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Le prix d'un homme

Original title: This Sporting Life
  • 1963
  • Tous publics
  • 2h 14m
IMDb RATING
7.5/10
7.5K
YOUR RATING
Le prix d'un homme (1963)
Richard Harris as the wild Frank Manchin in this trailer
Play trailer2:24
1 Video
99+ Photos
DramaSport

Despite success on the field, a rising rugby star senses the emerging emptiness of his life as his inner angst begins to materialize through aggression and brutality, so he attempts to woo h... Read allDespite success on the field, a rising rugby star senses the emerging emptiness of his life as his inner angst begins to materialize through aggression and brutality, so he attempts to woo his landlady in hopes of finding reason to live.Despite success on the field, a rising rugby star senses the emerging emptiness of his life as his inner angst begins to materialize through aggression and brutality, so he attempts to woo his landlady in hopes of finding reason to live.

  • Director
    • Lindsay Anderson
  • Writer
    • David Storey
  • Stars
    • Richard Harris
    • Rachel Roberts
    • Alan Badel
  • See production info at IMDbPro
  • IMDb RATING
    7.5/10
    7.5K
    YOUR RATING
    • Director
      • Lindsay Anderson
    • Writer
      • David Storey
    • Stars
      • Richard Harris
      • Rachel Roberts
      • Alan Badel
    • 93User reviews
    • 53Critic reviews
  • See production info at IMDbPro
    • Nominated for 2 Oscars
      • 4 wins & 10 nominations total

    Videos1

    This Sporting Life
    Trailer 2:24
    This Sporting Life

    Photos183

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    Top cast46

    Edit
    Richard Harris
    Richard Harris
    • Frank Machin
    Rachel Roberts
    Rachel Roberts
    • Margaret Hammond
    Alan Badel
    Alan Badel
    • Weaver
    William Hartnell
    William Hartnell
    • Johnson
    Colin Blakely
    Colin Blakely
    • Maurice Braithwaite
    Vanda Godsell
    Vanda Godsell
    • Anne Weaver
    Anne Cunningham
    • Judith
    Jack Watson
    Jack Watson
    • Len Miller
    Arthur Lowe
    Arthur Lowe
    • Slomer
    Harry Markham
    • Wade
    George Sewell
    George Sewell
    • Jeff
    Leonard Rossiter
    Leonard Rossiter
    • Phillips
    Katherine Parr
    • Mrs. Farrer
    • (as Katharine Parr)
    Bernadette Benson
    • Lynda
    Andrew Nolan
    • Ian
    Peter Duguid
    • Doctor
    Wallas Eaton
    • Waiter
    Anthony Woodruff
    • Head Waiter
    • Director
      • Lindsay Anderson
    • Writer
      • David Storey
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

    User reviews93

    7.57.4K
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    Featured reviews

    7Xstal

    The Tormenting Tenant...

    There's a very angry lad by name of Frank, miner by day, weekends he's down the flank, quite a vile kind of guy, couldn't like him if you tried, if he had a chain you'd give it a good yank. He lodges with a lady Mrs. Hammond, he rants and raves, and issues her demands, of how to live her life, causing conflict, grief and strife, he's just desperate to ensnare, to trap, then bond. A chance to become pro, is signed and sealed, gives him money he can brandish, ply and wield, force landlady to his ways, bullies her until she lays, she's defenceless, has no cover, she has no shield.

    One of the most dislikeable characters you're likely to come across, brilliantly performed by Richard Harris, who only occasionally reminds us of his native brogue, while he destroys the life of his landlady, superbly performed by Rachel Roberts. It's just a shame that people like this still exist today.
    8Spuzzlightyear

    60's British Film-making 101

    You know, the more I watch English movies from the 1960's, the more I fall in love with them, Films like I'm all Right Jack, Darling, Alfie, and now, This Sporting Edge, always feature the U.K. as this gritty place, where living is tough, and the people are tougher. Now, whether that's true to life I'm not sure (though I'd be interested to find out) but I sure get a kick out of these films, and I'm glad to add This Sporting Life to that list.

    Richard Harris just acts the hell out of his role as a Miner who finds his forte as a star Rugby player. Let's stop here. Why aren't there any more Rugby movies? Soccer and Boxing are always popular sports in movies, but Rugby seems to be sadly neglected. Perhaps they thought this was the definitive movie on this subject? Anyways, Richard Harris's character, Frank Machin, maybe is a brilliant rugby player, but sort of not so in life, but that doesn't stop him from trying to succeed with what he has. The rich people, who of course, have control over the teams, give him some opportunities to move up in the Rugby world.. Some which he's comfortable with, like dropping his Father like a hot potato, other conditions, he's left wondering how low he has to go to make it big. Oooh.

    So while Machin is trying to move up in the Rugby world, at home, he's trying to make the the move on his INCREDIBLY repressed landlady, played by Rachel Roberts. Who's that? I've never heard of her up to this movie, and seeing her in this makes me want to see more of her, because she's fabulous in this.

    All in all, a great view.
    bob the moo

    A touch overlong but engaging in its naturalism and its character development

    Frank Machin is an amateur rugby league player in Yorkshire. Ambitious within the sport, Frank pushes himself in front of the local scouts and soon is signed to one of the professional clubs and able to hold out for £1000 down to join. As he rises within his own world, Frank has more resources and more opportunity but a strained affair with his landlady Margaret and his inability to shake off his basic roots see him frustrated and pained with his journey.

    Like many others have said in relation to this film, British cinema did have something at one point. The "Free Cinema" movement of the 1950's gave a home to a slightly more realistic form of cinema and, although I do not like all within that "movement" that I have seen, I do think that Anderson's work with that paved the way for this. At times the film is too keen to revel in the depiction of working class England but this isn't too much and perhaps, if you think of the context of the period (where such views were not the norm) then you can perhaps understand why. However the power of the film is less in its depiction of the working class work (although this is indeed of value) but more in the convincing exploration of the character of Frank.

    Here is a man who has aspirations but seems unable to reconcile these goals to be "better" with the fact that he is from the working classes and doesn't fit with those above him. Likewise he needs affection, love and intimacy but his outward emotions are much cruder and he is quick to lose his temper and resort to violence as the simplest reaction. It is a well written script and it doesn't push the characters or emotions past where they would naturally go for the sake of the film; you can see this in the conclusion which is meaningful and ultimately quite downbeat. Anderson's direction is suitably gritty and natural for the material, but it was Harris that impressed me most.

    His performance can be mistaken for being a bit showy and loud and some viewers have made that call. However for me this was his character's boorishness, a quality that he sinks into with ease. However where Harris really does his best work is in the moments just before this happens, or immediately afterwards where, without words, we can often see this struggle, this conflict within himself. It is hard for me to describe here in words so think how difficult it must be to do as an actor but Harris pulls it off. He is well supported by Roberts and they share some excellent scenes. Smaller roles are also well filled with natural turns from the likes of Hartnell, Lowe, Blakely and others; but the film is Harris'.

    Not perfect and perhaps a little longer than it can sustain, this is an impressive film. The working class depiction does seem a bit heavy at times through modern eyes but in the emotion and development of the characters the film is hard to really question. Engaging, well written and well delivered – like others have said, where are the British classics like this now? Four Weddings? Do me a favour...
    8lasttimeisaw

    Uncompromising kitchen sink drama

    British New Wave auteur Lindsay Anderson's feature debut, a "kitchen sink" drama of the first order, stars Harris as Frank Machin, an aggressive coal-miner-turned-rugby-player in Wakefield, who lodges in with a widow Ms. Margaret Hammond (Roberts) and her two young children. He is a rough diamond type, an indomitable "ape" on the field, but constantly perturbed by dissatisfaction and loneliness, he is pining for being wanted, especially by Margaret, who always gives him cold shoulder over his benevolent advances.

    The film starts with intimate close-ups of the men-to-men action during an ongoing game, which echoes with its bleak ending, the same Frank in the field, doing the only thing he is really good at, to continue his life. After a sucker punch knocks him out in cold, he is taken to a dentist to fix his messed-up teeth, under the influence of anesthetic, the narrative begins to alternate between flashbacks and the current time-frame, a tactic sometimes can cause unnecessary confusion, for instance, I cannot ascertain the sequence where he punches a fellow player Len (Watson) happens in the flashback or after the dentist, also why does he do that?

    Soon we will know, Frank gets his start with the help of 'Dad' Johnson (Hartnell), an elderly scout for the local rugby league club owner Gerald Weaver (Badel), Anderson subtly implies there is a latent homo-eroticism among the rugby business, not just the graphic roughhousing among macho and burly players, also from 'Dad', whom Margaret observe from their first meeting that his ogling look at Frank means something more than just a friend; and the perpetually suave Mr. Weaver, once impulsively reveals his intention with a seemingly casual pinch on Frank's thigh, which Anderson particularly singles out in intimacy. Although this strand doesn't pan out because of Frank's crass manner and erratic behavior, it certainly validates Anderson's unorthodox perception.

    After all, the main selling point is between Frank and Margaret, Harris and Roberts (then still Ms. Rex Harrison, and who would sadly commit suicide in 1980 at the age of 53) both pull out all the stops to elicit possibly their career-best performances. They are both gravely flawed characters, deep inside Frank is solely a naive and insecure boy wanting love albeit his masculine aggression, and Margaret is a damaged good stranded in a traumatic tragedy and barely sustained by the intention to live, thus, his one-sided courtship in her eyes is merely to objectify her as a kept woman, and she eventually complies, but she doesn't love him, she is the one who is incapable of love, because as we audience can testify, Frank is not that bad as a person, yes, he is a volatile woman-beater, an insolent jackass, without too much education, but he has the sense of justice, and he is craving for a reciprocal feeling of being wanted. The only happy moment between them is an outing with two kids, Frank can be a good father figure, but Margaret will never let that happen, both are too obstinate to compromise, Frank can easily choose another object, but no, he will not take no as an answer.

    Richard Harris superbly brings about Frank's multifarious personae, he is a blunt force of nature, yet he can also be quietly implosive in haunting close-ups. Like his close friends Richard Burton and Peter O'Toole, he is another British thespian to whom Oscar owes a golden statue. Rachel Roberts, incredibly augments tensions and empathy against her around-the-clock sullen facade and dead inside, fairly enough, both are Oscar-nominated.

    Anderson showcases his brilliant expertise of shooting scenes with rapid movements and indoors close-ups, the monochromatic palette effectively adds a layer of fatalism to a rather dispiriting melodrama anchored by two powerhouse performances, truly is one of the best of its time.
    8grantss

    Great movie

    Great movie.

    Ostensibly a sport-drama but the main plot of the movie is as a relationship / human drama. Very thoughtful and emotional plot.

    Great, gritty direction by Lindsay Anderson. The use of black-and- white photography helped the feeling of desolation, melancholy and emotional emptiness.

    Requires some patience though - starts slowly.

    Good performances by Richard Harris and Rachel Roberts, both of whom received Oscar nominations for their efforts.

    Worth watching.

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    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      Richard Harris became a star in movies as a result of his performance as Frank Machin, although the film itself was not a box-office hit despite generally favorable reviews.
    • Goofs
      The sash window in Mrs Hammond's living room, as seen from the inside (presumably a studio set), has been fitted back-to-front and upside-down. The curved "horns" (moulded wood) are at the top of the lower, inside (sliding) pane, when they should be at the bottom of the upper, outside (fixed) pane.
    • Quotes

      Frank Machin: We don't have stars in this game, Mrs Weaver, that's soccer.

      Mrs. Anne Weaver: What *do* you have?

      Frank Machin: People like me.

    • Connections
      Featured in Free Cinema (1986)
    • Soundtracks
      Here in My Heart
      (uncredited)

      Written by Pat Genaro, Lou Levinson and Bill Borrelli

      Performed by Richard Harris

      [Franks sings the song on stage at the club]

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    FAQ18

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    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • May 22, 1963 (France)
    • Country of origin
      • United Kingdom
    • Language
      • English
    • Also known as
      • This Sporting Life
    • Filming locations
      • Bolton Priory, Bolton Abbey, Skipton, North Yorkshire, England, UK(country outing)
    • Production companies
      • Independent Artists
      • Julian Wintle/Leslie Parkyn Productions
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Box office

    Edit
    • Gross worldwide
      • $813
    See detailed box office info on IMDbPro

    Tech specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      • 2h 14m(134 min)
    • Color
      • Black and White
    • Sound mix
      • Mono
    • Aspect ratio
      • 1.66 : 1

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