Another Country

The film opens with a scene in contemporary Moscow where a wrinkle faced old man happens to be interviewed by an American lady reporter. As their conversation proceeds with the sips of scotch, the old man reminisces his life of his school days as “you have no idea what life in England in the 1930s was like.image012 Treason and loyalty, they’re all relative, you know. Treason to what? Loyalty to whom?” And the next scene is of an English public school, back in the days of the early 1930s, where students are coming to attend morning prayers.

Another Country is about a British born spy Guy Bennett who worked for Soviet Union. How this person becomes a spy against his own country instead becoming a diplomat for his country, is quite a tale that is spun in the script. Guy Bennett is a flamboyant, spoiled brat who has certainly great amount of inclination towards his own sex; he realizes that he is homosexual while seeking a guy named Harcourt. He confesses his love for Harcourt to his best friend Tommy Judd. Tommy is a die-hard Marxist, and has such firm faith in communism that he refuses to accept any reward such as becoming Prefect under the ‘bourgeoisie’ system of English public school. Seeing the prevalent hypocrisy about homosexuality within his schoolmates, Guy at last shows rebellion at the end of the movie and Tommy agrees with him – All problems solved for life. No Commies, No Queers.

This classic movie, made in 1984 in the era when homosexuals in England were still demanding their right to live freely, had created waves. With its astounding cinematography and powerful script, Another Country certainly etches onto the viewer’s mind. Actors, Rupert Everett (Guy Bennett) and Colin Firth (Tommy Judd) have given excellent performances in their debut film. The movie is full of some memorable lines, for instance, Guy Bennett (Rupert Everett) while watching Harcourt from a distance says to himself “There’s a little hollow at the base of his throat which makes me want to pour honey all over him, and lick it off again.” And some memorable scenes too, for instance that of Harcourt’s head lying upon Guy’s chest on a still boat in the middle of night. One can also appreciate the mellifluous soundtrack playing along various parts of the movie. The film is uniquely engrossing in many ways.

(Written for Pink Pages)