La rue du péché

In the 1950's and 1960's UK cinema became more gritty and realistic. It examined the human cost of relationships focussing on the fact that people can get hurt.

"This is my Street" pulls no punches: Marge has lived in Jubilee Terrace all her life and wants to get out. She is married to Sid who is happy to pop down to the pub for a few beers and a game of darts – he sets his targets pretty low. Bad boy Harry rents a room next door (from Marge's mum) and provides the potential escape Marge dreams of. But does Harry want love or just sex? Marge has a pretty sister who pops along midway through the film, she seems to be well set – will her dreams be dashed? Down the street is Maureen who is happy to provide the sex but expects something permanent. But does her lover just want sex or does he want love? This film was made 50 years ago and some of its topics must have been challenging at the time.

Ian Hendry's unsympathetic portrayal of Harry must have been difficult to take in the 1960s. Quite possibly realistic but not the sort of manner the public would want to face up to.

June Ritchie gets under your skin as Marge. You want to like her but she also presents an unsympathetic profile. In fact few of the leads come out with any sympathy which I guess was the intention of the makers. Jubilee Terrace is a metaphor for life in general – we all have our dreams, sometimes these come true but other times we get a kick in the teeth and fall back into line.

I think the film still rings true today. We all have our aspirations. This is rather a blunt way of showing how we can be disappointed.