Certainly, American films had their share of working-class dramas in the late 1950's and 60's, but none of them were as greedy or NuWave like the British films of that era. A factory town become the subject of controversy and violence due to a strike that has one worker, Richard Attenborough, crossing the line and labeled a scab and eventually ostracized. He tolerates it in silent pain, that is until his family is harassed which causes him to erupt in a very public lambasting.

The performances of Attenborough, Pier Angeli (as his wife) and Bernard Lee are very strong, with a sensational ensemble and terrific direction by Guy Green and a wonderful Oscar nominated script by Bryan Forbes. "If you can't be yourself, what's the point of having children?" Attenborough expresses when seemingly beaten, a battle being fought on today.

His desire to stand up for what he believes in has been a theme in movies for years, and here, it's fought for in an extremely angry manner which indicates that the crowd is not always right. You really feel like you are in the middle of a headline-grabbing story in watching this, with the gritty lifestyle of these working class men turning them into robots manipulated by a system claiming to be on their side. Potent drama that stands the test of time and gives a not so pretty look into the worst of human nature.

THE ANGRY SILENCE is a little-mentioned but thoroughly compelling character study of an ordinary man who stands up to the power of the unions and comes a cropper as a result. It's notable for featuring another fine performance from Richard Attenborough, who burns up the screen with a simmering intensity that comes to a head during a beautiful monologue set in a cafeteria of all places. An outstanding ensemble cast play well in support, with Brian Bedford and Bernard Lee standing out in particular. The film is very well made and never rushes the story but instead paints a realistic picture of a complex situation in a time and place now relegated to history.

Ostensibly this is about the dynamics of a strike in Ipswitch but it really deals with a much more general question -- what attitude do we take towards someone who doesn't conform? Suppose there is a genuine source of concern about worker safety in a factory. Suppose management is willing to look into the matter and take corrective measures. Suppose, provoked by an outside organizer, the union strikes anyway, although without the backup of a national union they'll have to live on their own money. Suppose one poor factory stiff, in the person of Richard Attenborough, has a wife and kid to take care of and can't survive on the little he's saved and decides to work anyway.

What do you -- the average worker who has gone along with the rest and stayed home -- do about (or to) Richard Attenborough who is weakening the collective stance? In this instance, you'd use a tactic of alienation that the Old Order Amish call "shunning." You don't speak to him, look at him, or pay any attention to him at all. You give him non-person treatment. Then, as the general hatred gains its own autonomous momentum, you run him over with a car, hospitalize him, and cost him an eye. Then finally you wake up and realize that things have gone a little too far, especially in the face of the willingness of some in management to cooperate.

The more abstract questions, of course, have to do with non-conformity. Suppose, instead of an ordinary grimy factory worker, it's a homosexual? Or, in a community that belongs exclusively to one political party, the guy voices opinions too closely resembling those of the opposition party. Or maybe he's just unusually dumb, ugly, or fat. Suppose he smokes cigarettes.

You can see that this exceptional film is getting at more than labor relations in 1960s England.

It's well done without being a masterpiece. The direction by Guy Green is functional and not splashy. The performances are all up to par, as you'd expect from such a seasoned cast. Pier Angeli, as Attenborough's wife, is surprisingly effective. She's not a kid anymore but retains that piping girlish voice. The film doesn't glamorize her either, although she's quite beautiful despite the homely braids and drab garb.

Nice job overall.