‘Whatever people say I am, that’s what I’m not…’
Kitchen Sink Realism was a British cultural movement that emerged in the late 1950s on the coattails of Italian Neo-realism and French New Wave. All of these movements were a rejection of Hollywood and a celebration of working class culture in Britain, Italy and France respectively. While the canonical kitchen sink dramas spanned only a decade or so, they continue to pervade British culture on mainstream television, theatre and theatrically. Beginning with 1958’s Look Back in Anger, the kitchen sink dramas were a move away from previous comical portrayals of the working classes into something gritty and authentic. Saturday Night and Sunday Morning was at the vanguard of this movement and remains one of its finest examples…
Arthur Seaton (Albert Finney) is a rebel but unlike James Dean, he has a cause. Namely, not to become a dead-eyed cog in the wheel of industrial capitalism. His cause is undermined somewhat (or cemented depending on your viewpoint) by his unerring commitment to drinking, fighting and womanising. When he meets Doreen (Shirley Anne Field), Arthur must decide whether to continue to devote himself to hedonism or to settle down into a more conventional lifestyle.
Firstly, apart from anything else, Saturday Night and Sunday Morning is a wonderful glimpse into working class life in Nottingham in the 1950s. This is a time of factories, fishing and fighting yes, but also a time of togetherness and community. Alan Sillitoe’s screenplay crackles with authenticity, brought to a life by a stunning turn from Finney who here provides possibly the finest ever example of the angry young man ever committed to film. Don’t bother with Rebel Without a Cause or Easy Rider, this is a much better film than either and features a central performance that leaves the others in the dust.
The supporting cast do a great job too with Norman Rossington a lot of fun as Arthur’s friend and confidante Bert, and Field more than holding her own when sparring with Finney (and mostly running rings around him). This is a film where everyone is at the top of their game.
As a tableau of working class life, Saturday Night and Sunday Morning should be required viewing for anyone with even a passing interest in British cinema. Ken Loach. Sally Wainwright, even Shane Meadows. all of them owe a debt to this wonderful film. Oh, and it also inspired the title of the Arctic Monkey’s first album. Essential viewing.