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IMDbPro

A Sense of Freedom

  • 1981
  • 1h 21m
IMDb RATING
6.9/10
661
YOUR RATING
David Hayman in A Sense of Freedom (1981)
True CrimeCrimeDramaThriller

The life and imprisonment of Glasgow hard man and gangster Jimmy Boyle.The life and imprisonment of Glasgow hard man and gangster Jimmy Boyle.The life and imprisonment of Glasgow hard man and gangster Jimmy Boyle.

  • Director
    • John Mackenzie
  • Writers
    • Peter McDougall
    • Jimmy Boyle
  • Stars
    • David Hayman
    • Jake D'Arcy
    • Sean Scanlan
  • See production info at IMDbPro
  • IMDb RATING
    6.9/10
    661
    YOUR RATING
    • Director
      • John Mackenzie
    • Writers
      • Peter McDougall
      • Jimmy Boyle
    • Stars
      • David Hayman
      • Jake D'Arcy
      • Sean Scanlan
    • 11User reviews
    • 4Critic reviews
  • See production info at IMDbPro
  • See production info at IMDbPro
    • Nominated for 1 BAFTA Award
      • 1 nomination total

    Photos6

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    Top cast47

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    David Hayman
    David Hayman
    • Jimmy Boyle
    Jake D'Arcy
    Jake D'Arcy
    • Robbie
    Sean Scanlan
    Sean Scanlan
    • Jackie
    • (as Sean Scanlon)
    Alex Norton
    Alex Norton
    • Malkie
    John Murtagh
    • Piper
    Roy Hanlon
    • Chief Officer
    Martin Black
    • Bobbie Dugan
    Fulton Mackay
    Fulton Mackay
    • Inspector Davidson
    Hector Nicol
    • Uncle Jody
    Bill Barclay
    • Bill
    Alexander West
    • Ben
    Lesley Mackie
    • Malkie's Wife
    Frank Welshman
    • Barman
    Kate Gardiner
    • Boyle's Mother
    Jan Wilson
    • Mrs. Docherty
    Jimmy Martin
    • Mr. Docherty
    Billy Jeffrey
    • Archie
    Myra Forsyth
    • Mrs. Johnson
    • Director
      • John Mackenzie
    • Writers
      • Peter McDougall
      • Jimmy Boyle
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

    User reviews11

    6.9661
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    Featured reviews

    10j-scott33

    Miss it at your peril

    A brutal Man. A brutal system. This is the true story of hardman Jimmy Boyle based on the tough streets of the Gorbals in 1970,s Glasgow. A hard hitting story of a man who,s loan sharking and racketeering eventually leads him to prison where his anti authoritarianism is met with rough justice by the prison wardens. This low budget film proves that money and special effects need not be the key in mastery
    ianbroudie2001

    A Social Document

    An interesting movie to say the least.....

    I watched this film by complete accident and have never discounted the influence it has served in my life.

    Once the film had been seen I went onto read the book (much more intense) and then the sequel (the pain of confidement). Eventually having lost the movie some years ago I managed to win a copy on Ebay some weeks ago, once again opening me up to the harshness and bleakness this film gave me and still does.

    A wonderful performance by David Hayman (totally hard, totally cold) and others (watch out for Rab C Nesbitt and Fulton Mackay from Porridge).

    The film portays the true story of Jimmy Boyle as rather biased towards Boyle forgetting the effect he would have on some peoples life. Do not forget that these prison officers took some almighty provocation from Mr. Boyle and when Mr. Boyle in the movie questions the officers about wether they are any different from him they're answer is "we have families at home waiting for us...."

    Having watched the majority of British Prison movies (Macvicar, Scum) once is left with the feeling that this is the top one. So sad that is has not enjoyed it's day on DVD yet.

    I visited Peterhead Prison some years ago and was astonished with it's look, goodness knows only what it was like inside.

    The brutal nature of the film is also astounding, knife slashing, prison beatings and a quite astonishing deterrent by Boyle to avoiding such beatings (Urgh!).

    Do such beatings deter, well now adays people believe such punishment has no effect and is unfair on the criminal, funny that as Boyle is now a reformed character preaching to the addicted masses, one could be contraversial and say that his punishment served as his "sense of freedom"
    9simon-118

    Brilliant study of a man with an unbelievably strongwill

    Peter McDougall, British televisions most unfllinching writer, skilfully avoids making this a message-movie or an adaptation in a traditional sense. It is partly fictionalised, as it is not a story about criminality, it is about Boyle, a man with a will of iron who defies all society's attempts to dispose of him, and eventually reforms through compliance not defiance. David Hayman is very convincing and there's a wonderful cameo from Hector Nichol as a gatecrasher at a party. The violence is noticeably a long time coming. McDougall never needs to throw as many shocks in as possible, but brings in whatever is needed when it is needed. The icing on the cake is Frankie Miller's score and John McKenzie again showing he can film violence more truthfully than any other director. Wonderfully honest for STV, the emotion reaches more grim levels than McDougall's previous BBC works. Hayman plays the death of his mother and his contemplation of suicide beautifully, but most impressive is his curled up, wounded animal figure on the cell floor saying his name over and over again. This is the way to make a television film.
    8gabrielmillsom

    Gritty, violent prison drama

    This is the life of Jimmy Boyle, a Glaswegian gangster. The fact that the film was apparently shot around forty years doesn't in the least detract from the film, in fact it adds to it. This is a wonderful insight into what Glaswegian life must have been like back then, when men were men. My only disappointment is that the film didn't have subtitles.

    Gabriel Millsom.
    paul-mcelhone

    This guy is not a hero.... but it is a great movie

    This is an extremely powerful film. Certainly one of the most influential dramas of its time.

    But do not be confused.... Boyle is no hero.

    He was a very nasty individual who had little/no regard for other people and (to my recollection) has never shown remorse or regret for the life he led.

    By all means watch the movie... it is excellent, but do not mistake his stubborn, rebellious and lawless nature for anything other than it is.

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    Storyline

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    Did you know

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    • Trivia
      Due to non-co-operation by the Scottish Prison Service in allowing a film crew access to their property, Hayman's scenes in prison were filmed in Dublin's Kilmainham Jail.
    • Alternate versions
      Some prints feature a soundtrack in which the original actors have re-recorded their dialogue with softer Scottish accents. The two disc DVD release on the Odyssey label in the UK features both versions.
    • Connections
      Featured in Scotland on Screen (2009)
    • Soundtracks
      A Sense Of Freedom
      Written By Frankie Miller

      Performed by Frankie Miller and Rory Gallagher

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    FAQ13

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    Details

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    • Release date
      • October 18, 1985 (United States)
    • Country of origin
      • United Kingdom
    • Language
      • English
    • Also known as
      • Lebenslänglich - Ein Alptraum hinter Gittern
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Tech specs

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    • Runtime
      1 hour 21 minutes
    • Color
      • Color
    • Sound mix
      • Mono

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    David Hayman in A Sense of Freedom (1981)
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