Lists
- ranked 61 in BFI 100
- ranked 607 in They Shoot Pictures, Don't They? 1000 Greatest Films (August 2005)
- ranked 676 in They Shoot Pictures, Don't They? 1000 Greatest Films (March 2006)
- ranked 725 in They Shoot Pictures, Don't They? 1000 Greatest Films (December 2006)
- one of The New York Times Best 1,000 Movies Ever Made
After being arrested for robbing a bakery, Colin Smith (Tom Courtenay) is sent to a reform school where his running ability makes him a favourite of the governor (Michael Redgrave), who has ambitions of winning an athletics trophy against a nearby public school.
It's the kind of anti-authoritarian drama that makes me want to watch Cool Hand Luke again instead, but it's superbly done and well worth seeing.