| Another Country (movie) | |
|---|---|
 DVD Cover | |
| Directed by | Marek Kanievska |
| Produced by | Alan Marshall |
| Written by | Julian Mitchell |
| Starring | Rupert Everett |
| Editing by | Gerry Hambling |
| Release date(s) | 1984 |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Language | English |
| IMDb profile | |
Another Country is a play by Julian Mitchell loosely based upon the life of the spy Guy Burgess, called Guy Bennett in the play, examining the effect that his homosexuality and his exposure to Marxism have on him and the hypocrisy and snobbery of the British public school system. Alan Marshall (2 May 1902 Noorat Victoria — 21 January 1984 Melbourne) was an Australian Writer, story teller and social documenter Julian Mitchell (born May 1, 1935 in Epping, Essex) is an English Playwright, Screenwriter and occasional Rupert James Hector Everett (born May 29, 1959) is a two-time Golden Globe -nominated English film Actor and ex- Singer Gerry Hambling (b 1926 is a British Film editor whose work is credited on 49 films he has also worked as a sound editor and a television editor The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK or Britain,is a Sovereign state located English is a West Germanic language originating in England and is the First language for most people in the United Kingdom, the United States Julian Mitchell (born May 1, 1935 in Epping, Essex) is an English Playwright, Screenwriter and occasional Guy Francis De Moncy Burgess ( 16 April, 1911 &ndash 30 August, 1963) was a British -born Intelligence officer and Marxism is the political philosophy and practice derived from the work of Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels. The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK or Britain,is a Sovereign state located An independent school in the United Kingdom is a school relying upon private sources for all of its funding predominantly in the form of school fees It is also a movie directed by Marek Kanievska, starring Rupert Everett and Colin Firth. Rupert James Hector Everett (born May 29, 1959) is a two-time Golden Globe -nominated English film Actor and ex- Singer Colin Andrew Firth (born 10 September, 1960) is an English film television and stage Actor.
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Play
The original 1981 production at the Greenwich Theatre in south-east London featured Rupert Everett as Guy. Year 1981 ( MCMLXXXI) was a Common year starting on Thursday (link displays the 1981 The Greenwich Theatre is a local Theatre located in Croom's Hill close to the centre of Greenwich in south-east London. London ( ˈlʌndən is the capital and largest urban area in the United Kingdom. Rupert James Hector Everett (born May 29, 1959) is a two-time Golden Globe -nominated English film Actor and ex- Singer Upon transfer to the West End in March 1982, the production initially also featured Kenneth Branagh as Tommy Judd. Year 1982 ( MCMLXXXII) was a Common year starting on Friday (link displays the 1982 Gregorian calendar) Kenneth Charles Branagh (born 10 December 1960) is an Emmy Award -winning Academy Award -nominated Northern Irish Actor Daniel Day-Lewis took over the role of Guy in late 1982 and was succeeded in the role by Colin Firth in early 1983, by which time James Newall was appearing as Tommy. Daniel Michael Blake Day-Lewis (born 29 April 1957 is an English actor Colin Andrew Firth (born 10 September, 1960) is an English film television and stage Actor. Year 1983 ( MCMLXXXIII) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link displays the 1983 Gregorian calendar) The play won the Society of West End Theatre Awards honour as Play of the Year in 1982. The Laurence Olivier Award is regarded as the most prestigious award in British theatre and is presented in recognition of artistic achievement in London theatre Year 1982 ( MCMLXXXII) was a Common year starting on Friday (link displays the 1982 Gregorian calendar)
Film
In 1984, the play was adapted into a movie directed by Marek Kanievska and starring Rupert Everett as Guy along with Firth as Judd. Year 1984 ( MCMLXXXIV) was a Leap year starting on Sunday (link displays the 1984 Gregorian calendar) Rupert James Hector Everett (born May 29, 1959) is a two-time Golden Globe -nominated English film Actor and ex- Singer Also starring are Michael Jenn (Barclay), Robert Addie (Delahay), Rupert Wainwright (Donald Devenish), Tristan Oliver (Fowler), Cary Elwes (James Harcourt), Piers Flint-Shipman (Menzies) and Anna Massey (Imogen Bennett). Robert Alastair Addie ( 10 February 1960 &ndash 20 November 2003) was an English Actor who was best known for playing Rupert Wainwright (born November 30, 1963) is an English film and Television director, Writer, and Actor. Tristan Oliver is a British, mainly working in special effects and stop frame animation Ivan Simon Cary Elwes (born October 26, 1962) is an English Actor credited as Cary Elwes, known for his performances in Piers Frederick Alexander Flint-Shipman ( 23 January 1962 &ndash 2 June 1984) was a British Actor. Anna Raymond Massey, CBE (born 11 August 1937) is a British actress. Also present in three scenes as an extra without any dialogue is Charles Spencer, 9th Earl Spencer, Diana, Princess of Wales' younger brother. Charles Edward Maurice Spencer 9th Earl Spencer, DL (born 20 May 1964) is the second and only surviving son of John Spencer 8th Earl Spencer
Summary
The setting is an 1930s Eton-esque public school, where Guy Bennett and Tommy Judd are friends because they are both outsiders in their own ways. The 1930s were described as an abrupt shift to more radical and conservative lifestyles as countries were struggling to find a solution to the Great Depression. Eton College, or just Eton, is a world-famous British Independent school for boys founded in 1440 by King Henry VI. Bennett is openly gay, while Judd is a Marxist. Marxism is the political philosophy and practice derived from the work of Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels.
One day a teacher walks in on Martineau (Philip Dupuy) and a boy from another house having sex. Martineau subsequently kills himself because of the shame of having been found in a homosexual embrace, and chaos erupts as teachers and the senior students try their hardest to keep the scandal away from parents and the rest of the outside world. The gay scandal however gives the army-obsessed house captain Fowler, who dislikes both Bennett and Judd, a welcome reason to scheme against Bennett to keep him from becoming a "God" - a school name for the elite pupils of the school. Fortunately for Fowler, he is able to intercept a love letter from Bennett to James Harcourt. Bennett agrees to be punished so as not to compromise Harcourt. (On an earlier occasion he had simply blackmailed the other Gods for their own "experiences" with him. )
Meanwhile, Judd is reluctant to become a prefect, since he feels that he cannot endorse a "system of oppression" such as this, and has a memorable, bitter speech about how the boys oppressed by the system grow up to be the fathers who maintain it. He however eventually agrees to become a prefect in order to prevent the hateful Fowler from becoming Head of House. This never comes about, however, because Devenish agrees to stay at school and become a prefect if he is nominated to become a god instead of Bennett.
Devastated at the loss of his cherished dream of becoming a god Bennett comes to realize that the British class system strongly relies on outward appearance and that to be openly gay is a severe hindrance to a career as a diplomat. Diplomacy is the art and practice of conducting Negotiations between representatives of groups or states The epilogue of the movie states that he emigrated to Russia later in his life, after having been a spy for the Soviet Union. The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR was a constitutionally Socialist state that existed in Eurasia from 1922 to 1991 Judd has died fighting in the Spanish Civil War. The Spanish Civil War was a major conflict in Spain that started after an attempted Coup d'état committed by parts of the army against the government of
Title
The title refers not only to communist Russia, which is the "other country" Bennett turns to in the end, but it can be seen to take on a number of different meanings and connotations. Russia (Россия Rossiya) or the Russian Federation ( Rossiyskaya Federatsiya) is a transcontinental Country extending "Another Country" is the title of a novel by James Baldwin, which includes gay and bisexual characters. A novel (from Italian novella, Spanish novela, French nouvelle for "new" "news" or "short story James Baldwin may refer to James Baldwin (editor and author (1841&ndash1925 James Baldwin (writer (1924&ndash1987 Also, it could be a reference to the first line of the second verse of the hymn I Vow to Thee, My Country, which is sung in both the play and film, as well as referring to the fact that English public school life in the 1930s was indeed very much like "another country". I Vow to Thee My Country is a British Patriotic song created in 1921 when a Poem by Cecil Spring-Rice was set to music by Gustav Holst
The most direct reference is to several well known lines from British literature, originating from Christopher Marlow's play The Jew of Malta
Friar Barnadine: "Thou hast committed--"
Barabas: "Fornication-- but that was in another country; / And besides, the wench is dead. The Jew of Malta is a play by Christopher Marlowe, probably written in 1589 or 1590. "
Here "the wench" may refer to Martineau. Most of the students are more interested in covering up a potential scandal than worrying about the actual death. If so, the "adultery" may refer to what is done to Martineau and perhaps all students by the school, rather than his actual sexual liaisons.
The title should not be confused with "“The past is a foreign country; they do things differently there. ” L. P. Hartley, but again the movie's framing as the narration of an old man may reference this well-known quote. Leslie Poles Hartley ( December 30, 1895 – December 13, 1972) was a British writer known for Novels and short stories
References
External links
- Another Country at the Internet Movie Database
- Another Country (play) at the British Film Institute's Screenonline
- Anita Olsen's Another Country page
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