Synopsis
Tom Courtenay stars as Colin Smith, a working-class youth sent to a Borstal reformatory after a bakery robbery. Gifted with exceptional running ability, Colin is groomed by the governor to win a prestigious cross-country race, but ultimately uses the moment to assert his integrity and rebellion. A landmark of British New Wave cinema, the film is a powerful meditation on class, identity, and resistance.
Did You Know?
- Based on Alan Sillitoe's 1959 short story of the same name.
- Tom Courtenay made his feature film debut in this movie.
- Director Tony Richardson was a key figure in British New Wave.
- The film was shot on location in Nottingham and London.
- Michael Redgrave plays the authoritarian Borstal governor antagonist.
Iconic Quotes
- All I have to do is run and win the race and that's all.
- I'm a long distance runner, a lone wolf, a cross-country runner.
- The only honest thing you can do is turn your back on them.
- They're not going to get me, not as long as I can run.
- In-laws, outlaws, they're all the same to me.
