Rent King and Country (1964)
3.8 of 5 from 76 ratings
1h 26min
- General info
- Available formats
- Synopsis:
- During World War I, a young soldier, Hamp (Tom Courtenay) deserts his post, attempting to escape the ever-present sound of guns and walk back home. Captain Hargreaves (Dirk Bogarde), an aristocratic British Army lawyer must defend Hamp before the army tribunal, for whom the crime of desertion carries a nasty stigma and the penalty of execution. Initially, Hargreaves approaches Hamp's case with disdain; however, upon learning that Hamp volunteered for duty on a dare, that he is the sole survivor of his unit and that his wife has been unfaithful in his absence, his efforts on Hamp's behalf become more impassioned and earnest.
- Actors:
- Dirk Bogarde, Tom Courtenay, Leo McKern, Barry Foster, Peter Copley, James Villiers, Jeremy Spenser, Barry Justice, Vivian Matalon, Keith Buckley, James Hunter, Jonah Seymour, Larry Taylor, David Cook, Richard Arthure
- Directors:
- Joseph Losey
- Producers:
- Joseph Losey, Norman Priggen
- Writers:
- J.L. Hodson, Evan Jones, Dirk Bogarde, A.E. Housman
- Others:
- Denys Coop, Richard MacDonald
- Aka:
- King & Country
- Studio:
- British Home Entertainment
- Genres:
- Action & Adventure, Classics, Drama
- Collections:
- Award Winners, Cinema and the First World War, Drama Films & TV, Lions on the Lido, A Brief History of Film...
- Awards:
- BBFC:
- Release Date:
- 06/11/2023
- Run Time:
- 87 minutes
- Languages:
- English LPCM Mono
- Subtitles:
- English Hard of Hearing
- Formats:
- Pal
- Aspect Ratio:
- Widescreen 1.66:1
- Colour:
- B & W
- BLU-RAY Regions:
- B
- Bonus:
- Tom Courtenay on 'King and Country'
- Archive Interview with Dirk Bogarde (1964)
- Behind the scenes stills gallery
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Reviews (1) of King and Country
One of the greatest anti-war movies - King and Country review by JD
I first saw this movie when I was a student and it made a huge impression on me.
Just recently I saw it again on dvd and it has lost none of its impact.
The acting is faultless, with Dirk Bogarde and Tom Courtenay on top form. It originated as a play so the dialogue has been polished down to creat a breathless tension.
Very atmospheric and the close ups add to the taught situation as a Soldier in World War One fights for his life after being
Court-martialled for “ walking away” from the battlefield.
It is one of those movies where we spent hours afterwards discussing the plot and the morals of the story. Sadly I don’t think young people do that anymore after seeing the latest Marvel blockbuster.
3 out of 3 members found this review helpful.