Loneliness Of A Long Distance Runner, The

2285. THE LONELINESS OF THE LONG DISTANCE RUNNER (1962-Engiand). With TOM COURTENAY, MICHAEL REDGRAVE, ALEC McCOWEN. This is a classic entry in Britain’s “angry young man” school of drama that was extremely popular during the late 1950s and early 60s. At that time, British writers (including ALAN SILLITOE, the author of this exceptional work were incisively examining the manner in which alienated working class individuals were pitted against the status quo of British society. Sillitoe brilliantly and soulfully weaves the story of Colin Smith (beautifully played by Tom Courtenay in his screen debut), a misunderstood and rebellious Lancashire teen who is the product of a tragically dysfunctional family. Colin has robbed a baker and been sent to a reformatory. There he must contend with The Governor, its subtly harsh ant inflexible “warden.” The Governor so happens to be obsessed with athletic competition as a means of rehabilitating his charges. Colin so happens to be a gifted runner. The Governor wants to train Colin for an upcoming race against a public school. If he wins, the overseer promises that Colin will be rewarded with all sorts of favors. However, Colin observes with a mixture of knowingness and defiance that he is “nobody’s favorite.” Will this angry young man give in to authority and be bought off? Is his soul for sale? Or does he have another action in mind? It is no exaggeration to say that this superb film is one of the most important of all British films of its period. 101 minutes. Drama