THIS SPORTING LIFE

One of the finest British films ever made, this benchmark blending of Sixties "kitchen-sink realism" and the French New Wave’s experimental editing techniques follows the self-defeating professional and romantic pursuits of a miner turned rugby player (Richard Harris) eking out an existence in drab Yorkshire. With Harris’ astonishing performance, an equally blistering turn by fellow Oscar nominee Rachel Roberts as the widow with whom he lodges, and electrifying direction by Lindsay Anderson (O LUCKY MAN!, IF…) in his feature debut, THIS SPORTING LIFE remains a powerhouse of beer, rugby and broken lives.