The Loneliness of the Long Distance Runner

Name: The Loneliness of the Long Distance Runner
Director: Tony Richardson
Released: 1962

Tony Richardson

youth rebellion institutional authority social class conflict redemption through sport alienation and isolation

Stream on Criterion → ▶ Trailer

Synopsis

A rebellious youth, sentenced to a boy’s reformatory for robbing a bakery, rises through the ranks of the institution by impressing its Governor through his prowess as a long distance runner. He is encouraged to compete in an upcoming race, but faces ridicule from his peers.