Language: Dutch. English version here. Deutsch hier.

When he is caught by the police for robbing a bakery, Colin Smith is sentenced to be confined in Ruxton Towers, a borstal (prison school) for delinquent youths. Taken there in handcuffs and detained in bleak and highly restrictive circumstances, he seeks solace in long-distance running, attracting the notice of the school’s authorities for his physical prowess. Long-distance running offers Smith a welcome distraction from the brutal drudgery of the Borstal regime and he is offered the prospect of early release from Borstal, if he wins in an important cross-country competition against a prestigious public school. For Ruxton Towers to win the cross-country race would be a major PR boost for the establishment, and Smith has an obvious incentive to cooperate.

However, when the day of the race arrives Smith throws victory away: after speeding ahead of the other runners he deliberately stops running a few metres short of the finishing line, even though he is well ahead and could easily win. In deliberately losing the race, Smith demonstrates his free spirit and independence. A raw-toned classic, written by a legendary writer.

Tom Richardson directed the film, Alan Sillitoe himself wrote the screenplay. Belle and Sebastian adapted the title for a song: