SATURDAY NIGHT, SUNDAY MORNING

Director: Karel Reisz
Writers: Alan Sillitoe (novel)
Alan Sillitoe (screenplay)

Release Date: 3 April 1961 (USA) more
Genre: Drama | Romance more
Tagline: Saturday night you have your fling at life...and Sunday morning you face up to it! more

Plot: A rebellious, hard-living factory worker juggles relationships with two women, one of whom is married to another man but pregnant with his child. full summary

Awards:  Won 3 BAFTA Film Awards. Another 4 wins & 3 nominations more

Cast

Albert Finney ... Arthur Seaton
Shirley Anne Field ... Doreen
Rachel Roberts ... Brenda
Hylda Baker ... Aunt Ada
Norman Rossington ... Bert
Bryan Pringle ... Jack
Robert Cawdron ... Robboe
Edna Morris ... Mrs. Bull
Elsie Wagstaff ... Mrs. Seaton
Frank Pettitt ... Mr. Seaton
Avis Bunnage ... Blousy Woman
Colin Blakely ... Loudmouth
Irene Richmond ... Doreen's Mother
Louise Dunn ... Betty
Anne Blake ... Civil Defence Officer
more

Runtime:  89 min
Country:  UK
Language: English
Color:  Black and White

Trivia Info:
The censors were not too keen on the scene where Arthur wakes up on Sunday morning in bed with his mistress as the scene directly implies extra-marital sex, a notable first for British cinema. more

Comments:

Its amazing to look at this film which transformed British Cinema and introduced the angry young man that would later been seen in films like 'The Loneliness of the Long Distance Runner' and 'This Sporting Life'.

The fact that it shocked audiences and local authorities because of its themes covering sex and abortion show that this was a time when a great deal of change was taking place in British society. Although I wasn't around then, things must have been changing very rapidly as six years later 'Alfie' was able to confront these issues full on whereas Karel Reisz's film merely hints at them.

This film also established Albert Finney as a national star and he was soon to become an international star with the wonderfully bawdy 'Tom Jones'. Its always interesting to see the films that established the actors we admire and I'm certainly a fan of Albert Finney so I was shocked when I saw this film and felt that he wasn't really very good in it.

The opening scene where his character, Arthur Seaton, is counting the parts he is making in his factory seemed to introduce a highly overwrought man that shouted all the time. Thankfully the unnecessary 'anger' at the start was toned down later but I still felt at the end that Finney could have done greater justice to his role.

Rachel Roberts excels in her role as the married woman who becomes pregnant by Seaton and its a shame that this actress has been forgotten when you consider her performance here and the marvellous one she gave opposite Harris in 'This Sporting Life'.

Shirley Anne Field also does well as Doreen the girl looking to settle down and it is in her relationship with Seaton where I disagree with many people's assessment of the film.

Its generally said that Seaton hates the idea of conformity but in the end accepts it. However I feel that the film is much more hopeful than that as he realises that love and marriage is not necessarily a trap that only fools rush into and that there is much more to conventional life than he had originally anticipated.