Powerful, uncompromising drama about two boys' struggle for survival in the nightmare world of Britain's notorious Borstal Reformatory.
Acting
Ray Winstone's breakthrough — terrifying, magnetic, unforgettable.
Direction
Alan Clarke's unblinking camera refuses to look away.
Writing
Roy Minton's script from his own banned TV play.
Director
Alan Clarke
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
The BBC banned the original 1977 TV version so completely that director Alan Clarke remade it as a feature film with almost the entire original cast.
The 'billiard ball in a sock' weapon became so notorious that British prisons reportedly saw copycat incidents after the film's release.
GB
