I haven't seen this movie in a few years catching it once on late night TV here in the states but I actually saw it multiple times in theaters here and later on HBO its awesome. Hazel O'Connor is amazing her voice, her acting are spot on, the lyrics to every song have great meaning from the radical anti racist Blackman, to the Anti Machine 8th day which looking back was way ahead of its time, to the incredibly touching torch song Will You. Every aspect of this production was a statement on the 80's, the Corporate Music Industry, and most of all our materialism and racism it was so much more than it appears on the service it is for me the Quintessential movie of the 80's. Fueled by good direction, a wonderfully competent supporting cast and powerful music a must see.

I first saw "Breaking Glass" in 1980, and thought that it would be one of the "Movie Classics". This film is a great look into the music industry with a great cast of performers. This is one film that should be in the collection of everyone and any one that wants to get into the music industry. I can't wait for it to be available on DVD.

Very much a political commentary on the disenfranchisement of youth and accurately summing up the feelings of the under 20s at that time, if not the reality.The film was made just after the nation had suffered 'The Winter of Discontent' the final humiliation of the disastrous socialist government that had destroyed the aspirations and job prospects of a generation. This also led to the famous election of the far-right Thatcher government at the same time, but, they had not been in office for long enough to affect the approach of the film.I saw the film at the time it was first shown, and being a punk and having a father that was a trade union leader at the time, much of what was portrayed in the film was familiar to me.Although the film was very much trying to be a 'grim Northern realism' film for the 80s (and set in the south at that!), it was pure fantasy - things were never that bad, and it's easy to get depressed about situations that are portrayed as every-day occurrences that either never happened or were rare. The scenes of race riots are particularly overstated.The music of the film, however, is it's strongest area. It is absolutely of its time, and completely representative. It is so classic that "In the beginning..." was being played in a country pub that I was in only last week (9/99) nearly 20 years later. What followed was 'New Wave' with 'Duran Duran' and others - what a disaster!Given the slow degradation of the main character over the duration of the film, it is interesting to see what happened the the actress who played her (Hazel O'Connor) in real life. Life imitating art?

I first came to breaking glass some years ago after having heard a track from the film. When I first watched it I thought it was shocking but after coming back to it years later I can see so much more in it. It's a truly excellent film depicting life in Thatcher's Britain as well as a wry view of the music industry. Hazel O'Conner is underrated in my view but she does excel here. Excellent film and even better soundtrack.