We Are the Lambeth Boys

1959

Documentary

Rotten Tomatoes Critics - Rotten 80%
Rotten Tomatoes Audience - Upright 80%
IMDb Rating 6.8/10 10 307 307

Plot summary

Seminal piece of documentary filmmaking by New Wave director Karel Reisz following the daily activities of members of the Lambeth Youth club in late-1950s London.

Director

Karel Reisz Photo
Karel Reisz

Top cast

Jon Rollason Photo
Jon Rollason as Self - Commentator
John Kent Photo
John Kent as Self
Tony Benson Photo
Tony Benson as Self
Adrian Harding Photo
Adrian Harding as Self - Adie
720p.BluRay
464.9 MB
1280*964
English 2.0
NR
Subtitles us  
23.976 fps
12 hr 50 min
Seeds 20

Movie Reviews

Reviewed by 8 / 10

A Fascinating Attempt to Normalize the Working Class

This 1950s documentary follows the daily lives of a handful of young people who are probably between 16-18 years of age, and already hard at work at menial jobs by day to afford their fish and chips for supper.Much is made of the constructive activities they do at the youth club - some sort of primitive YMCA meets the local dance hall - that apparently keeps them away from booze, drugs and crime but not from copious amounts of cigarettes. I found it interesting how freely they were allowed to smoke in an atmosphere that attempted to cultivate their minds with sports, drawing, sewing, intelligent group discussion and a nightly chance to swing dance.Some of this was surely staged in an attempt to show "the kids are alright" but it also speaks volumes about the classism and prejudice against the working class in 1950s Britain that this film had to be made at all.Worth a second viewing or more.
Reviewed by 6 / 10

the year 1958

1958... the moment my mother was 3 years old. it's funny to see how the young people of those days had a party. the life portrayed in this so called 'documentary' could be as staged as the cannibal attacks in Cannibal Holocaust. but still, it remains images we don't know anymore and by that, this movie is certainly a documentary, even if it is not. because we see a portrait of a group of girls and a gang of boys, it takes us back to life in 1958, because movies imitate life. by that, I am sure this picture has got some interesting value. and for the older movie lovers, this is a welcome comeback. especially to the music in that period, music we have lost now (and that's a pity, because it's happy music that will make your blue days feel better). however, I strongly doubt that the voice-over told what he actually was thinking. no, I think he just read something on paper. or maybe he was interviewed for hours, something that is hardly the case in those days. but to tell you the truth, this documentary is not that interesting. after almost 30 minutes of something I believe is staged, the situations get pretty boring. maybe it's because I never witnessed that period with my own eyes. conclusion: this documentary is interesting, but boring as well.
Reviewed by 7 / 10

We Are the Lambeth Boys

What's really clear from early on in this documentary, is the sense of community these lads exude. Their daily jobs - from the lively to the mundane, or their schooling, all just a means to an end. An end to an evening where they will congregate with the girls - who just as hard as them - and dance (often to live music), chat and generally have a good time. Many look like the archetypal "Teddy Boys". Skinny ties, hair slicked back and dapper: jackets and shirts and never far from a cigarette. There's a playful respect for the opposite sex and Tony's fish bar does a rare trade when they emerge from the Alford House club before going home to a variety of family circumstances. Their chat is interesting too - sometimes just banter, others more substantial topics - like the relative merits of the abolition of the death penalty! Their team spirit is also evident on a trip (in the back of what looked like an army surplus lorry) to the posh Mill Hill school for a game of cricket and a tea. What's also remarkable is just how their whole environment is respected too. Their Kennington housing estate is clean, well maintained and the residents seem to care about where they live and how they relate to their neighbours. Sure, these lads push the envelope at times - a slight degree of chauvinism creeps in when they do some wolf-whistling, but somehow there is never any menace in their intent. It's high jinx and given many would have been conceived as the blitz was in full swing, their attitudes seem optimistic and positive. The fly-on-the-wall nature of the filming comes across as authentic, though maybe a little staged at times, and it evokes memories of when you could get a fish supper for 3 shillings and 4 pence!
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