The Shooting Party

Alan Bridges, UK, 1984, 93 minutes

Set in the autumn of 1913, The Shooting Party offers a gently probing study of an atistocratic Edwardian society way of life destined to be on its way out with the coming of war. Sir Randolph Nettleby Uames Mason) is hosting a hunting weekend at his plush Derbyshire estate. Invited are various nobles, ready and willing to kill some animals. Over the weekend we witness their various goings-on and see the fragile mask that's holding them together begin to crack. It all leads up to a tragic, but sadly inevitable climax.

This is a beautifully understated drama, wonderfully held together by Alan Bridges' atmospheric direction. It's an altogether more satisfying work than Renoir's overrated The Rules of the Game. The period setting is very well evoked and the dialogue is very accurate. The acting is perfect. John Geilgud, in a small role, is typically impressive as an anti-bloodsorts pamphleteer and Gordon Jackson turns in a convincing portrayal of an independent poacher. This was unfortunately James Mason's last film. He died soon after it was finished. His intelligent, thoughtful performance is a joy to watch, serving to remind us of just what a masterful actor he was.

Review by Stephen Townsend
Taken from EUFS Programme 1992-93