''Queen and Country'' is a 2014 British
drama film
In film and television, drama is a category or genre of narrative fiction (or semi-fiction) intended to be more serious than humorous in tone. Drama of this kind is usually qualified with additional terms that specify its particular super ...
written and directed by
John Boorman. It was screened at the
Directors' Fortnight
The Directors' Fortnight (french: Quinzaine des Réalisateurs) is an independent selection of the Cannes Film Festival. It was started in 1969 by the French Directors Guild after the events of May 1968 resulted in cancellation of the Cannes festiv ...
section of the
2014 Cannes Film Festival.
The film is a sequel to Boorman's ''
Hope and Glory'' (1987), and features several of the same characters, although, because of the passage of time,
David Hayman
David Hayman (born 9 February 1948) is a Scottish film, television and stage actor and director, known for his role as DCS Mike Walker in ITV drama ''Trial & Retribution'', as Jonas Franks in BBC period drama '' The Paradise'' and as Brace i ...
is the only actor from the first film to reprise his role.
Plot
On
Pharaoh's Island
Pharaoh's Island ( ar, جزيرة فرعون ''Jazīrat Fir‘aun''), whose current popular name is Coral Island, is a small island in the northern Gulf of Aqaba some east off the shore of Egypt's eastern Sinai Peninsula. Some scholars identif ...
, Bill (
Callum Turner
Callum Robilliard Turner (born 15 February 1990) is a British actor and model. He is known for his roles as Theseus Scamander in '' Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald'' and '' Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore'', Bill Rohan in ...
) is now 18 and receives his call-up papers for
national service
National service is the system of voluntary government service, usually military service. Conscription is mandatory national service. The term ''national service'' comes from the United Kingdom's National Service (Armed Forces) Act 1939.
The ...
. Reporting to the army training camp, he quickly makes friends with fellow-conscript Percy (
Caleb Landry Jones
Caleb Landry Jones (born December 7, 1989) is an American actor and musician, known for his roles as Banshee in '' X-Men: First Class'', Jeremy Armitage in '' Get Out'', Red Welby in ''Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri'', Ty Carter in '' T ...
). Though most of their intake are sent off to fight in the
Korean War
, date = {{Ubl, 25 June 1950 – 27 July 1953 (''de facto'')({{Age in years, months, weeks and days, month1=6, day1=25, year1=1950, month2=7, day2=27, year2=1953), 25 June 1950 – present (''de jure'')({{Age in years, months, weeks a ...
, he and Percy are made sergeants and spend their days teaching typing. The bane of their life is Sergeant-Major Bradley (
David Thewlis
David Wheeler (born 20 March 1963), better known as David Thewlis (), is a British actor, author, director and screenwriter.
Thewlis rose to prominence when he starred in the film ''Naked'' (1993), for which he won the Cannes Film Festival Awa ...
), a decorated veteran of
World War II
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposing ...
who is obsessive about doing things by the book. An ally against Bradley is the orderly Redmond (
Pat Shortt
Patrick Shortt (born 12 December 1967) is an Irish actor, comedian, writer and entertainer. His role in the 2007 film '' Garage'' led to him receiving the IFTA for Best Actor.
Career
Shortt toured alongside Jon Kenny as comedy duo D'Unbelieva ...
), who teaches them the military arts of "skiving" (evading work). However, Bradley succeeds in getting Bill charged with subverting a private's will to fight by telling him some truths about Korea. The case is thrown out when Bill shows that all he said had been printed in ''
The Times
''The Times'' is a British daily national newspaper based in London. It began in 1785 under the title ''The Daily Universal Register'', adopting its current name on 1 January 1788. ''The Times'' and its sister paper '' The Sunday Times'' (f ...
''.
Outside the camp, both friends explore what the town offers by way of women. Bill falls for a beautiful but depressive upper-class girl he calls Ophelia (
Tamsin Egerton
Tamsin Olivia Egerton (born Tamsin Olivia Egerton-Dick; 26 November 1988) is a British actress known for her roles as Chelsea Parker in the 2007 film '' St Trinian's'', Holly Goodfellow in the 2005 film ''Keeping Mum'', and Guinevere in the 2011 ...
), while Percy is smitten by a bubbly student nurse called Sophie (
Aimee-Ffion Edwards
Aimee-Ffion Edwards (born 21 November 1987) is a Welsh actress and singer. She is known for playing Sketch in '' Skins'', Esme Shelby in ''Peaky Blinders'', Sophie in '' Detectorists'' and Abi in '' Loaded''. She also had a starring voice role ...
) (who throws out some lures to Bill as well). On leave for the
Coronation of Queen Elizabeth II
The coronation of Elizabeth II took place on 2 June 1953 at Westminster Abbey in London. She acceded to the throne at the age of 25 upon the death of her father, George VI, on 6 February 1952, being proclaimed queen by her privy and executive ...
, Percy steals a car to join Bill, who is with his family on the Island. Both are delighted to find Bill's renegade sister Dawn (
Vanessa Kirby
Vanessa Nuala Kirby (born 18 April 1988) is an English actress. She has received several accolades, including a BAFTA TV Award, in addition to nominations for an Academy Award and a Primetime Emmy Award.
Born in London to urologist Roger Kirb ...
), who has returned from Canada, and Dawn is soon charming Percy. Ophelia makes a brief visit but has to dash back into London. On the television, the family spot her in
Westminster Abbey
Westminster Abbey, formally titled the Collegiate Church of Saint Peter at Westminster, is an historic, mainly Gothic church in the City of Westminster, London, England, just to the west of the Palace of Westminster. It is one of the Unite ...
as one of the nobility, something which Bill did not know. Back in camp, Bill gets word that Ophelia is again in hospital with mental problems and, when he visits her, she rejects him callously. Shocked and in tears, he is found by Sophie, who leads him to an empty room and takes his virginity. Percy then confides that he lost his to Dawn.
Percy finds military life a strain and with Redmond concocts an absurd scheme to steal the mess clock; a gift to the Regiment from
Queen Victoria
Victoria (Alexandrina Victoria; 24 May 1819 – 22 January 1901) was Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland from 20 June 1837 until her death in 1901. Her reign of 63 years and 216 days was longer than that of any previo ...
. An investigation pinpoints his guilt, upon which Redmond betrays him. A
court martial
A court-martial or court martial (plural ''courts-martial'' or ''courts martial'', as "martial" is a postpositive adjective) is a military court or a trial conducted in such a court. A court-martial is empowered to determine the guilt of memb ...
sentences him to military prison and Bill is allowed to escort him there in handcuffs. Dawn jumps on the train and says she will wait for him. Bill then goes to visit Bradley, who has cracked under the strain of Percy's persecution and is in a military hospital on mental grounds but Bradley rejects him. In a ward he meets Private Henderson, one of the soldiers from his typing class, who has lost a foot in Korea. The film ends back on the Island, where Sophie is in the river acting while Bill with a new film camera is filming her. Leaving the camera running, he jumps in to embrace her.
Cast
*
Callum Turner
Callum Robilliard Turner (born 15 February 1990) is a British actor and model. He is known for his roles as Theseus Scamander in '' Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald'' and '' Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore'', Bill Rohan in ...
as Bill Rohan
*
Vanessa Kirby
Vanessa Nuala Kirby (born 18 April 1988) is an English actress. She has received several accolades, including a BAFTA TV Award, in addition to nominations for an Academy Award and a Primetime Emmy Award.
Born in London to urologist Roger Kirb ...
as Dawn Rohan
*
David Thewlis
David Wheeler (born 20 March 1963), better known as David Thewlis (), is a British actor, author, director and screenwriter.
Thewlis rose to prominence when he starred in the film ''Naked'' (1993), for which he won the Cannes Film Festival Awa ...
as Bradley
*
Richard E. Grant as Major Cross
*
Caleb Landry Jones
Caleb Landry Jones (born December 7, 1989) is an American actor and musician, known for his roles as Banshee in '' X-Men: First Class'', Jeremy Armitage in '' Get Out'', Red Welby in ''Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri'', Ty Carter in '' T ...
as Percy Hapgood
*
Tamsin Egerton
Tamsin Olivia Egerton (born Tamsin Olivia Egerton-Dick; 26 November 1988) is a British actress known for her roles as Chelsea Parker in the 2007 film '' St Trinian's'', Holly Goodfellow in the 2005 film ''Keeping Mum'', and Guinevere in the 2011 ...
as Ophelia
*
Sinéad Cusack as Grace Rohan
*
David Hayman
David Hayman (born 9 February 1948) is a Scottish film, television and stage actor and director, known for his role as DCS Mike Walker in ITV drama ''Trial & Retribution'', as Jonas Franks in BBC period drama '' The Paradise'' and as Brace i ...
as Clive Rohan
*
Brían F. O'Byrne as RSM Digby
*
Pat Shortt
Patrick Shortt (born 12 December 1967) is an Irish actor, comedian, writer and entertainer. His role in the 2007 film '' Garage'' led to him receiving the IFTA for Best Actor.
Career
Shortt toured alongside Jon Kenny as comedy duo D'Unbelieva ...
as Redmond
*
John Standing
Sir John Ronald Leon, 4th Baronet (born 16 August 1934) is an English actor and baronet who is known as John Standing. He is the stepson of John Clements.
Early life
Standing was born in London, the son of Kay Hammond (née Dorothy Katherin ...
as George
*
Aimee-Ffion Edwards
Aimee-Ffion Edwards (born 21 November 1987) is a Welsh actress and singer. She is known for playing Sketch in '' Skins'', Esme Shelby in ''Peaky Blinders'', Sophie in '' Detectorists'' and Abi in '' Loaded''. She also had a starring voice role ...
as Sophie Adams
* David Michael Claydon as Jones
Themes
According to the director, though primarily a coming of age film, it also aimed to be a state of Britain film, capturing some of the great changes the country was undergoing. The
British Empire
The British Empire was composed of the dominions, colonies, protectorates, mandates, and other territories ruled or administered by the United Kingdom and its predecessor states. It began with the overseas possessions and trading posts e ...
was disappearing and, like the
British Army
The British Army is the principal land warfare force of the United Kingdom, a part of the British Armed Forces along with the Royal Navy and the Royal Air Force. , the British Army comprises 79,380 regular full-time personnel, 4,090 Gurk ...
which had sustained it, the nation had to find a new place in the world. The Army was radically different in having to cope with peacetime mass conscription of mostly unwilling and rebellious 18 year olds. An era passed with the death of
King George VI, who had been the focus of loyalty during
World War II
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposing ...
, and the coronation of his daughter. Some saw a new age of greatness for Britain, while others were pessimistic, and television was beginning its process of turning the nation into passive spectators.
Reception
On
Rotten Tomatoes
Rotten Tomatoes is an American review-aggregation website for film and television. The company was launched in August 1998 by three undergraduate students at the University of California, Berkeley: Senh Duong, Patrick Y. Lee, and Stephen Wang ...
the film holds a 77% rating based on 91 reviews, with an average of 6.80/10. The website's critics consensus reads: "Graceful and bittersweet, ''Queen and Country'' finds writer-director John Boorman revisiting past glories with warmth and wisdom." ''
Variety
Variety may refer to:
Arts and entertainment Entertainment formats
* Variety (radio)
* Variety show, in theater and television
Films
* ''Variety'' (1925 film), a German silent film directed by Ewald Andre Dupont
* ''Variety'' (1935 film), ...
'' stated in its review that "it remains a pleasure to spend time in the presence of these characters, and a third volume – perhaps focused on Bill’s entrance into the British film industry – would hardly be unwelcome."
Variety review of ''Queen and Country''
/ref>
Release
The film made its debut as part of the Directors' Fortnight
The Directors' Fortnight (french: Quinzaine des Réalisateurs) is an independent selection of the Cannes Film Festival. It was started in 1969 by the French Directors Guild after the events of May 1968 resulted in cancellation of the Cannes festiv ...
section of the 2014 Cannes Film Festival. It was scheduled to be released in the United Kingdom in May 2015.
References
External links
*
Official website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Queen And Country
2014 films
2014 drama films
2010s historical drama films
British historical drama films
Films directed by John Boorman
Films set in England
Films set in 1953
2010s English-language films
2010s British films