The Shooting party

This historical drama reflects the proprieties, class-consciousness, and petty rivalry amidst the English aristocracy in a pre World War One setting. October 1913 and an elegant group of men and women have gathered on a country estate for a weekend shooting party. Life is full of decadence, opulence and optimism as these characters are most assuredly confident their future, despite the infidelities and competitiveness within the group. These guests however are unaware that encroaching world changes will spell the end of their era, altering their cloistered environment forever. With an admirable evocation of period details, this film deftly portrays the crumbling aristocracy and destructive behaviours that infect these friendships and marriages, putting the sanctity of their world asunder. Flash forwards act as a precursor to the chaos that would invade Europe in the coming years. Cast includes James Mason, Sir John Gielgud, Edward Fox and Dorothy Tutin. Based on the novel by Isabel Colegate.