Defense of the Realm (1985)

After a newspaper reporter helps expose a Member of Parliament as a possible spy, he finds that there's much more to the story than that.

Director:

David Drury

Writer:

Martin Stellman

Stars:

Gabriel Byrne, Greta Scacchi, Denholm Elliott

Won 1 BAFTA Film Award. Another 6 wins & 2 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Gabriel Byrne	...	Nicholas 'Nick' Mullen
Greta Scacchi	...	Nina Beckman
Denholm Elliott	...	Vernon Bayliss
Ian Bannen	...	Dennis Markham
Fulton Mackay	...	Victor Kingsbrook
Bill Paterson	...	Jack Macleod
David Calder	...	Harry Champion
Frederick Treves	...	Arnold Reece
Robbie Coltrane	...	Leo McAskey
Annabel Leventon	...	Trudy Markham
Graham Fletcher-Cook	...	Micky Parker
Steven Woodcock	...	Steven Dyce
Alexei Jawdokimov	...	Dietrich Kleist
Danny Webb	...	Danny Royce (as Daniel Webb)
Prentis Hancock	...	Frank Longman

Storyline

A reporter Mullen 'stumbles' on a story linking a prominent Member of Parliament to a KGB agent. In fact it is also linked to a near Nuclear disaster involving a teenage runaway and an Americal USAF base. Has there been a Government cover-up,Mullen teams up with Vernon Bayliss, an old hack, and Nina Beckam the MP's assistant to find out the truth.

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Plot Keywords:

member of parliament | political thriller | journalism | cover up | newspaper reporter | 

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Taglines:

Just how far will a government go to hide the truth?

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Genres:

Thriller

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Certificate:

PG

Details

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Release Date:

21 November 1986 (USA)

Also Known As:

Defense of the Realm

Filming Locations:

Haddenham, Buckinghamshire, England, UK

Box Office

Gross USA:

$750,000

Company Credits

Production Co:

The Rank Organisation, National Film Finance Corporation (NFFC), Enigma Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

96 min

Sound Mix:

Stereo

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

First feature film as a full producer for Lynda Myles.

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Goofs

While Nick is sitting at Vernon's desk the typewriter on the desk is flat (in normal typing position). The shot changes to a close-up of news articles Nick is holding in his hand and the next shot shows the typewriter flipped up on its back.

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Quotes

Vernon Bayliss: Vodka and Coca-Cola. Detente in a glass!

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Crazy Credits

The research done for this film is shown by the acknowledgment at the end of the credits: "The Producers wish to thank the STAFF and MANAGEMENT of THE TIMES NEWSPAPERS FOR THEIR HELP."

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Connections

Remade as Defence of the Realm

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Soundtracks

Canon
(uncredited)
Music by Johann Pachelbel
Arranged by Dominic Muldowney

User Reviews

British conspiracy thriller in the best tradition.

DEFENCE OF THE REALM is a solid and engaging little British conspiracy thriller with much in common with Hollywood cinema. Sure, it's lower budgeted than those kind of films, and certain key scenes (like a plane crash) are excised through lack of funds to shoot them which makes it feel a little choppy in places. But this variously reminded me of the likes of THE CONVERSATION, ALL THE PRESIDENT'S MEN, and even the recent Oscar-winner SPOTLIGHT in its positing of dedicated journalists fighting against an oppressive and unseen foe.

The film features Gabriel Byrne in his breakthrough role as a dedicated young journalist investigating a spy plot involving a government minister. The plot twists and turns throughout and I don't really want to say anything about it as that would spoil it. However, it's complex stuff and this is the kind of film that deserves, no, requires full attention, otherwise the viewer might be left feeling confused. There are fine suspense scenes, good twists, and lots of moments of creeping unease. The strong supporting cast includes roles for Robbie Coltrane, Denholm Elliott (particularly fine), Greta Scacchi, Fulton Mackay, Ian Bannen, and Bill Paterson.