the movie is the rage of the hero towards the "establishment" beautifully symbolized by
Michael Redgrave's Headmaster. Don't miss this movie if you have a chance.
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