Defence of the Realm

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

1986 1h 36m EN

😐

6.4

MID

★6.4TMDB · 42

ActionThriller

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

A reporter named Mullen 'stumbles' onto a story linking a prominent Member of Parliament to a KGB agent and a near-nuclear disaster involving a teenage runaway and a U.S. Air Force 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.

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

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Where to watch · US

Cast

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

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: David Drury
Writers: Martin Stellman
Languages: English
Countries: United Kingdom

Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.

Did you know?

Fun facts 🍿

1 / 8

ERA

Did you know

40 years old — old enough to be someone's favourite childhood film.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by David Drury, shot by Roger Deakins. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Original score by Richard Harvey. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Editor Michael Bradsell shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 8

CAST

Did you know

Gabriel Byrne and Greta Scacchi and Denholm Elliott carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 8

FACT

Did you know

Marketing tagline: "Just how far will a government go to hide the truth?".

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 8

WILD

Did you know

IMDB entry: tt0089009 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

8 / 8

WILD

Did you know

Only 42 TMDB ratings — you're getting ahead of the curve on this one.

MoodPlayr · trivia#08

Cinephile deep dive

The take

David Drury directs. Roger Deakins behind the camera. Richard Harvey scores. Michael Bradsell cuts. Runs lean at under 100 minutes. Produced in United Kingdom. Dialogue in English.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

140 years old — old enough to be someone's favourite childhood film.
2Directed by David Drury, shot by Roger Deakins. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
3Original score by Richard Harvey. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
4Editor Michael Bradsell shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
5Gabriel Byrne and Greta Scacchi and Denholm Elliott carry the top of the cast.
6Marketing tagline: "Just how far will a government go to hide the truth?".
7IMDB entry: tt0089009 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
8Only 42 TMDB ratings — you're getting ahead of the curve on this one.