Saturday Night and Sunday Morning, a seminal film of the British New Wave, was a great box-office success when it opened in 1960 – audiences were thrilled by its anti-establishment energy, gritty realism, and above all by its fresh, outspoken working-class hero.

In the industrial streets and factories of Nottingham, Arthur Seaton (Albert Finney) spends his days at the factory bench, his evenings in the local pubs and his nights in the arms of Brenda (Rachel Roberts), the wife of a fellow factory worker. Irresistibly handsome and brimming with animal vitality, Arthur is anti-authority and unashamedly amoral….“What I'm out for is a good time. All the rest is propaganda.”

Based on the Alan Sillitoe's largely autobiographical novel, and with powerful central performances, crackling dialogue and a superb jazz score by Johnny Dankworth, the film stands as a vibrant modern classic.

Saturday Night and Sunday Morning was originally released on UK DVD back in 2003 by the BFI, who have announced a welcome re-release for 23rd March 2009 in a new high-definition transfer on both DVD (£17.99) and Blu-ray (£22.99). The following special features have been listed:

• Commentary by film historian Robert Murphy, with writer Alan Sillitoe and cinematographer Freddie Francis;
• New filmed interview with Shirley Anne Field;
• Audio interview with Albert Finney;
• We Are the Lambeth Boys (1959) – Karel Reisz's classic Free Cinema documentary;
• Illustrated booklet containing essays and biographies.