Schlesinger’s feature debut is a starkly photographed study of a young man in the north of England dreaming of escape from the drudgery of work, only to find himself entering into a loveless marriage when his girlfriend becomes pregnant. This gritty realistic film was part of a new wave in English cinema and arts which concentrated on the experiences of the generation of working class people born during the so-called “boom years” of post-war capital. Alan Bates is outstanding in the lead role. Based on the novel by Stan Barstow.