Review of The Loneliness of the Long Distance Runner (1962)

The Loneliness of the Long Distance Runner is one of the best films I've yet to see that deals with themes of rebellious and frustrated youths. Tom Courtenay brilliantly plays Colin Smith, a young man living in an impoverished area of England. Colin is the oldest member of a large family, his father is in poor shape and refuses to take his medication. The entire family seems to remain unbothered by this and his mother even carries on several affairs with different men. Eventually, the father dies and with the money she receives from insurance she blows on clothes and a new television.

Frustrated about not having any money (because he refuses to get a job, insisting that he doesn't see any sense in working his guts out just so the employer can make all the money) Colin breaks into a bakery and steals a cashbox.

Eventually, Colin is caught by the police and sent to a reformatory school where he shows promise in athletics as a long distance runner. The Governor takes special notice of him and gives him special treatment, hoping for him to compete in the long distance run against a preparatory school.

When the day of the competition comes Colin straight away takes a huge lead on the star runner of the opposing school. He keeps up a steady pace but throughout a series of flashcuts we see Colin reflecting on his home life. He stops in place and in a rebel yell stares at the Governor who was completely expecting him to win.

Now, the film is told in a non-linear narrative which makes the film have a lot more emotional resonance. It is shot in black and white, in a fantastic documentary style. The music in this film perfectly underlines all the emotions Colin goes through (most specifically loneliness, when it shows just his shadow running along a long road).

Throughout the film we find that the apparent criminal seems to have more moral and ethical codes than the authority figures.

The Loneliness of the Long Distance Runner is a great example of a film in which almost all of the elements work perfectly together. It's experimentations in editing, the shaky camera work, gritty cinematography and fantastic acting all go together wonderfully.

-9/10