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:

He outraged his friends. He rebelled against his family. Finally, he betrayed his country.

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Genres:

Biography | Drama | History | 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

Loosely based on the early life of Guy Burgess, a key figure in the Cambridge Five spy ring of the 1930s and 1940's, who eventually defected to Russia in 1951.

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Goofs

[All goofs for this title are spoilers.]

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Quotes

Tommy Judd: You know... What I really hate about cricket, is that it is such a damned good game.
Guy Bennett: Ah! Judd's Paradox. Of course, cricket is a fundamental part of the capitalist conspiracy.
Tommy Judd: Of course.
Guy Bennett: One only has to observe the two of them seen. There's the Proletariat forced to labour in the field, while the Bourgeoisie indulges in the pleasures of batting and bowling.
Tommy Judd: Quite.
Guy Bennett: I mean, there's every reason to suppose
[pause]
Guy Bennett: ... that the game ultimately derives from the wholly unjustified right of the ...
[...]

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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

Good acting in small drama

Every actor in the movie is perfectly suited to their character, and you can't day that about every movie you see.

Rupert is in love with a ray of sunshine in the human form of Cary Elwes, and Colin is screaming for the revolution to begin. The movie is about them, what living in England at the time would have been like, and what living in a boys school was like also.

The boys seem to accept Rupert because it is widely assumed that he will grow out of it. When he declares it as a way of life, his unhappiness begins. He is able to be friends with Colin Firth because they are both outcasts in their way ("The Commie and the queer" is how he describes them at one point").

The movie is very enjoyable and it is worth a look. You've spent ninety minutes doing stupider things than watching this.