Saturday Night and Sunday Morning

There's a rather angry lad by name of Arthur, spends the week in factory, and he's a grafter, but at the weekend he goes out, drinking beer, he likes to shout, casts his eye over the women that he's after. One such lass, is married to, the workshop Forman, Brenda entertains Arthur like he's her old man, then she brings up in discussion, that she has a bun in t'oven, both their futures not what either of them planned. But Arthur's got another girl in tow, Doreen's taken quite a shine, and lets him know, then he suffers a tough beating, for all the lying and the cheating, and life goes on, because there's nowt else you can do (duck). It's hard work growing up, it always was, and it always will be.

Karel Reisz's direction and the brilliant acting of Albert Finney enable this film to stand the test of time. The film was revolutionary for its time as it was one of the few movies that gave expression to the voice of a working-class character. The representation of vernacular speech, everyday humour, and location shooting makes this film stand out as a classic of 'realist' cinema. Arthur Seaton is a difficult character to sympathize with, but Finney's cheeky, brash performance makes him compelling. What is annoying is the interference by those imbeciles at the British Board of Film Censors, who would not allow the use of the word 'bogger' (in spite of allowing numerous other common swear words) because it sounded like 'bugger'. Also an off screen reference to Brenda successfully terminating her abortion was removed (abortion was illegal up until 1967). In retrospect it seems ridiculous now but it goes to show that there are often covert reasons behind censorship.

Albert Finney is Arthur, a working-class Brit who lives for "Saturday Night and Sunday Morning" in this 1960 film also starring Rachel Roberts, Hylda Baker and Shirley Anne Field. It's impossible to believe that Albert Finney was ever that young, but he was - 24 in this film - robust and handsome. He plays a factory worker who hates his job and lives with his family. His life revolves around his weekends, when he drinks himself into oblivion and sees his married girlfriend Brenda (Roberts). Roberts is married to one of his co-workers. One day, he meets the beautiful Doreen (Shirly Anne Field) and starts to court her. Then Brenda becomes pregnant with his child. This film was considered quite shocking at the time of its release because of its frank sexual situations and the freely-discussed topic of abortion. These themes aren't shocking anymore, but one reason for that is the introduction of them in films like this. Shot in black and white, it gives the viewer a picture of life in a bleak factory town, portrayed very realistically by director Karl Reisz. The actors are these people, they're not merely playing them. This is especially true of Finney, who sports a low-class accent and epitomizes the "angry young man" so prevalent in the late '50s. Finney's performance as a young man who takes out his work-week aggression on women, booze and mischief, is as revolutionary as Dean's or Brando's was in American cinema. Finney is ably backed up by the supporting actors. Roberts is very effective as Brenda, a housewife married to a dull man, and Shirley Anne Field even dressed down is gorgeous as the ingénue who wins Arthur's heart and makes him look at the future. One wonders if he'll ever grow up sufficiently. She's going to have her hands full. The dialect is very authentic and difficult to understand at times - I actually used my closed captioning. The dialect adds to the whole atmosphere of "Saturday Night and Sunday Morning," another of the rebel movies but in a class all by itself.

Forget Albert Finney's excellent acting,forget the great cinematography,forget the great characters.The main reason to see this movie is simple, Shirley Anne Field ,she is beautiful!Not only does she display fine acting talents she is pleasant on the eyes.

...but a good one. Albert Finney plays an arrogant, young man who still lives with his family and has a dead end job in a factory. He thinks he's got everything under control and doesn't want a life like his parents. Unfortunately, that just might happen. The movie is short (90 min) and fast-moving and always interesting. There are problems--the overall depression wears one down and the accents are (at times) indecipherable. Still, worth seeing. Just don't expect an uplifting film.

As James Dean imitated Brando, so it would appear Malcolm McDowell imitated Albert Finney. At least, McDowell's performance in A Clockwork Oragne owes a lot to Finney in this. Both characters are undeniably cocky and brimming with confidence and contempt, and both are highly entertaining! While not much of a story to write home about - I believe this is considered one of those 1960's British 'kitchen sink' drama's - this is however captivating. Finney plays a working class lout, tired of his factory job and always hoping for more, he goes about his business without care for any consequences. He swaggers around as if untouchable but soon gets his comeuppance when he is beaten by two army cadets, one of which is the brother of the husband of the woman he is sleeping with, who he has now got pregnant! But he is eventually tamed by the gorgeous Shirley Anne Field. While I'm no expert at this genre, I can see it's similarity to Ken Loach films and somewhat akin to (through it's simplicity) David Lean's 'Brief Encounter', though not as extravagant. A nice afternoon film with philosophies that still ring true today ("Whatever they say I am , that's what I'm not." Arctic Monkeys anyone?). Even if you don't like the story you'll be in awe of Finney's *-sure performance.

Albert Finney gives a breakout performance in Saturday Night And Sunday Morning which launched him into stardom. But as for Great Britain's angry young men I much prefer Richard Burton in Look Back In Anger. But I will say it is certainly a tribute to Finney as an actor and to his charisma that he kept the audiences interested in such a lout of a character that he portrayed. Burton's Jimmy Porter was a lout himself, but someone capable of looking at the wider world and caring about it. His best scene in Look Back In Anger was him standing up to the market supervisor on behalf of an Indian merchant who was being discriminated against. But our protagonist Arthur Seaton could give less of an atom of human waste product about the wider world. He's stuck in a dull factory job and takes it out on the world. He lives only for the weekend when he's out carousing with his mates at the local pub and carousing with Rachel Roberts who is married to one of his supervisors at the job. Things change a bit when Finney meets up with Shirley Anne Field who's a pretty young thing and doesn't have an inconvenient husband around. He's keeping them both, but then Roberts gets inconveniently pregnant by Finney. There's some indication in the end that Finney might readjust his attitude on life in general and the opposite sex in particular under the tutelage of Field. Still I really haven't much hope for him. Rachel Roberts turns in a fine performance as a woman used and abused by a truly sexy lout of a man. And Finney despite the repellent nature of his character will keep you glued to the big screen or small.

COULD CONTAIN SPOILERS! Although this film is a snapshot of a perspective of working class life in Northern England during the 1950s, it is still relevant today. This is because the working class culture, in the North of England remains predominantly the same, particularly for the proletariat woman, who like the character Doreen whose aspirations - which are shaped for her by her class and society - are limited to marrying a working man, having a home, and settling down. By submissively conforming to her condition, the likes of Doreen would succumb to a life of drudgery, and being dependent on a man. This was particularly the case during the 1950s when birth control, and abortion were off limits to women, as depicted in the film. Those working class women who did go out to work during this period - as they do now - would normally be employed in low skilled, menial work which was poorly paid. In addition to this such women would be subjected to discriminatory behaviour within the male dominated, institutionally patriarchal work place - as they often are today - here illustrated in this film when Albert Finney's character places a dead rat at a woman colleagues work station. Meanwhile the film shows Albert Finney's character being frustrated by his condition without the means to escape it. This was because education, particularly higher education was very limited to the working class, who at the time prided themselves on traditional skills. It was the traditional skills of the working class,which not only were the back bone of industrial England, and the economy, but which built up the Northern English proletariat culture, which was subsequently undermined along with opportunities to progress and aspire by Thatcher's neo - conservative agenda during the 1980s, which culminated in the closure of factories and traditional industries, ending in fatigue, and with a sense of hopelessness. Although the film is touted as a 'kitchen sink' drama, it does have a bit of Hollywood style glamour in the form of the actor who plays Doreen, who was apparently a model, prior to her film career. Apart from this, the film does portray Northern English working class life very well, especially in illustrating the conditions of proletariat women. For this effort alone the film deserves particular recognition.

The above line is my favorite from the screenplay for this great movie. There is clear evidence that Albert Finney was talented enough to be one of the screens most enduring actors, even to this day (he was Oscar nominated again today for that Julia Roberts movie). He plays a young lad who is having an affair with his best friends wife. The fact that she is married means sex is available, unlike the other women he sees. He hates his job, has constant battles with an elderly neighborhood woman and really only knows what he doesn't want - very angry young man stuff. The movie is worth seeing alone for the acting - for the debut of Finney, a great performance by Rachel Roberts, as the wife and Shirley Anne Field as another interest of Finney. There are many other reasons too. Finney & Roberts would later encounter each other in "Murder on the Orient Express" and Field would play a mistress in "My Beautiful Laundrette". Highly recommended. PS - Ewan McGregor fans should see this - Finney's acting is very similar to Ewan's early work, and by seeing this you might be able to approximate what he'll be like in thirty/forty years. Both actors are most prominent on my personal list of actors.

If I were reviewing the movie and only scoring it based on the technical merit of the production, I probably would have scored Saturday NIGHT AND Sunday MORNING much higher. After all, the acting was excellent, the direction very good and the script really did a good job of showing the life of a completely selfish man. From a psychological point of view, it's an exceptional portrait of an antisocial personality who is rather functional within society and not in prison. However, at the same time, who wants to watch the life of a sociopathic man for two hours? After a while, you realize that he is indeed despicable and beyond redemption--and you really could care less about him. Because of this, I honestly wonder how many people will stick with this film until the conclusion--especially when, as in real life, the film ends without any major positive change in Arthur Seaton's personality--he's still self-absorbed, uses people and behaves like a jerk. The future, though not shown in the film, seems all too grim for those coming in contact with Seaton. This film is interesting when you think about it, as Albert Finney as Arthur Seaton is a lot like his character in TOM JONES--though without the charm and grace. At least in TOM JONES, you liked him and underneath the bravado Tom was basically a decent person and there is some redemption for this rogue by the time the movie concludes.