Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #5485 in DVD
• Released on: 2006-10-09
• Rating: Suitable for 15 years and over
• Aspect ratio: 1.78:1
• Formats: Anamorphic, PAL
• Original language: English
• Number of discs: 1
• Running time: 93 minutes

Synopsis
In October 1913, a group of aristocratic men and women gather for a shooting party at an estate in the heart of the English countryside. Assured and opulent, they move through the elaborate rituals of an Edwardian country house party. But times are changing and the values that have ordered their glittering world will no longer have any meaning in the new age about to dawn.

Customer Reviews

Unsung Masterpiece
This film was previously unknown to me. It is a high quality historical drama, and deserves to be better known. It's a subtle, gently paced film, which conveys much in only an hour and a half.

The film depicts a country house weekend shooting party, in the autumn of 1913. It explores some of the tensions that existed in British society in the run up to World War I. The personal relationships between the upper class characters are interesting, and provide rich sub-plots. The film also illustrates the strong bond of respect that existed between the rural working class and the landed gentry.

One wonderful aspect of the film is the mature cast. James Mason, Dorothy Tutin, John Gielgud, Edward Fox, Gordon Jackson and Frank Windsor all radiate effortless charisma. They are true character actors, and are totally absorbing.

I won't spoil the plot by describing the full story but to give you a flavour of the film, one of the sub-plots involves Judi Bowker and Robert Hardy, as a married couple who seem to have a strong affection and respect for each other, yet are distanced by their age gap and differing intellects. A meeting of minds sees Bowker become drawn to Rupert Frazer, and they embark on a passionate, but non-physical, affair. It is interesting to watch this slowly unfold, and the fact it doesn't end happily adds emotion to the film's conclusion.

The line of guns, onto which birds are systematically herded to their death, is a simile of the impending Great War, where the youth of both sides would walk forward only to be shot to pieces by machine gun and artillery.
Further pathos is added by the unnecessary competition between two guns, Edward Fox and Rupert Frazer, leading to the death of one of the beaters. This storyline again echoes the fruitlessness of World War I, which would see the civilisations of Europe fight a terrible war in which they had everything to lose, yet had nothing to gain.

Regarding the DVD itself, the picture quality is good and the extras are excellent; a worthy memorial to the film and its cast.

Wonderful story. Excellent actors. And finally a first-rate DVD transfer
The Shooting Party shows the decline of the British aristocracy (and why they became irrelevant) through the story device of a weekend of country shooting and the relationships among the manor head (James Mason), those he has invited, those who are retainers on his estate, and those protesting the shoot.

Mason is absolutely superb. He was a subtle actor who made some awful role choices in his career. This was one of his great roles. In the Shooting Party, he embodies the sadness of the loss of values he treasures as well as an understanding of why these values are being lost.

The BBC Video's release of the film does the the movie justice. The picture is just a little soft, but the colors are rich and the transfer has clarity. The audio is excellent.

Whatever you do, don't buy the version from Jef Films, For all practical purposes, it is unwatchable. The Jef release looks and sounds as if it had been made from a fifth generation home recorded video tape, and might well have been. Color is faded, the images are out of focus, the sound is variable and unpleasant. Unfortunately, it can still be found as a Region 1 DVD and may be out as a Region 2..

"I must write a Pamphlet"
England 1913.Over a long weekend Lord Nettleby(James Mason)entertains various members of the aristocracy at his country home where the men indulge in the shooting competition and the women gently gossip about marriages ,potential marriages and debt.
Exquisite rendering of Isobel Colegate's dazzling book has memorable performances(James Mason and Dorothy Tutin in particular), a beautifully judged script from Julien Bond which allows so many characters(from the peasantry to the gentry)to be fully developed thus allowing themes such as the seriousness of the disintegration of rural life and concerns about a forthcoming" conflict" to be interwoven into the narrative from multiple perspectives.
Wonderful period detail and John Scott's subtle score add finesse to this lovely film.Only an obviously limited budget and a slightly abrupt ending detract from an even more profound study of Edwardian mores.
The documentary is affectionately done with the reminder of exactly who was meant to have been playing Lord Nettleby but did not complete the first day of shooting.