FemaleFirst.co.uk: DVD: Another Country [DVD] [1984]

Another Country [DVD] [1984]
enlarge	Director: Marek Kanievska Actors: Rupert Everett, Colin Firth, Anna Massey, Michael Jenn, Cary Elwes Studio: 4dvd Category: DVD List Price: ~~£15.99~~ Buy New: £3.83 as of 21/11/2009 08:31 GMT details You Save: £12.16 (76%) New (15) Used (4) from £3.80 Seller: findprice Rating: 3 reviews Sales Rank: 8842 Format: PAL Languages: English (Subtitles For The Hearing Impaired), English (Original Language) Rating: Suitable for 15 years and over Region: 2 Aspect Ratio: 1.77:1 Number Of Discs: 1 Running Time: 86 Minutes Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.2 Dimensions (in): 7.1 x 5.4 x 0.6 EAN: 6867449003993 ASIN: B0010LB02U Theatrical Release Date: 1984 Release Date: March 17, 2008 Availability: Usually dispatched within 1-2 business days


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Customer Reviews: "They're not empire-builders - that requires imagination; they're empire-rulers..." February 11, 2008 D. Elliot (UK) 24 out of 24 found this review helpful Finally...the long-awaited UK DVD release of this classic film - which inexplicably has already been available on DVD elsewhere for several years. br / br /For people who have not caught the film previously, a brief synopsis: 'Another Country' opens in the USSR, 1983, with an elderly Englishman, Guy Bennett, giving an interview to a journalist on why he became a Russian spy. The bulk of the film then flashes back to his schooldays at Eton in the early 1930s, where the young Bennett (handsome Rupert Everett) has a crush on another pupil (the equally-handsome Cary Elwes). Meanwhile, Bennett's best friend, Tommy Judd (Colin Firth), consistently preaches revolution and Stalinism. The two main characters, the queer and the communist, are the outsiders in this look at the schooling of the future ruling class; each facing their own conflicts and the challenge of introspection. br / br /Part coming-of-age, part social commentary, 'Another Country' could therefore be viewed as "Tom Brown's Schooldays" meets "Maurice" meets "Dead Poets' Society", with all the now-familiar boarding school fare (authoritarian prefects, a furtive fumbling scene between pupils, corporal punishment, youthful idealism). It is curiously bland in some respects (the sexual aspects are muted and tend to favour a spiritual/Uranian love over sensuality) and to some extent may appear dated. br / br /Nevertheless, the film's relevance remains in its insight into anti-establishmentarianism. Indeed, the writer (Julian Mitchell) envisaged the work as being only incidentally concerned with boarding schools and homosexuality; the focus was intended rather to be on the 'psychology of the traitor', expounding his belief that the makings of the 'betrayal' are not simply ideological, but are sowed at an earlier stage. And to this extent is it necessary to note the background: this fictional story arose from the Burgess/McLain 'Cambridge spies' incidents; with the specific question of whether there was something identifiable in their early life that led those involved to 'betray' their class and country. br / br /Prospective viewers should also take into account that 'Another Country' was originally a play - and consequently while the ending may seem abrupt and 'untidy', it was entirely suitable for its intended theatrical medium. Questions remain unanswered, nothing is resolved. Yet this remains, in part, one of the factors that ensures the film's enduring quality...it poses thoughtful inquiries that still deserve contemplation. This aside, 'Another Country' will be a treat for fans of Rupert Everett, Cary Elwes and Colin Firth (each of whom gives an exceptional performance) and it has certainly earned its place within the boarding-school/coming-of-age genre. brilliant October 20, 2008 Ms. F. I. Macdonald (uk) 3 out of 3 found this review helpful I cant speak highly enough of this film. Everett and Firth bounce off each other with effortless charm and Rupert's dry sarcasm mixed with Firth's competent reassurance do everything possible to make this a jewel of a film, two fantastic actors and a great and stifling story of repressed homosexuality. "I shan't be forgotten." October 14, 2009 Kona (Emerald City) 1 out of 1 found this review helpful As the story opens, a British traitor is talking about the beginnings of his rebellion at a posh public school in the 1930s. In a flashback, we follow classmates Guy and Tommy (Rupert Everett and Colin Firth); Guy is struggling with hiding his homosexuality and Tommy is a budding Marxist. br / br /This fictionalized story of infamous spy Guy Burgess' youth is a fascinating look at that very British institution, the public school with its young aristocrats luxuriating in their privileged lives. Though the movie moves very slowly and has little action, I still enjoyed the ambiance and the gorgeous scenery in and around Oxford. Everett and Firth are amazingly young and give excellent performances. It is interesting to note a youthful Earl Spencer playing one of the students (good job!) and some filming was even done at Althorp, the Spencer home. br / br /On the downside, the story fails to fully explain why Guy became a Russian spy and his "old man" hair and make-up are truly ridiculous, but I still recommend the movie as an enjoyable look at traditional school life. 3.5 stars.

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