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Another Country (1984 film)
1984 British film From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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Another Country is a 1984 British romantic historical drama film directed by Marek Kanievska and written by Julian Mitchell, adapted from his 1981 stage play of the same name. The film stars Rupert Everett as Guy Bennett, with Colin Firth making his feature film debut. Loosely inspired by the life of British spy and double agent Guy Burgess, the narrative follows Bennett, a student at an elite English public school in the 1930s, as he confronts the rigid expectations of the institution while grappling with his homosexuality and growing attraction to Marxist ideology.
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The film was released theatrically in the United Kingdom on June 1, 1984, and later in the United States by Orion Classics. It received critical acclaim for its performances, screenplay, and exploration of class and identity, though it achieved modest commercial success, grossing approximately $1.98 million in North America.
At the 1984 Cannes Film Festival, the film won the award for Best Artistic Contribution and was also nominated for the Palme d'Or. It received three nominations at the 38th British Academy Film Awards, including Most Promising Newcomer to Leading Film Roles (for Everett).
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Plot
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Set in the 1930s at an elite English public school modeled on institutions such as Eton and Winchester, Another Country follows two students who exist on the margins of the school's rigid social structure: Guy Bennett, who is gay, and Tommy Judd, a committed Marxist. Despite their differing beliefs, the two form a close friendship based on their shared outsider status and mutual disdain for the hypocrisy of the institution.
The school is governed by a strict hierarchy enforced by prefects, known as "Lords," and culminating in the prestigious role of "God," a title held by the top two senior students. When a teacher discovers a younger student, Martineau, engaging in sexual activity with another boy, the incident is swiftly covered up by school officials and senior students to avoid scandal. Martineau later dies by suicide, an event that indirectly places Bennett under scrutiny.
The incident fuels the ambitions of Fowler, a house captain and military enthusiast who holds animosity toward both Bennett and Judd. Fowler aims to prevent Bennett from becoming a God and seizes the opportunity when he intercepts a love letter from Bennett to another student, James Harcourt. To protect Harcourt's reputation, Bennett accepts corporal punishment in the form of caning. In the past, he had avoided punishment by threatening to expose similar experiences involving other prefects.
Meanwhile, Judd is offered a prefect position but initially refuses, believing the system to be complicit in the oppression of lower classes. He ultimately agrees to accept the role to prevent Fowler from becoming Head of House. The plan is undermined when another student, Donald Devenish, agrees to stay on at the school and is promised Bennett's place as a God in return.
Bennett, disillusioned by the betrayal and aware of the social barriers created by his sexuality, comes to recognize the extent to which the British class system depends on conformity and image. He concludes that his identity makes his goal of becoming a diplomat unattainable within that structure.
An epilogue reveals that Bennett later became a Soviet spy and defected to Russia, while Judd died fighting in the Spanish Civil War.
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Cast
- Rupert Everett as Guy Bennett
- Colin Firth as Tommy Judd
- Cary Elwes as James Harcourt
- Michael Jenn as Barclay
- Robert Addie as Delahay
- Rupert Wainwright as Donald Devenish
- Tristan Oliver as Fowler
- Piers Flint-Shipman, credited as Frederick Alexander, as Jim Menzies
- Adrian Ross Magenty as Wharton
- Geoffrey Bateman as Yevgeni
- Philip Dupuy as Martineau
- Guy Henry as Head Boy
- Jeffry Wickham as Arthur
- John Line as Best Man
- Gideon Boulting as Trafford
- Nicholas Rowe as Spungin
- Anna Massey as Imogen Bennett
- Betsy Brantley as Julie Schofield
- Jim Tavaré (uncredited) as a featured extra Student and Colin Firth's stand-in
Charles Spencer, 9th Earl Spencer, the younger brother of Diana, Princess of Wales, is an extra (with no dialogue) in three scenes.
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Title
The title Another Country carries multiple meanings. Most directly, it refers to Soviet Russia, the nation to which Guy Bennett later defects as a spy. It also evokes the sense of exile and ideological disillusionment that defines Bennett’s character and his rejection of the British establishment.
The phrase appears in the hymn I Vow to Thee, My Country, sung in both the play and the film, where “another country” refers to the Kingdom of Heaven. This symbolism is echoed when Bennett and Judd discuss communism as a form of earthly justice:
Guy: "Wouldn't it be wonderful if communism were true? What, heaven on earth?" Judd: "Earth on earth. The just earth."
The title also reflects the insularity of 1930s English public school life, portrayed as a self-contained world with rigid hierarchies and repressive social norms.
An additional literary reference is found in The Jew of Malta by Christopher Marlowe, in which the line “Fornication—but that was in another country; and besides, the wench is dead” parallels the school's indifference to the suicide of Martineau, emphasizing the institution's focus on preserving image over accountability.
Production
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Development
Another Country was adapted from Julian Mitchell's 1981 stage play of the same name, which had premiered to critical acclaim in London's West End. The film was produced by Alan Marshall, with financing provided by multiple sources. Goldcrest Films contributed £735,000 to the production, while the National Film Finance Corporation supplied £500,000. Additional funding was secured through deferred fees and a tax leasing arrangement with Eastern Counties Newspapers. According to Goldcrest executive Jake Eberts, the production was completed on time and within budget, without compromising quality.[1]
Casting
Rupert Everett, who originated the role of Guy Bennett in the stage production, reprised the part for the film adaptation. Colin Firth was cast as Tommy Judd, marking his debut in a feature film. The cast also included several emerging British actors, many of whom would go on to notable careers in film and television. Two decades later, Everett reunited with director Marek Kanievska in A Different Loyalty (2004), portraying a character based on Kim Philby—a close associate of Guy Burgess, the historical figure upon whom Bennett is loosely based.
Filming
Eton College declined permission to use its campus as a filming location.[2] As a result, many scenes were filmed in and around Oxford. The Old Schools Quadrangle at the University of Oxford was used prominently, with a fountain added for the production. Other Oxford locations included the Bodleian Library, Brasenose College, Brasenose Lane, and Broad Street. Interior scenes were filmed at Althorp, the estate of the Spencer family.[2] Additional sequences were shot at Apethorpe Hall.[3]
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Reception
Box office
Goldcrest Films invested £735,000 and received £858,000 in return, making them a profit of £123,000.[4]
Awards
The film was entered into the 1984 Cannes Film Festival where it won the award for Best Artistic Contribution.[5][6]
It was nominated for three BAFTA Awards in 1985: Editing for Gerry Hambling, Most Promising Newcomer to Leading Film Roles for Rupert Everett, and Adapted Screenplay for Julian Mitchell.[7]
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See also
References
Further reading
External links
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