A Kind of Loving (1962) starring Alan Bates, June Ritchie, Thora Hird, Bert Palmer directed by John Schlesinger Movie Review

A Kind of Loving (1962)   3/53/53/53/53/5


Alan Bates and June Ritchie in A Kind of Loving (1962)

The Way We Were

Victor Arthur 'Vic' Brown (Alan Bates) is just a regular sort of guy, working as a draughtsman at his local factory which is where he meets Ingrid (June Ritchie) who he starts taking out. But after a few dates they take things further and much to Vic's horror Ingrid ends up pregnant. With everyone chucking their two-penneth worth in and Ingrid's bossy mother demanding, the young couple are forced in to getting married. But forced in to marriage only causes problems especially when they discover that beyond a physical attraction they have little in common especially after Ingrid loses the baby whilst they live with her mum.

"A Kind of Loving" starts with a wedding and it is a scene which made me smile as it made me think back to when I use to go to weddings and the people who were there and they would behave. There is the wedding photographer busying everyone around on the steps of the church whilst you have those older women making comments to a young man that it will be his turn next and then there is that one guest who hurriedly tries to take a photo as the bride and groom are leaving. It is an amusing observation on a wedding scene which manages to be real but also funny.

James Bolam and Alan Bates in A Kind of Loving (1962)

Unfortunately "A Kind of Loving" doesn't continue in the same manner and as it gets to the story of Vic getting Ingrid pregnant and being forced in to marriage the humour is lost and it becomes simply a drama of a young man and his girl ending up trapped in a marriage with an interfering mother to contend with. Now it is nicely shot and interesting but for me it makes it now purely a nostalgia piece, something those who were the same age as Vic and Ingrid in the early 60s can watch and think that is exactly how it was and it is probably entertaining for them, but for those who stumble across it now it fails to grip.

But whilst I can't say that "A Kind of Loving" ended up gripping me it is a beautifully shot movie with so many wonderfully framed scenes especially those which are shot at night with the combination of street lights and glistening roads giving a look of art. It also features some wonderful performances and both Alan Bates and June Ritchie play their parts well.

What this all boils down to is that "A Kind of Loving" probably is really enjoyable for those who watch and find themselves reminiscing as to how things were. But whilst a beautiful piece of movie making it doesn't work so well for newer audiences who stumble across especially after the initial observational humour of a wedding.


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