Sunday, Bloody Sunday Review- By Michael Carlisle

Title: Sunday Bloody Sunday
Director: John Schlesinger
Year: 1971
Country: UK
Language: English

I did not know what to expect from John Schlesinger's Sunday, Bloody Sunday, at worst I expected a bumbling  melodramatic soap opera. Then I remembered Peter Finch, who played Howard Beale in the incredible late seventies film Network. He acting was top notch in that film and I expected it would be in this one as well. I decided to watch this film because The Criterion Collection had announced it as a November release and I was intrigued by the premise of the film. I am proud to say that this film delivered and I will definitely be buying it when it comes out.

The plot of Sunday, Bloody Sunday involves three people in a rather peculiar love triangle. Alex Greville (Glenda Jackson) is a divorced working woman and Daniel Hirsh (Peter Finch), a Jewish family doctor. They not only share the same answering service but also the same man. Bob Elkin (Murray Head) bed hops between the two of them whenever the mood fits. Both Alex and Daniel know about each other but prefer to live with the situation rather than be without any sort of love.

In the film Alex Greville tells us, "Some people believe something is better than nothing, but I'm beginning to believe that nothing can be better than something." We get a sense that this is not true, for either her or Daniel Hirsh. They both fall for a man who has no dimension to his character, he seems to have no real deep thought or emotion in this film, and is likely twice as young as them. While Daniel is not upset by his homosexuality but he does his best to keep it a secret from his family, mainly because he strongly wants human companionship

I think a lot of people feel this way, unloved and in need of someone to talk to. That's likely why you will see people who jump from bed to bed & people who sacrifice their health just to be with another person.It may seem pessimistic but all great films reveal certain truths about mankind and the society we live in. Humans are indeed quite complex social creatures who long to be understood and loved by others. The characters are quite graceful in the way they accept loss of love and I respect the writers for that. A lesser film might reduce this film to savagery. A lot of the film also had to do with fear, they shared Elkin not because of kindness but because they were worried about trying for all.

In conclusion, Sunday, Bloody Sunday is not about a breakup but about the absence of love and what that does to a human being's psychological state. It does so in a purposefully non confronting way that really makes the film standout. Along with screenplay and direction, the acting by all three main actors is brilliant. This film is an underrated masterpiece. Praise it! 5/5