Billy Liar is the hinge between kitchen-sink realism and the swinging sixties — a bleak northern town shot in widescreen, punctured by fantasy sequences that let Courtenay machine-gun his own family. Julie Christie arrives about an hour in, swinging a handbag down a high street, and British cinema visibly changes gear. The new 4K restoration gives the black-and-white the depth it has been missing for sixty years, and Film Forum has it for a single week.
What to expect
A repertory house crowd in one of Film Forum's four small screens, with multiple showtimes across the day. The restoration is a genuine upgrade rather than a streaming transfer, and the print detail in the fantasy sequences is the point. Expect an audience that laughs at the jokes and knows Schlesinger's later work.
Good to know
- Film Forum is on West Houston near Varick — take the 1 to Houston Street.
- Repertory restorations here draw well; book online rather than relying on the box office.
- Seats are reserved, so choose your row when booking instead of arriving early.
- Film Forum members get discounted admission if you go often enough to justify it.
- The screens are small and steeply raked — almost every seat has a clean sightline.
- It plays for a limited run only, so do not plan around a second chance.
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Common questions
Is this the full-length original?
Yes — a new 4K restoration of Schlesinger's 1963 feature, not an edited or shortened version.
Why is it playing now?
Film Forum is marking the centenary of John Schlesinger's birth in 1926.
Is it in English?
Yes, though the Yorkshire accents are thick; Film Forum often runs subtitles for restorations of this vintage.
More this weekend
