Ironic film of English country life on eve of World War I, VHS ed.
(VHS, not DVD, edition.) Set in the autumn of 1913, just before the outbreak of World War I, this stunning film captures the last days of a way of life--the English country life of large estates, shooting parties, and aristocratic leisure--all of which will be swept away with the war and the subsequent industrialization of the country. Director Alan Bridges emphasizes this theme symbolically in the opening scenes of this 1985 film, as a litter is borne across a field against a backdrop of brilliant autumn foliage.
A lively cast of characters has been invited to Sir Randolph Nettleby's 1000-acre park for a weekend shoot, and as the characters converse, interact, and dally romantically, the reader learns the details of their "civilized" lives, their attitudes and prejudices, and their understanding of their code of behavior. James Mason stars in his final film role as Sir Randolph, a man who loves his aristocratic obligations as host, but who also enjoys associating with some of the locals who live around his estate. Tom Harker, wonderfully played by Gordon Jackson, is a beater and also a poacher, with whom Sir Randolph has a tacit understanding and friendly relationship.
Sir John Gielgud playing an activist who opposes blood-sports has only a small role, but his confrontation with Sir Randolph (Mason), following his attempt to interrupt the shoot, becomes one of the most memorable scenes in filmdom--two greats at the peak of their powers. Personal rivalries develop among several of the guests, who adhere to the "correct" etiquette of their class even as they deal with injuries to their pride--a nicety of behavior that will soon vanish with war. When the shoot begins and the orgy of bloodshed occurs, the symbolic parallels between the world as it has been, as it will be during the war, and as it will change are unmistakable.
Edwardian interiors, manicured grounds, and costuming set the period, and the clever use of light and darkness emphasizes the themes. Melancholy music echoes throughout, and camera shots emphasize the waning days of this way of life. Julian Bond's screenplay from the book by Isabel Colegate, accurately captures her straightforward tone and style, and the closing scene, in which another litter is carried across the field, is a clear message that an age and way of life are at an end. (VHS edition.) Mary Whipple
Pre-WW I irony
Can a full-length feature film sustain a single idea, granted one laced with irony and looked at from various angles, for its entire 97 minutes? On the eve of WW I a group of English aristocrats gathers at a nobleman's estate for a weekend of shooting birds. The whole movie is this one ironic scene: the old order, on the eve of the greatest bloodbath known to man up to that time, play at the "gentlemanly" sport of killing birds. That's it. James Mason stars, and all the actors do thir jobs admirably, but my own answer to the question I've posed is no: there just isn't enough going on to sustain us.
A beautiful film ruined
Having waited for ages to find a DVD of this, one of my favourite films, I was thrilled to find it available Across the Pond in R1. That thrill has now turned to despair, however ! This is a classic example of an otherwise beautiful movie ruined by a truly appalling transfer. The perpetrators of this monstrosity should be punished by being locked in a darkened cell for a year, fed only on a diet of bread, water, and a perpetual tape of Britney Spears (any album will do). Save you money for the professional version.
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