
This Sporting Life
He only believed in strength - love was a word he hadn't the power to say.
Directed by Lindsay Anderson
Produced by Julian Wintle/Leslie Parkyn Productions, J. Arthur Rank Organisation
A bleak, intimate portrait of a brutish rugby player's emotional incapacity and the damage his coldness inflicts on those around him, rooted in working-class Northern England.
In early 1960s Northern England, Frank Machin is mean, tough and ambitious enough to become an immediate star in the rugby league team run by local employer Weaver.
Clusters
Genres
Questions people ask
Is This Sporting Life sad? Yes, very. More sad than 98% of films.
Does This Sporting Life end with hope? Barely. Less hopeful than 83% of films.
Is This Sporting Life easy watching? Not especially. Less comforting than 74% of films.
Is This Sporting Life violent? Somewhat. More violent than 68% of films.
Is This Sporting Life scary? About average. Almost exactly mid-range.
These describe how the film comes across, measured across the whole film and compared with other well-known films. They are not a content list — nothing here was counted or checked scene by scene, so for age-suitability or specific content use a classification board or a dedicated content-warning service.
Cinnamon Score
How much this film gives you that nothing else will, and whether it delivers.
Distinctly its own thing.
How unlike any other film this one feels
How much more it delivers than it promises
How much audiences actually like it
Ensemble










Like This Sporting Life
Nearest across the full emotional profile.
Same Mood as This Sporting Life
Nearest on what's most distinctive about this one.
Like This Sporting Life, But Darker
Similar, pushed toward heavier and more intense.
Like This Sporting Life, But Lighter
Similar, pushed toward warmer and easier.
Like This Sporting Life, But Less Popular
Same territory, far fewer people have seen it.

















































