''The Shooting Party'' is a 1984 British drama film directed by

Alan Bridges Alan Bridges (28 September 1927 – 7 December 2013) was an English film and television director. In 1967 Bridges directed a television adaptation of Charles Dickens' '' Great Expectations'' starring Gary Bond as Pip. He won the '' Grand P ...

and based on the book of the same name by

Isabel Colegate Isabel Diana Colegate (10 September 1931 – 12 March 2023) was a British author and literary agent. Early life and education Born in Paddington in London, England, Colegate was the youngest of her parents' four daughters. Her father was Sir ...

. The film is set in 1913, less than a year before the beginning of the

First World War World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

, and shows the soon-to-vanish way of life of English aristocrats, focusing on a shooting party gathered to pursue

pheasant Pheasants ( ) are birds of several genera within the family Phasianidae in the order Galliformes. Although they can be found all over the world in introduced (and captive) populations, the pheasant genera native range is restricted to Eurasia ...

and general self-indulgence. Their situation is contrasted with the life of local rural poor, who work on the estate and serve as beaters, driving the game for the aristocrats to shoot. It was entered into the

14th Moscow International Film Festival The 14th Moscow International Film Festival was held from 28 June to 12 July 1985. The Golden Prizes were awarded to the Soviet film ''Come and See'' directed by Elem Klimov, the American film ''A Soldier's Story'' directed by Norman Jewison an ...

Plot summary

In the autumn of 1913, a large party of guests gather at the estate of Sir Randolph Nettleby ( James Mason) and his wife Minnie (

Dorothy Tutin Dame Dorothy Tutin, (8 April 19306 August 2001) was an English actress of stage, film and television. For her work in the theatre, she won two Olivier Awards and two ''Evening Standard'' Awards for Best Actress. She was made a CBE in 1967 and ...

) for a weekend of shooting. Over the next few days two of the guests, Lord Gilbert Hartlip ( Edward Fox) and Lionel Stephens (

Rupert Frazer Rupert Frazer (born 12 March 1947) is a British actor. Career His work in theatre includes performances at the Citizens Theatre, the Royal Court Theatre and the Royal National Theatre. In 1975, he played the title role in the first British st ...

), engage in an escalating contest over who can shoot the more game. Hartlip is a renowned sportsman threatened by Stephens's skill, while Stephens is anxious to impress his sweetheart, the married Olivia (

Judi Bowker Judi Bowker (born 6 April 1954) is an English film and television actress. Biography Bowker was born in Shawford, Hampshire, England, the daughter of Alfred J. Bowker and Ann Fairweather, who had married in 1947. The family moved to the Britis ...

). Hartlip's wife, Aline (

Cheryl Campbell Cheryl Campbell (born 22 May 1949) is an English actor of stage, film and television. She starred opposite Bob Hoskins in the 1978 BBC drama '' Pennies From Heaven'', before going on to win the 1980 BAFTA TV Award for Best Actress for ''Testamen ...

) is carrying on an indiscreet love affair with another guest, Sir Reuben Hergesheimer (

Aharon Ipalé Aharon Ipalé (December 27, 1941 – June 27, 2016) was an Israeli-American actor, known for his roles in American and British film and television productions. His credits included '' Fiddler on the Roof'' (1971), '' Innocent Bystanders'' (1 ...

). Meanwhile, the Nettlebys' granddaughter Cicely (

Rebecca Saire Rebecca Saire (born 16 April 1963) is a British actress and writer who gained early attention when, at the age of fourteen, she played Juliet for the ''BBC Television Shakespeare'' series. Stage * Sybil in ''Private Lives'' ( National Theat ...

) is allowing herself to be courted by a Hungarian count (Joris Stuyck), much to the chagrin of her mother Ida (Sara Badel). All of the characters' personal tensions reach their breaking-point when one of the party is killed accidentally on the final day of shooting, leading the guests to reconsider their relationships. In the closing scene, credits reveal the members of the shooting party who would later be killed in the

Cast

* James Mason as Sir Randolph Nettleby * Edward Fox as Lord Gilbert Hartlip *

as Lady Minnie Nettleby *

John Gielgud Sir Arthur John Gielgud, (; 14 April 1904 – 21 May 2000) was an English actor and theatre director whose career spanned eight decades. With Ralph Richardson and Laurence Olivier, he was one of the trinity of actors who dominated the Brit ...

as Cornelius Cardew * Gordon Jackson as Tom Harker *

as Lady Aline Hartlip *

Robert Hardy Timothy Sydney Robert Hardy (29 October 1925 – 3 August 2017) was an English actor who had a long career in theatre, film and television. He began his career as a classical actor and later earned widespread recognition for roles such as Sieg ...

as Bob, Lord Lilburn *

as Sir Reuben Hergesheimer *Joris Stuyck as Count Tibor Rakassyi *

as Cicely Nettleby *

Sarah Badel Sarah M. Badel (born 30 March 1943) is a retired British stage and film actress. She is the daughter of actors Alan Badel and Yvonne Owen. Life and career Badel was born in London to actor, Alan Badel and actress, Yvonne Owen. She was educ ...

as Ida Nettleby *

as Lionel Stephens *

as Lady Lilburn, Olivia *Warren Saire as Marcus Nettleby *John J. Carney as Jarvis *Ann Castle as Lady Mildred Stamp *

Daniel Chatto Daniel St George Chatto (born Daniel Chatto St George Sproule; 22 April 1957) is a British artist and former actor. He is the husband of Lady Sarah Chatto, the daughter of Princess Margaret, Countess of Snowdon, niece of Queen Elizabeth II and c ...

as John * Mia Fothergill as Violet *

Thomas Heathcote Thomas Heathcote (9 September 1917 – 5 January 1986) was a British character actor, a former protégé of Laurence Olivier. He was educated at Bradfield College in Bradfield, near Reading in Berkshire, England. His films included '' A Night ...

as Ogden * Barry Jackson as Weir * Jonathon Lacey as Dan Glass *

Richard Leech Richard Leeper McClelland (24 November 1922 – 24 March 2004), known professionally as Richard Leech, was an Irish actor. Richard Leeper McClelland was born in Dublin, Ireland, the son of Isabella Frances (Leeper) and Herbert Saunderson McCl ...

as Dr. West * Jack May as Sir Harry Stamp * Deborah Miles as Ellen * Daniel Moynihan as Maidment * Patrick O'Connell as Charlie Lyne * Nicholas Pietrek as Osbert *

Lockwood West Harry Lockwood West (28 July 1905 – 28 March 1989) was a British actor. He was the father of actor Timothy West and the grandfather of actor Samuel West. Life and career West was born in Birkenhead, Cheshire, England in 1905, the son of Mildr ...

as Rogers *

Frank Windsor Frank Windsor Higgins (12 July 1928 – 30 September 2020), known professionally as Frank Windsor, was an English actor, primarily known for his roles on television, especially policeman John Watt in ''Z-Cars'' and its spin-offs. Biography Win ...

as Glass

Analysis

There is a general feeling of the end of a way of life, as the characters go about their lives unaware of the coming war (World War I) and the changes it will bring. Released posthumously, this is the last film appearance by James Mason, who plays Sir Randolph Nettleby, the local landowner who has something of the old values. Edward Fox as Lord Gilbert Hartlip represents the newer types who don't have the same solid beliefs: He gets into a competition over who is the best shot, despite his host's disapproval.

Production

According to the DVD extras documentary,

Paul Scofield David Paul Scofield (21 January 1922 – 19 March 2008) was a British actor. During a six-decade career, Scofield achieved the US Triple Crown of Acting, winning an Academy Award, Emmy, and Tony for his work. He won the three awards in a seve ...

was cast as Sir Randolph Nettleby, but he was seriously injured during the first shot on the first day of shooting. Because the film takes place in October, during partridge-shooting season, the filmmakers had to make a choice, either to delay filming for a year, or to re-cast. James Mason was just finishing filming ''

Doctor Fischer of Geneva ''Doctor Fischer of Geneva or The bomb party'' (1980) is a novel by the English novelist Graham Greene. The eponymous party has been examined as an example of a statistical search problem. Plot summary The story is narrated by Alfred Jones, a t ...

'' for the

BBC #REDIRECT BBC #REDIRECT BBC Here i going to introduce about the best teacher of my life b BALAJI sir. He is the precious gift that I got befor 2yrs . How has helped and thought all the concept and made my success in the 10th board exam. ...

...

Plot summary

Cast

Analysis

Production

Reception

References

External links