Up the Junction

The film opens with Polly Dean, a wealthy heiress, departing a large Chelsea house in a Rolls-Royce. The car crosses the Thames toward Battersea as she steps out and walks away, signaling a break from her upbringing. Opening credits roll over her solitary departure.

Polly takes a job at Macrindles confectionery factory in Battersea to distance herself from her moneyed life. On the factory floor the workers sing and seem friendly, though the environment is unhygienic. She befriends Sylvie and Rube, two working-class sisters who pull her into their circle.

The workers invite Polly to the pub, The Pavilion, where the group flirts with local boys and drinks are bought by the men. The atmosphere shows the gap between Polly's privileged past and her new friends' urban reality. She declines a lift on a motorbike, choosing to walk home.

Polly arrives at Clapham Junction with a suitcase, seeking a flat of her own. The agent dismisses the flat as unsuitable, but she takes it anyway, beginning her independent life. She visits the local market, buys a banana, and later furniture for her new home.

The market trip leads to a chance meeting with Pete, who helps carry her furniture and later offers to take her on a date. Their bond grows as Polly begins to navigate life on her own terms. They share a kiss and start a romance.

Rube reveals she is pregnant by her boyfriend Terry, and a traumatic illegal abortion is performed by a senile old woman named Winnie. Polly eventually tells Rube's mother about the pregnancy and its consequences. The revelation triggers anger and concern within the family circle.

Terry is killed in a motorcycle accident, shattering the fragile balance of the group. The tragedy deepens Polly's distance from Pete, who cannot fully be there for her. The community struggles to cope with loss and the fallout of the earlier events.

Polly and Pete take a seaside weekend in an E-type Jaguar that Pete has hired. An argument exposes Pete's envy of Polly's easy life and her freedom to choose, straining their relationship. The trip ends shortly after as tensions simmer.

On the return journey, Pete is stopped for speeding in a Jaguar that was reported stolen. The revelation casts a shadow over Polly's relationship and hints at the consequences of her proximity to wealth. The incident signals the beginning of the end for their romance.

In court, Pete is sentenced to six months' imprisonment for the stolen car incident. Polly uses her influence to see him one last time before he is taken away. The couple's hopes collapse as the system constrains their lives.

The film ends with Polly crying as Pete is driven away to serve his sentence. Her world of privilege and choice has been unsettled by the consequences of love and class. The closing image lingers on Polly's emotional vulnerability.