Scanialara You won't be disappointed!

ShangLuda Admirable film.

Deanna There are moments in this movie where the great movie it could've been peek out... They're fleeting, here, but they're worth savoring, and they happen often enough to make it worth your while.

Guillelmina The film's masterful storytelling did its job. The message was clear. No need to overdo.

alexanderdavies-99382 "Look Back in Anger" marked the beginning of what would become known as the "Kitchen Sink" drama. In addition, John Osborne's play signalled the beginning of a new breed of actor in the British acting industry. There would be actors who would make plays and films which would reflect life in Britain as it really was. If Richard Burton had made more films like the above, then his film career would have been infinitely more satisfying. He is a tower of strength as the original angry young man, Jimmy Porter. Suffering from having an inferiority complex and also a chip on his shoulder, he voices his anger and unhappiness upon his long- suffering wife (well played by Mary Ure). Claire Bloom scored a triumph as Porter's lover. Richard Burton's highly distinctive Welsh voice is put to full use and exercises a wide range of emotions as a result. The film is an excellent adaptation of the play and it highlights the struggles of one man who feels he doesn't belong anywhere except where he is - running a market stall 5 days a week. He was actually a university student and is reduced to wasting his potential. His bitterness is aimed at his in-laws, his mother- in-law in particular. The way he describes her in a tone of mockery and being smarmy, sums up the situation pretty well. You never quite know when the next verbal assault will happen and you brace yourself for when it does. Underneath the anger, there lays a sadness and vulnerability about Porter. His affair with Claire Bloom reveals a more calm and sensitive side to his personality. The scene at the beginning which takes place on a Sunday morning, shows Jimmy Porter staring out the window at the nearby church. The church bells are ringing and Porter screams at the top of his voice, wanting the ringing to cease. Such fiery passion is produced by Burton's voice, I have rarely witnessed such a vocal display. The only other exceptions I can immediately think of, are Robert Shaw, Rod Steiger, Marlon Brando, Gene Hackman and Patrick McGoohan. This is a landmark film and it is just as powerful now as it was back in the 1950s.

classicsoncall Relentlessly depressing, "Look Back in Anger" offers Richard Burton somewhat miscast as a twenty five year old university graduate who spends virtually all of his time railing against his wife, his surroundings and his place as a member of Britain's working class of the 1950's. It would be a misnomer to classify this picture as entertainment; it's harsh and dreary, and except for Mom Tanner (Edith Evans), there aren't any genuinely likable characters here. One could make a case for Alison Porter (Mary Ure), lovely to look at most of the time, but completely subjugated to the tyrannical rants of her husband. The shocker of course was how easily Helena (Claire Bloom) replaced her in the squalid scheme of things, and one never gets a sense of what attracts her to the lout that she had no use for in the first place. It seemed like a plot device to make us hate Jimmy (Burton) even more, as if he wasn't doing a pretty good job of having us hate him all by himself.

Maddyclassicfilms Based on the play by John Osbourne this classic from 1959 not only features one of Richards best performances,but is a very early introduction to the string of so called kitchen sink dramas of the 60's. Films like Saturday Night Sunday Morning,which brought a young Albert Finney to a greater audience.These films focused on angry young men rebelling against their working class roots and the world.Look Back In Anger tells the story of sweet seller Jimmy Porter(Richard Burton)who is angry with his life,the world and the traditions and values of the time.Most of all he is angry with himself for marrying the love of his life upper class Allison(Mary Ure)and forcing her to live in a way she is not used to.He loves her very much and she him but he can't stop his feelings of hate for the way they live overwhelm him at times.They share a small flat with friend and boarder Cliff Lewis(Gary Raymond).Cliff is the referee who always tries to stop the couples massive and emotionally draining arguments(brought on by the sight of Allison doing everyday tasks which Jimmy knows she shouldn't really be doing given her background).After discovering she is pregnant but is afraid to tell him Allison on the advice of her close friend Helena(Claire Bloom)leaves to stay with her parents.Although he has always hated Helena Jimmy soon finds himself beginning a passionate affair with her,partly out of mutual desire and as a way of relieving his pain over Allison.Emotionally draining with raw and powerful performances especially Richard and Mary,Look Back In Anger is a must see with strong support from Edith Evans as an old friend of Jimmy and Donald Pleasence as Hurst who makes the market stall holders life hell.

Kenneth Anderson To watch "Look Back In Anger" so many decades after its brief era of relevancy is to encounter a head-scratchingly pointless film and wonder what all of the yelling was about. This dank and claustrophobic look at one of Britain's army of post-war "Angry Young Men" might be a tad more bearable were Richard Burton asked to take it down a notch. Burton's endless bellowing (second only to Peter O'Toole's bray-as-acting style) is ill served by it never being made quite clear just what this guy is so miffed at all the time.Surrounded by characters that either incomprehensibly find him a lovable lad (Gary Raymond, Edith Evans) or serve as doormats (Mary Ure, Claire Bloom), Burton's character is given free rein to act like a colicky brat for most of the film without ever giving us much of a clue as to the root of his dissatisfaction. Brief references to Britain's class system, racial injustice, loss of loved ones and any number of social ills feel insufficient as explanations to the source of Burton's unpleasant personality. After 40 minutes or so of being subjected to one narcissistically histrionic rage after another, one just wishes he'd shut up and realize that he isn't the only one suffering…he's just the only one who seems hell-bent on making sure others are as miserable as he is.That being said,the entire film is not devoid of certain pleasures (the photography is appropriately dingy, Claire Bloom is always a delight and Gary Raymond, so good in "Suddenly Last Summer," was a real surprise here with a more sizable role) but it's near unbearable being subjected to a film about a man feeling sorry for himself non-stop. It struck me as being sophomoric in theory and tedious in execution.If this film reminds me on anything, it's of an episode of "The Flintstones" where Fred is cast with wife Wilma in a kitchen-sink domestic drama about an abusive, lout of a husband and his meek wife. The show's title: "The Frogmouth," a perfect subtitle for this mess- Richard Burton in "Look Back in Anger aka The Frogmouth."