Another Country (1984)

Based on the life of the young Guy Burgess, who would become better known as one of the Cambridge Spies.

Director:

Marek Kanievska

Writers:

Julian Mitchell (screenplay), Julian Mitchell (play)

Stars:

Rupert Everett, Colin Firth, Michael Jenn

Nominated for 3 BAFTA Film Awards. Another 1 win & 1 nomination.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Rupert Everett	...	Guy Bennett
Colin Firth	...	Tommy Judd
Michael Jenn	...	Barclay
Robert Addie	...	Delahay
Rupert Wainwright	...	Devenish
Tristan Oliver	...	Fowler
Cary Elwes	...	James Harcourt
Frederick Alexander	...	Menzies
Adrian Ross Magenty	...	Wharton
Geoffrey Bateman	...	Yevgeni
Phillip Dupuy	...	Martineau
Guy Henry	...	Head Boy
Jeffry Wickham	...	Arthur (as Jeffrey Wickham)
John Line	...	Best Man
Gideon Boulting	...	Trafford

Storyline

Based on the award winning play by Julian Mitchell, the film explores the effect of Public School life in the 1930's on Guy Bennett as his homosexuality and unwillingness to "play the game" turns him eastwards towards communist Russia.

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Plot Keywords:

gay | teenage crush | dating | guy burgess character | harrow school london england | 

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Taglines:

The smash hit London play now a big screen event... not to be missed!

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Genres:

Biography | Drama | Romance

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Certificate:

PG

Details

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Release Date:

June 1984 (UK)

Also Known As:

Druga zemlja

Filming Locations:

St Bartholomew the Great, West Smithfield, London, England, UK

Company Credits

Production Co:

Goldcrest Films International, National Film Finance Corporation (NFFC)

Technical Specs

Runtime:

90 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Color:

Color

Did You Know?

Trivia

In the original West End play of "Another County" that ran in London in 1982, Kenneth Branagh, at age 22, originated and played the part of Judd. In the movie the part was given to Colin Firth. Firth had also been in the original play but had played the character Bennett. Rupert Everett repeated the same role he had played on stage. Ironically, it had been Branagh who won the Society of West End Theatre award that year for 'Most Promising Newcomer' for his part in the play. In 1987 both Firth and Branagh would co-star in the movie 'A Month in the Country'.

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Goofs

[All goofs for this title are spoilers.]

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Quotes

Guy Bennett: Fame or infamy, what does it matter? I shan't be forgotten.

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Connections

Referenced in Wanderlust (2006)

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Soundtracks

I Vow to Thee, My Country
Lyrics by Sir Cecil Spring-Rice
Music by Gustav Holst

User Reviews

One of the Landmark Films of the 80s...A Landmark Film, Period

Another Country was one of those films that both captured the spirit of an era and helped define it - in the best possible sense. While one can easily lump all 80s pop music and fashion together as over-styled and kitschy, it is not possible to do so with the films of that decade, certainly not the British ones, not with Chariots of Fire, Educating Rita, My Beautiful Launderette and Another Country so vividly remembered. These were works of art, perfectly weaving style and substance together. Another Country presents a complex tale with - what was/is to some - unpalatable subject matter, and indecipherable detail (the life of the British upper class is, and always was, amusing, bizarre, implausible. Gilbert and Sullivan built careers on this fact). Yet, there is no sign of attempts to simplify, or strip out the seemingly unnecessarily intricate, or to moralize - either way - beyond the context of the story, the homosexuality depicted. The result is a film that is detailed, rich, compelling and (in a strange way, despite the historical facts upon which the story is based) apolitical.