We all have films that we want to watch more than once and from my point of view Saturday Night and Sunday Morning directed by Karel Reisz is one of those that fall into that category. The film is based on an autobiographical novel by Alan Sillitoe, it is set in the 1960's hence the film is in black and white and when it was first released it was a major box office hit. I can clearly see why it was such a hit at the time, the film is life as it was, no frills or airs and graces, just a story of working class folk earning an honest bob.
The setting for the film is Nottingham and throughout the film you will see characters coming and going from work to the local Raleigh bicycle factory. Albert Finney plays the part of Arthur Seaton, a young factory worker. Arthur is an out and out rebel, he is a rough and ready yet oddly charismatic character who takes life as it comes. Arthur is by no means work shy but he is never the flavour of the month in the Gaffers eyes. Arthur enjoys a few pints or ten and his rough and ready nature
seems to go down well with the females.
Saturday Night and Sunday Morning has a simple storyline, when Arthur is not at work he is at the pub, when he is not at the pub he is with Brenda ( played by Rachael Roberts ), who just happens to be the wife of his good workmate Jack. Maybe the best way to describe Arthur is to tell you that he is smart, selfish and chauvinistic, his Mother waits on him at home and when he spends time with Brenda at her house then she is there at his beck and call. Cock sure Arthur Seaton thinks his life is a bed of clover, until one day his carelessness lands him in some very hot water. But every cloud has a silver lining and that silver lining comes when he is introduced to the young and vibrant Doreen.
The film is set in the Midlands and at that time the area was a hive of industry. The area was home to factory and pit workers and life was crude and basic. As a child I was brought up in a small mining community so seeing the way the community worked brought back a lot of memories for me. The shabby terraced houses were back to back and if you had a few blades of grass then you had a garden. The filming is bleak because of the area which it is set in and there are no clever camera tricks or air-brushing to hide the fact. The Raleigh factory is noisy and filthy but it is a means to an end and you see Arthur being handed what could be considered as quite a substantial weekly pay packet during the 1960's. Most of the men go back and forth to work on bicycles but I loved to see Jack ( Double crossing Doreen's husband -played by Bryan Pringle ) drive his motor bike and sidecar. On Saturday Night the women tarted themselves up and paid their weekly visit to the working mens club but for the rest of the week life meant an apron and a turban.
Albert Finney makes a good job of playing Arthur Seaton, sometimes that swaggering sod nearly drives you insane yet in the next breath you can see a side of him that does have some sex appeal. The film shows the fashion of the day well, Arthur looks like a slick tally man, Doreen wears her `Mumsy` but smart clothes and young Doreen is a breath of fresh air in her tight waisted flared skirts and fitted blouses. Just watch and see if you can count how many times Arthur brings the comb out of his back pocket to slick back his Brylcreamed locks !
Hylda Baker plays Arthur's Aunty and she plays the part very well, she has captured life in that era to perfection. Saturday Night and Sunday Morning is not all gloom, doom, sweat and tears. You do get to see the funny side of life as Arthur plays a few pranks.
While I was watching the film I felt as if I was doing a mass character study. The way in which family life worked then was so very different to how it is now and it becomes clear that Arthur may be brash on the exterior but he is every bit as insecure as the rest of us on the inside.
Towards the end of the film you hear Arthur talking about his parents and how he is desperate not to live his life as they have lived theirs.
The film does contain strong language and of course practically every character seems to be a heavy smoker. Saturday Night and Sunday Morning contains some fighting and in one scene Doreen is on the receiving end of her husband's hand. The music of the 1960's has always been classed as unique and different and I enjoyed all that I heard.
The black and white film runs for 85 minutes and it is rated a PG. I hired a copy from my local library which cost me just £1 but I have looked on the Amazon website and it is there but prices range and you can expect to pay around £7.99 for a used copy.
How helpful would this review be to a person making a buying decision? Rating guidelines
Production Year: 1995 - Drama - Director: Pat O'Connor - Original Language: English - Classification: 12 years and over, 15 years and over - Starring: Geraldine O'Rawe, Colin Firth, Saffron Burrows, Minnie Driver, Chris O'Donnell
Production Year: 2004 - Drama - Director: Nick Cassavetes - Original Language: English - Classification: 15 years and over, 12 years and over - Starring: Rachel McAdams, Ryan Gosling, Gena Rowlands
![Saturday Night And Sunday Morning [DVD] [1960]](http://picnicb.ciao.com/uk/81240769.jpg "Saturday Night And Sunday Morning [DVD] [1960]")
Sep 21st, 2009
very helpful by (100%):
