Glenda Jackson is one of the best actresses – and I’d always been a fan of Peter Finch but this is his finest performance. It acknowledges the contradictions of the human heart. The film – which can be quite funny – is non-judgmental. It also shows us a London trying to manage with modernity. There is other intrinsic visual imagery – like an accident involving a beloved pet. The phone and its ringing becomes at times hopeful and in others intrusive and frustrating – mirroring our characters’ state of mind. Schlesinger uses the telephone switchboard and its cables as a symbol of the intricacies of human interaction. There are times when nothing HAS to be better than anything.” Alex justifies it by telling them (and she seems to be trying to convince herself as well) “Anything is better than nothing. They both need him and want him for themselves. The movie focuses on how he affects Daniel and Alex individually and the toll of their arrangement. Bob is beautiful, young and their object of desire - and not particularly interesting. Finch plays a doctor – Daniel Hirsch – who has a loving Jewish family and Jackson plays Alex Greville – a divorced employment counselor.

Both of them know that they’re sharing the sexual pleasures of Bob – they even use the same answering service. “Sunday Bloody Sunday” is quite a revolutionary and stirring drama about the complexities of relationships that feels extremely contemporary and novel – with two towering performances in Glenda Jackson and Finch who were both nominated for the Oscar.Ī young artist – Bob – is having parallel affairs with two Londoners – a man and a woman – dividing his days between them. I wonder if this is what was outrageous to audiences? Actor Ian Bannen – who was originally cast in the leading role – was fired for he was skittish of the intimacy. What comes across as surprising to me as I saw it again is how committed the actors are and how genuinely tender, loving and matter of fact that gesture comes across. It must have been quite shocking at the time of release to see this on screen. Early in the film there’s a passionate kiss between two men.

“Sunday Bloody Sunday” (1971) is noteworthy for it shows us a gay man who is comfortable with his sexuality. Director John Schlesinger took quite a different approach from his preceding film “Midnight Cowboy” (which won Best Picture and Best Director in 1969) that portrayed the main characters as marginalized and shameful of their homosexuality. Consequently, I sat to watch “Sunday Bloody Sunday” last night. They are viewed as the catalyst for the gay liberation movement in the US and the world. Today marks the anniversary of the Stonewall riots that took place in 1969.

Bloody Sunday by Douglas Murray