Summer 1900: Queen Victoria's last and the summer Leo turns 13. He's the guest of Marcus, a wealthy classmate, at a grand home in rural Norfolk. Leo is befriended by Marian, Marcus's twenty-something sister, a beauty about to be engaged to Hugh, a viscount and good fellow. Marian buys Leo a forest-green suit, takes him on walks, and asks him to carry messages to and from their neighbor, Ted Burgess, a bit of a rake. Leo is soon dissembling, realizes he's betraying Hugh, but continues as the go-between nonetheless, asking adults naive questions about the attractions of men and women. Can an affair between neighbors stay secret for long? And how does innocence end?

A viewer's opinion:
Elegant, tragic, yet oddly liberating

The first time I saw this film, I was 18 years old. Now, almost thirty years later, I am still enthralled by its two atmospheres - a hot summery Norfolk, England at the turn of the century versus a cloudy, rainy, modern-day Norfolk. The juxtaposition between the two periods is stunning, and mysterious. The acting is superb, the sets and costumes are superior, and the haunting Michel Legrand score stays with you long after the film is over. I find the film to be quite elegant in its scenes of yesteryear, where the "old" England seemed dreamy, leisurely, carefree, and prim and proper, compared to the dreary, coldly realistic, grown-up, modern-day England, where the past is spoken about, and an explanation of what happened in the past is requested.

Although the movie ends on a tragic note, there is a hint of hope which I found oddly liberating, a feature I didn't notice 30 years ago. But like fine wine, this movie ages well. Enjoy, and go on a trip to the past "...{where it's} a foreign country...they do things differently there."

Julie Christie .... Marian - Lady Trimingham
Alan Bates .... Ted Burgess
Margaret Leighton .... Mrs. Maudsley
Michael Redgrave .... Leo Colston
Dominic Guard .... 'Leo' Colston
Michael Gough .... Mr. Maudsley
Edward Fox .... Hugh Trimingham
Richard Gibson (I) .... Marcus
Simon Hume-Kendall .... Denys
Roger Lloyd-Pack .... Charles (as Roger Lloyd Pack)
Amaryllis Garnett .... Kate
Keith Buckley
John Rees
Gordon Richardson

Runtime: 118 min
Country: UK
Language: English
Color: Color (Technicolor)