Click here to copy URL

The Loneliness of the Long Distance Runner

1962

Tony Richardson

Tom Courtenay, Michael Redgrave, James Bolam, Avis Bunnage ...

7.5

5,214

Drama A Borstal boy has nothing going for him except the ability to run. He is selected to compete against a public school and starts a training programme, during which he relives his troubled past and plans how to show his contempt for authority.

	Author	Review
United States	Bosley Crowther The New York Times	"While this show of compassion may not sit comfortably with those who distrust social agitation and too easy sympathy, it must be said that a splendid presentation is made by Mr. Richardson."	POS
United Kingdom	Patrick Peters Empire	"It's provocative and enjoyable, but not a classic."	POS
United Kingdom	BBC	"The film, with its grim Nottingham setting and working class milieu, must have seemed fresh in its day. Now, though, it looks and sounds like a relic from a bygone era."	NEU
United States	Variety Staff Variety	"The performance of Tom Courtenay and the imaginative, if sometimes overfussy, direction of Tony Richardson, plus some standout lensing by Walter Lassally makes this a worthwhile pic."	POS

Return to movie

We encourage you to check the reviews' original sources. Intellectual property rights of these reviews belong to their authors and/or the correspondent media from which they have been extracted. If you'd like to help us to add more reviews to your favorite movies, just send us a message.