The Rocking Horse

A chance love affair between a teddy boy and a painter set in early 1960s London This was a student film made with the assistance of a BFI grant and its influences include the British Free Cinema movement John Cassavetes Shadows 1959 and for the love scene Alain Resnaiss Hiroshima Mon Amour France 1959 The films young hero is a cross between James Deans troubled teenager in Rebel Without a Cause US 1955 and Albert Finneys defiant mechanic in Saturday Night and Sunday Morning d Karel Reisz 1960 Initially portrayed as a selfassured arrogant and immature teenager his chance meeting with a pretty sophisticated middleclass artist reveals a more insecure fragile side The climactic lovemaking scene earned Scott the first X certificate given to an amateur filmmaker This short film is an extra on the BFI Flipside DVD The Pleasure Girls