Another Country

"Convention outraged. A class abandoned. A country betrayed."

1984 1h 27m EN

😐

6.4

MID

★6.4TMDB · 185

DramaRomance

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

In Moscow in 1983, an American journalist interviews Guy Bennett, who recalls his last year at public school, fifty years before, and how it contributed to his becoming a spy.

“Convention outraged. A class abandoned. A country betrayed.”

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Cast

Rupert Everett
Guy Bennett
Colin Firth
Tommy Judd
Michael Jenn
Barclay
Robert Addie
Delahay
Rupert Wainwright
Donald Devenish
Cary Elwes
James Harcourt
Tristan Oliver
Fowler
Anna Massey
Imogen Bennett

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Marek Kanievska
Writers: Julian Mitchell
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

RUNTIME

Did you know

87 minutes exactly — the "classic feature" runtime most directors aim for.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 8

MONEY

Did you know

Shot for just $2.3M — micro-budget by Hollywood standards.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 8

ERA

Did you know

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

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by Marek Kanievska, shot by Peter Biziou. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

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

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

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

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 8

CAST

Did you know

Rupert Everett and Colin Firth and Michael Jenn carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

8 / 8

FACT

Did you know

Marketing tagline: "Convention outraged. A class abandoned. A country betrayed.".

MoodPlayr · trivia#08

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Marek Kanievska directs. Peter Biziou behind the camera. Michael Storey scores. Gerry Hambling cuts. Runs lean at under 100 minutes. Produced in United Kingdom. Dialogue in English.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

187 minutes exactly — the "classic feature" runtime most directors aim for.
2Shot for just $2.3M — micro-budget by Hollywood standards.
342 years old — old enough to be someone's favourite childhood film.
4Directed by Marek Kanievska, shot by Peter Biziou. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
5Original score by Michael Storey. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
6Editor Gerry Hambling shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
7Rupert Everett and Colin Firth and Michael Jenn carry the top of the cast.
8Marketing tagline: "Convention outraged. A class abandoned. A country betrayed.".
9IMDB entry: tt0086904 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
10Classified under 9 themes, including "cricket", "based on play or musical", "cambridge", "spanking".

The technical file

Cinematography: Peter Biziou
Original score: Michael Storey
Editing: Gerry Hambling
Production design: Brian Morris
Costume design: Penny Rose
Makeup / hair: Sarah Monzani
Runtime: 87 min · 1h 27m
Aspect ratio (typical): 1.37:1 (Academy)
Status: Released
Budget: $2,256,000
Original language: EN
Certification (US): PG
IMDB: Another Country (1984)

Also by

Marek Kanievska

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What people are saying

CinemaSerf2023-06-08
★ 7/10
Told by way of a interview retrospective, this is a tale of disillusionment and political naivety amongst the English upper classes in the 1930s. Guy Bennett (Rupert Everett) was a student at Cambridge University - openly gay to his fellow students - on the periphery of the social and political norms of the day. His friend Tommy Judd (Colin Firth) and he bonded largely out of a desire for non-conformity, not because they believed in the same ideals; Firth a fervent Marxist, Everett ambitious - perhaps because of his sexuality - to reach the top of the hierarchical structure at the school. He falls in love, however - with the younger James Harcourt (Cary Elwes) and all the blind-eyes that had previously been turned to his behaviour were turned full beam and his behaviour, and to some extent that of Judd are challenged to breaking point. Julian Mitchell's play has been self-adapted to demonstrate just how insidious the educational establishment could be for those who did not play the game; and how empowering it could be for the ultra-conformist bullies (in this film deftly portrayed by Tristan Oliver as Fowler) and it is little wonder these academic institutions became an intellectual petrie dish for those recruiting future espionage assets. The film looks gorgeous - though filmed in Oxford - with a gently complementary score from Michael Storey.

Production companies