Sunday, Bloody Sunday

R

Released Sep 8, 1971

1h 50m

Drama

LGBTQ+

List

87%

30 Reviews

Tomatometer

70%

2,500+ Ratings

Audience Score

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.

Read More

Read Less

Watch on Fandango at Home

Premiered Oct 31

Buy Now

Fandango at Home

Prime Video

Rent Sunday, Bloody Sunday on Fandango at Home, or buy it on Fandango at Home, Prime Video.

Critics Consensus

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

Read Critics Reviews

Alec B

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.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

02/20/24

Full Review

Audience Member

Glenda Jackson, and Peter Finch love the artist who is moving to New York. This threesome would not happen in 2023 when getting half of someone is not acceptable. That Jackson and Finch are willing to share Murray Head is because 1971 people didn't know how to get the full ball of wax. This is 50 years later when relationships are more demanding and very well defined. If a man wants both a woman and a man, It is very dangerous to both partners who may get diseases from one or the other. It just is not safe to have more than one partner.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

02/18/23

Full Review

dave s

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.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

03/30/23

Full Review

Audience Member

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.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

02/13/23

Full Review

andres s

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.

Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars

03/30/23

Full Review

delysid d

i watched this entire 2 hour film, man i was confused. what is this???

Rated 1 out of 5 stars

12/17/21

Full Review

Read all reviews

Post a rating

John Schlesinger

Director

Glenda Jackson

Alex Greville

Peter Finch

Dr. Daniel Hirsh

Murray Head

Bob Elkin

Peggy Ashcroft

Mrs. Greville

Tony Britton

George Harding

Show Less Cast & Crew

Show More Cast & Crew

20%

71%

The Sergeant

90%

87%

The Boys in the Band

76%

75%

Satyricon

74%

52%

Personal Best

82%

63%

Lianna

Discover more movies and TV shows.

View More

View more photos

Margaret Hinxman

Daily Telegraph (UK)

For me, Sunday, Bloody Sunday is far and away the best film John Schlesinger has ever made: the surest, the truest, the most uncluttered.

Jun 2, 2020

Full Review

Derek Malcolm

Guardian

A most impressive achievement, superbly edited by its maker into a whole that is almost as satisfactory as its parts.

Jun 2, 2020

Full Review

Kimberley Jones

Austin Chronicle

Sunday Bloody Sunday is the song of those left behind, not the one doing the leaving.

Mar 16, 2020

Full Review

Eddie Harrison

film-authority.com

…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…

Rated: 5/5

Jun 15, 2023

Full Review

Alan Jones

Radio Times

[G]round-breaking exploration of heterosexual and homosexual relationships.

Rated: 4/5

Mar 16, 2020

Full Review

Jose Solís

PopMatters

What's most surprising about Sunday Bloody Sunday is that Finch and Jackson only share one scene together, yet it's the power of the performances that carries the entire film.

Rated: 6/10

Mar 16, 2020

Full Review

Read all reviews

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
Screenwriter: Penelope Gilliatt
Distributor: Criterion Collection, United Artists, MGM/UA Home Entertainment Inc.
Production Co: Vectia
Rating: R
Genre: Drama, LGBTQ+
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Sep 8, 1971, Wide
Release Date (Streaming): Sep 16, 2008
Runtime: 1h 50m
Sound Mix: Mono

Most Popular at Home Now