This Sporting Life (Criterion Collection) (US Version) DVD Region 1

Adapted from David Storey's novel of the same title, THIS SPORTING LIFE is a gritty, unblinking look at life in the coal mining region of Northern England as seen through the eyes of Frank Machin (Richard Harris). Produced by Karel Reisz, who made the acclaimed film about working class life SATURDAY NIGHT AND SUNDAY MORNING, and directed by Lindsay Anderson, THIS SPORTING LIFE brings realism to both the brutal violence of the Rugby matches it portrays and to the emotional and physical violence in the character's lives. When Frank Machin leaves the mine where he has always worked and signs a contract with a professional Rugby team, he hopes to gain social standing and respect. But he finds the hero worship of the drunken fans distasteful. While the owner of the team praises Machin as his star player in the privacy of the locker room, he snubs him in public. Machin's need to love and be loved is compellingly conveyed by Harris with the same startling immediacy as is his raw physical power. He forcefully seduces his landlady, Mrs. Hammond (Rachel Roberts), into a doomed love affair. As things continue to go downhill for Machin, the film captures the mood and feel of this gray industrial area in muted tones, achieving a documentary authenticity. The nighttime shots use a silvery shine, enhancing the feeling of human alienation. Though this parable of working-class life in England is hardly uplifting, the combination of its vibrancy, Harris's sexually charged performance, and Anderson's edgy visual style give it a place not only among the great sports movies, but among the best of all British films.

"...Film as close-up theatre - stark and lingering..." -- 4 out of 5 stars - Andy, Lowe (Total Film Critic), Total Film, 03/01/2000

"...An erotic dance of death...[and] a fascinating glimpse into the complexities of British class structure." -- Rating: B+ - Steve, Simels (Entertainment Weekly Critic/Premiere Critic), Entertainment Weekly, 08/09/1996

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Product Title:	This Sporting Life (Criterion Collection) (US Version) This Sporting Life (Criterion Collection) (US Version) This Sporting Life (Criterion Collection) (US Version) This Sporting Life (Criterion Collection) (US Version) This Sporting Life (Criterion Collection) (US Version)
Artist Name(s):	William Hartnell (Actor) | Agatha Christie (Actor) | Arthur Lowe (Actor) | Leonard Rossiter (Actor) | Guy Pearce (Actor) | Alan Badel (Actor) | Alan Withy (Actor) | Bergman Ingrid | Ian Hendry | Davy Kaye | Anne Cunninggham William Hartnell (Actor) | Agatha Christie (Actor) | Arthur Lowe (Actor) | Leonard Rossiter (Actor) | Guy Pearce (Actor) | Alan Badel (Actor) | Alan Withy (Actor) | 英格麗·褒曼 | Ian Hendry | Davy Kaye | Anne Cunninggham William Hartnell (Actor) | Agatha Christie (Actor) | Arthur Lowe (Actor) | Leonard Rossiter (Actor) | Guy Pearce (Actor) | Alan Badel (Actor) | Alan Withy (Actor) | 英格丽・褒曼 | Ian Hendry | Davy Kaye | Anne Cunninggham Ｗｉｌｌｉａｍ Ｈａｒｔｎｅｌｌ (Actor) | Ａｇａｔｈａ　 Ｃｈｒｉｓｔｉｅ　 (Actor) | Ａｒｔｈｕｒ Ｌｏｗｅ (Actor) | Leonard Rossiter (Actor) | Guy Pearce (Actor) | Alan Badel (Actor) | Alan Withy (Actor) | Bergman Ingrid | Ｉａｎ Ｈｅｎｄｒｙ | Davy Kaye | Anne Cunninggham William Hartnell (Actor) | Agatha Christie (Actor) | Arthur Lowe (Actor) | Leonard Rossiter (Actor) | Guy Pearce (Actor) | Alan Badel (Actor) | Alan Withy (Actor) | Bergman Ingrid | Ian Hendry | Davy Kaye | Anne Cunninggham
Director:	Lindsay Anderson Lindsay Anderson Lindsay Anderson Ｌｉｎｄｓａｙ Ａｎｄｅｒｓｏｎ Lindsay Anderson
Producer:	Arthur Miller Arthur Miller Arthur Miller Ａｒｔｈｕｒ Ｍｉｌｌｅｒ Arthur Miller
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Release Date:	2008-01-01
UPC Code:	715515027526
Country of Origin:	United Kingdom
Picture Format:	NTSC What is it?
Color Information:	Black & White
Disc Format(s):	DVD
Region Code:	1 - USA, Canada, U.S. Territories What is it?
Rating:	Not Rated
Publisher:	Criterion Collection
Package Weight:	280 (g)
Shipment Unit:	2 What is it?
YesAsia Catalog No.:	1005129528

Director: Lindsay Anderson

DVD Features:

Anamorphic Widescreen - 1.66
Audio:
Dolby Digital Mono 1.0 - English
Additional Release Materials:
Audio Commentary - Paul Ryan; David Storey
Featurettes - "Lindsay Anderson: Lucky Man?"
Interviews - Lois Sutcliffe Smith
Short Films - 1. MEET THE PIONEERS (1948)
2. WAKEFIELD EXPRESS (1952)
3. IS THAT ALL THERE IS? (1992)
Trailers - Theatrical Trailer