Par un soir d’hiver, à Nottingham, Colin Smith et son comparse cambriolent une boulangerie et s’enfuient avec la caisse. Le jeune Colin est arrêté et aussitôt envoyé en maison de redressement. Là, le directeur va vite découvrir ses talents de coureur de fond…
Adapté du roman éponyme de Alan Sillitoe.

« Figure incontournable du « free cinema » anglais, Tony Richardson signe un grand film poétique par son approche cinématographique mais aussi par la dénonciation d’un système politique inégalitaire. Incontournable ! » – Atmosphères53.

Colin Smith is the oldest son of his large, nearly impoverished family, forced into the role of breadwinner after the early death of his father. Caught by the police after robbing a bakery, Colin is sent to Ruxton Towers borstal, where his athletic ability quickly marks him out as the governor’s golden boy. But his successful ‘rehabilitation’ looks uncertain as he struggles with the unfair treatment he receives and the expectations of conformity placed upon him.
Adapted from Alan Sillitoe’s eponymous book.

‘Key figure of the english ‘free cinema’, Tony Richardson delivers a great movie, poetic by its cinematic approach but also by the denunciation of an unequal political system. Must-see!’ – Atmosphères53.