Themes: Political Corruption, Whistleblowers, Members of the Press
Main Cast: Gabriel Byrne, Greta Scacchi, Denholm Elliott, Ian Bannen, Fulton Mackay
Release Year: 1985
Country: UK
Run Time: 96 minutes
MPAA Rating: PG
Plot
This fast-paced thriller examines the amorality of a nation's secret services and the responsibility of journalistic investigations in an era of nuclear tensions and bureaucratic deceit. The film examines an unspooling series of events occurring after a near crash of a nuclear bomber at an American Air Force base in the English countryside. When Dennis Markham (Ian Bannen), a well-respected member of Parliament, is reported by a London paper to have been seen leaving a woman's home, and the woman is found to also be familiar with a dignitary from East Germany, his loyalty to his country is questioned, and he is forced to resign. The author of the newspaper exposé, Nick Mullen (Gabriel Byrne), continues his investigation with his colleague Vernon Bayliss (Denholm Elliott). But when Vernon dies from a mysterious heart attack, Mullen suspects something deeper at work and finds evidence of a complex web of deceit concerning a secret Air Force base. With the help of Vernon's secretary, Nina Beckman (Greta Scacchi), Nick fights the dark forces in order to bring the truth to light. ~ Paul Brenner, All Movie Guide
Review
A journalist-in-over-his-head thriller, Defense of the Realm is a taut, tightly plotted conspiracy film that is very cerebral -- and very hollow. That last characterization may prevent some from embracing the film, for the hollowness results from a combination of an abundance of cynicism and a shallowness of characterization. So, if a viewer is looking for a film that is comforting and/or that explores the lives and motivations of its main players, he is bound to be disappointed by Realm. On the other hand, if the fun of the "game" is sufficient to a viewer, he will be well rewarded, for Realm's intricate plot is filled with labyrinthine twists and turns that will delight and dazzle aficionados of the "why did that happen and what does it mean" school. And director David Drury directs Realm cleanly and leanly, giving it a forward thrust that is essential to its success yet still finding time to craft some careful compositions that add impact to individual scenes without distracting from the flow. The cast does have to grapple with a lack of depth in their characters, and only Denholm Elliott succeeds in overcoming that challenge, somehow creating a three-dimensional human out of two-dimensional material. But the rest of the cast, especially lead Gabriel Byrne, make those two dimensions count for everything they're worth. Realm is suspenseful and exciting, and that will be more than enough for many viewers. ~ Craig Butler, All Movie Guide
Bill Paterson - Jack Macleod; David Calder - Harry Champion; Frederick Treves - Arnold Reece; Robbie Coltrane - Leo McAskey; Daniel Benzali - Lt. Col. Lehane; Lyndon Brook - Pugh; Graham Fletcher-Cook - Micky Parker; Oliver Ford Davies - Anthony Clegg; Alexei Jawdokimov - Dietrich Kleist; William Job - Hilton; Annabel Leventon - Trudy Markham; Mark Tandy - Philip Henderson; Daniel Webb - Danny Royce; Michael Johnson - Humphrey Channing; Beverley Anderson - Newscaster; Harriet Bagnall - Peace Girl; John Challis - Challis; Prentis Hancock - Frank Longman; Steven Woodcock - Steve Dyce
Credit
Diana Charnley - Art Director, Louise Frogley - Costume Designer, David Drury - Director, Michael Bradsell - Editor, Richard Hartley - Composer (Music Score), Richard Harvey - Composer (Music Score), Sandra Shepherd - Makeup, Roger Murray-Leach - Production Designer, Roger Deakins - Cinematographer, Robin Douet - Producer, Lynda Myles - Producer, David Puttnam - Producer, Martin Stellman - Screenwriter
Set at the height of the Cold War in the 1980s this film examines the morality of a nation's secret services and the responsibility of journalistic investigations in an era of nuclear tensions and bureaucratic deceit. The film is reminiscent of other cold war thrillers such as Hidden Agenda, The Manchurian Candidate and Edge of Darkness.
The film takes its title from the 1914 Defence of the Realm Act (DORA), passed at the start of the First World War, which gave the Government executive powers to suppress criticism, imprison without trial and commandeer economic resources for the war effort.
Plot Summary
Following a crash of a nuclear bomber at an American Air Force base in the English countryside, Dennis Markham (Ian Bannen), a prominent member of Parliament and opponent of the American nuclear presence in the United Kingdom , is reported by a London paper to have been seen leaving a woman's home. When the woman is found to also be familiar with a dignitary from East Germany, his loyalty to his country is questioned and he is forced to resign, reminiscent of the 1963 Profumo Affair. The author of the newspaper exposé, Nick Mullen (Gabriel Byrne), continues his investigation with his colleague Vernon Bayliss (Denholm Elliott) who suspects that Markham is being framed for his views. But when Vernon dies from a mysterious heart attack, Mullen suspects something deeper at work and finds evidence of a complex cover up concerning the near accident and a secret Air Force base. With the help of Markham's secretary, Nina Beckman (Greta Scacchi), Mullen continues to investigate the affair despite the best attempts of the British Government to stop him.
