This Sporting Life

The British film industry reacted to Europe's “New Wave” of the late 1950s and early ‘60s with its own genre: “kitchen-sink realism”—i.e., gritty dramatic productions that eschewed glamour in favor of naturalistic depictions of working-class British life. Filmmaker Lindsay Anderson's 1963 feature debut This Sporting Life remains one of the genre's touchstones. Richard Harris stars as Frank Machin, an envious young miner who channels his inchoate rage into ferocity on the rugby field, eventually becoming a star player in Britain's equivalent of pro football. Fame and fortune do not altogether soften his hard edges, however, and his romance with widowed landlady Margaret Hammond (Rachel Roberts in what is arguably her finest screen performance) turns sour thanks to Frank's boorishness and insensitivity. Anderson tells this story in a non-traditional style that relies on intricate flashbacks, powerful montages, and clever editing for much of its impact. Lesser actors might have been overshadowed by the narrative trickery, but Harris and Roberts contribute dynamic, forceful interpretations of their respective characters. Presented in a double-disc set, this Criterion Collection edition boasts a vibrant new high-def digital transfer, as well as DVD extras including an audio commentary featuring cinema scholar Paul Ryan and the film's screenwriter David Storey, “Meet the Pioneers” and “Wakefield Express” (two early documentary shorts by Anderson), a 30-minute profile of the late director, Anderson's final 1993 autobiographical film Is That All There Is?, and a 36-page booklet. Highly recommended. (E. Hulse)