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Sunday, Bloody Sunday

Play trailer Poster for Sunday, Bloody Sunday R 1971 1h 50m Drama LGBTQ+ Romance Play Trailer Watchlist
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83% Tomatometer 30 Reviews 70% Popcornmeter 2,500+ Ratings
Recently divorced career woman Alex Greville (Glenda Jackson) begins a romantic relationship with glamorous mod artist Bob Elkin (Murray Head), fully aware that he's also intimately involved with middle-aged doctor Daniel Hirsh (Peter Finch). For both Alex and Daniel, the younger man represents a break with their repressive pasts, and though both know that Bob is seeing both of them, neither is willing to let go of the youth and vitality he brings to their otherwise stable lives.
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Sunday, Bloody Sunday

Sunday, Bloody Sunday

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Critics Consensus

Led by strong performances from its three leads, Sunday Bloody Sunday takes a sophisticated and groundbreaking look at the complexities of love.

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Critics Reviews

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Margaret Hinxman Daily Telegraph (UK) 06/02/2020
For me, Sunday, Bloody Sunday is far and away the best film John Schlesinger has ever made: the surest, the truest, the most uncluttered. Go to Full Review
Derek Malcolm Guardian 06/02/2020
A most impressive achievement, superbly edited by its maker into a whole that is almost as satisfactory as its parts. Go to Full Review
Kimberley Jones Austin Chronicle 03/16/2020
Sunday Bloody Sunday is the song of those left behind, not the one doing the leaving. Go to Full Review
Christopher Lloyd The Film Yap Feb 5
2/5
John Schlesinger's follow-up to the electric "Midnight Cowboy" is a turgid love triangle, one of those films beloved by filmmakers -- all moments and behavior. Go to Full Review
Eddie Harrison film-authority.com 06/15/2023
5/5
…Gloomy yet glamorous, Sunday Bloody Sunday may depict sexual mores of a bygone era, but the situation is describes feels timeless in the hands of gifted film-makers… Go to Full Review
Alan Jones Radio Times 03/16/2020
4/5
[G]round-breaking exploration of heterosexual and homosexual relationships. Go to Full Review
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Audience Reviews

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Ed . Aug 29 Boring Bloody Boring, or Can't Wait for Monday I initially rated this film 3.5 stars from my memories of having viewed this film some years ago. Yesterday, I went to my cinema club to watch this again, and my opinion is quite different. The acting IS superb, all around. The story is compelling and told in an honest, frank manner. I care about the characters - not tremendously, but above indifference. I just find the story dull. Much of real life is dull, but I don't think I'd want to sit for 2 hours to see dull real life on screen. I agree with Roger Ebert and thought much of what he penned in his movie review in a manner much more elegantly than I could: * "this film is not an affirmation but a tragedy" * "This is not a movie about the loss of love, but about its absence." The comedic element involving the children smoking pot seems out of place with the realistic nature of the film. Their snickering at the rotating companionship of 20-something Bob and Alex/Daniel is very realistic. That parents, even those of an avant garde / bohemian nature, would subject their children to this love triangle is unfortunate. The film portrays what Ebert described as a sad London, which I think is an accurate representation of post-60s swinging London and the onset realization that Britain was falling behind competitively in world markets. Am I being unfair in my reevaluation of Sunday Bloody Sunday? See more Alec B 02/20/2024 Well acted to be sure and it does have that constant feeling of being totally honest. If anything keeps it from being great, its the almost repressive feeling of self importance in several scenes. See more dave s 01/03/2023 Alex (Glenda Jackson) is a recently divorced woman coming to terms with job dissatisfaction and a traumatic childhood. Daniel (Peter Finch) is a Jewish doctor trying to hide his homosexuality from his community. In an effort to sooth their troubled lives, both manage to find solace in the arms of Bob (Murray Head), a free-spirited artist and a product of the ‘60s. John Schlesinger's Sunday Bloody Sunday is an interesting study of characters in crisis, buoyed by powerhouse performances from both Jackson and Finch. Admittedly, there isn't much in the way of a storyline and some of Schlesinger's directorial choices are odd (there are too many close-ups of irrelevant things – a key being inserted into a lock, for example), but it remains an intriguing period piece dealing with controversial relationships that were pretty much verboten at the time. See more 02/18/2022 Well acted to be sure and it does have that constant feeling of being totally honest. If anything keeps it from being great, its the almost repressive feeling of self importance in several scenes. See more andres s 12/21/2021 Really great use of editing techniques and camera work. I love the attention to detail and cinematography. There's definitely a political and socio-economic awareness going on in this movie. Kids are smoking pot and it's ok because their parent are progressive? Uhh wtf? Lol. Beautifully chaotic and comfortable with how dirty things can be. It's got that gritty 70's feel to it that I like. Holy shit that beautifully pleasant scene at the park takes a terrible turn when the little blonde girl decides to run across the street all of a sudden, unfortunately killing the dog. That was so unexpected and pretty shocking. Hypnotic and psychedelic at times. It ended up being a pretty damn good decent movie. I was much more taken by it than the previous movie I watch today - ‘Throw Down'. The movie has an incredible real take and awareness on the things happening during that time. Everything seems very relevant and modern. I love the way they showcase everyday living for it's characters and the way their lives intertwine with one another. Polyamorous relationships are not for the faint of heart and I love the way they tackled this subject matter with such sensitivity. The movie went by fairly quick without even noticing and I found it thoroughly entertaining. I was pleasantly surprised at how interesting all the characters and their story lines were. John Schlesinger has a keen and creative eye when it comes to cinematography and shots. He has this almost childlike wonder and curiosity when filming things. I'd actually watch this movie again. See more delysid d 12/17/2021 i watched this entire 2 hour film, man i was confused. what is this??? See more Read all reviews
Sunday, Bloody Sunday

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Movie Info

Synopsis Recently divorced career woman Alex Greville (Glenda Jackson) begins a romantic relationship with glamorous mod artist Bob Elkin (Murray Head), fully aware that he's also intimately involved with middle-aged doctor Daniel Hirsh (Peter Finch). For both Alex and Daniel, the younger man represents a break with their repressive pasts, and though both know that Bob is seeing both of them, neither is willing to let go of the youth and vitality he brings to their otherwise stable lives.
Director
John Schlesinger
Producer
Joseph Janni
Screenwriter
Penelope Gilliatt
Distributor
Criterion Collection, United Artists, MGM/UA Home Entertainment Inc.
Production Co
Vectia
Rating
R
Genre
Drama, LGBTQ+, Romance
Original Language
English
Release Date (Theaters)
Sep 8, 1971, Wide
Release Date (Streaming)
Sep 16, 2008
Runtime
1h 50m
Sound Mix
Mono
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