Hard Labour (1973)
Hard Labour (1973)
DVDRip | AVI | 718x574 | XviD @ 1805 Kbps | English MP3 @ 160 Kbps | 70 min | 994 Mb
Genre: Comedy, Drama
DVDRip | AVI | 718x574 | XviD @ 1805 Kbps | English MP3 @ 160 Kbps | 70 min | 994 Mb
Genre: Comedy, Drama
Director: Mike Leigh
Writer: Mike Leigh (deviser)
Stars: Liz Smith, Clifford Kershaw, Polly Hemingway
Mike Leigh's first TV drama for the BBC in 1973. Shot entirely on location in Leigh’s native Salford, Hard Labour depicts the grinding daily routine of stoical domestic cleaner Mrs Thornley and her cantankerous family. Hard Labour features a moving central performance from Liz Smith (The Royle Family) and early appearances by Ben Kingsley and Bernard Hill. It also marks the first collaboration between Mike Leigh and Alison Steadman (Gavin and Stacey), who was to take leading roles in Nuts in May and Abigail’s Party.
Of course this is excellent professional stuff, shown tonight on BBC 4 to showcase Liz Smith. What was said before here I can only endorse fully and what a surprise to find Ben Kingsley appear quite unexpectedly, as a mini-cab controller, showing early flashes of brilliance. Great BBC Play For Today almost polemic in depth of social anthropology conveyed in simple scenes with sparse but exceptionally naturalistic and believable dialogue.
Scare alert - there is a real yuck moment where Liz Smith is required to massage her old husband's extremely hairy back that must have been revolting for her, the unexpected sacrifice of acting. Bernard Hill turns in as usual a convincing performance as an under the thumb husband to Alison Steadman's control freak.
Old style pubs and seedy streets add to the time capsule value of this production which I thoroughly enjoyed, an unexpected treat as I had never heard of this at all before.
(click to enlarge)
Hard Labour (1973)
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