X
  • 1965
  • Not Rated
  • Allied Artists Pictures
  • 1 h 28 m
  • 1965
  • Not Rated
  • Allied Artists Pictures
  • 1 h 28 m
King & Country

Summary During World War I, Army Private Arthur James Hamp is accused of desertion during battle. The officer assigned to defend him at his court-martial, Captain Hargreaves, finds out there is more to the case than meets the eye.

Directed By: Joseph Losey

Written By: Evan Jones, John Wilson, J.L. Hodson, Dirk Bogarde, A.E. Housman

  • 1965
  • Not Rated
  • Allied Artists Pictures
  • 1 h 28 m
  • 1965
  • Not Rated
  • Allied Artists Pictures
  • 1 h 28 m

King & Country

Metascore Universal Acclaim Based on 7 Critic Reviews
84
User Score Available after 4 ratings
tbd
My Score
Hover and click to give a rating Saved

Summary During World War I, Army Private Arthur James Hamp is accused of desertion during battle. The officer assigned to defend him at his court-martial, Captain Hargreaves, finds out there is more to the case than meets the eye.

Directed By: Joseph Losey

Written By: Evan Jones, John Wilson, J.L. Hodson, Dirk Bogarde, A.E. Housman

Top Cast

View All
View All Cast & Crew

Critic Reviews

 View All
Metascore
Universal Acclaim Based on 7 Critic Reviews
84
86% Positive
6 Reviews
14% Mixed
1 Review
0% Negative
0 Reviews

  • All Reviews
  • Positive Reviews
  • Mixed Reviews
  • Negative Reviews

Critic Reviews

 View All
Metascore
Universal Acclaim Based on 7 Critic Reviews
84
86% Positive
6 Reviews
14% Mixed
1 Review
0% Negative
0 Reviews

  • All Reviews
  • Positive Reviews
  • Mixed Reviews
  • Negative Reviews
100
This film is a gruelling experience and Dirk Bogarde’s coup de grâce is the most horrible effect of all.
By Peter Bradshaw FULL REVIEW
91
This riveting drama takes courageous stands against the senselessness of war and the brutality of capital punishment, leading to one of the most ironic climaxes in British cinema. [17 Apr 1997, p.12]
By David Sterritt FULL REVIEW
90
The story of Private Hamp, a deserter from the battle front in World War I, has already been told on radio, television and the stage, but undeterred by this exposure, director Joseph Losey has attacked the subject with confidence and vigor, and the result is a highly sensitive and emotional drama, enlivened by sterling performances and a sincere screenplay.
FULL REVIEW
90
King and Country is an uncompromising film. Some of its scenes are so strong they shock. Those who can take it will find it a shattering experience.
FULL REVIEW
80
Courtenay is heartbreaking as a broken man crushed under the wheels of a callous system.
By Phil de Semlyen FULL REVIEW
80
KING AND COUNTRY is a grim indictment of the arrogant, simple-minded mentality of the men who send their fellow citizens off to war.
FULL REVIEW
40
This recasting of The Servant as a war film, with Courtenay playing the working-class deserter whose helplessness traps the liberal middle-class officer (Bogarde) assigned to defend him at his court-martial, fails precisely because the sexual element in the relationship, so explicit in The Servant, is so repressed.
FULL REVIEW

User Reviews

There are no user reviews yet. Be the first to add a review.

Details

 View All
Production Company B.H.E. Productions, Landau / Unger
Release Date Nov 30, 1965
Duration 1 h 28 m
Rating Not Rated
Genres
Tagline "Go ahead... kill him - you're the only friend he has!"
View All Details

Awards

BAFTA Awards
• 4 Nominations
Venice Film Festival
• 1 Win & 3 Nominations
Sant Jordi Awards
• 1 Win & 1 Nomination

Related Movies

Dekalog (1988)

100
Universal Acclaim

The Godfather

100
Universal Acclaim

Tokyo Story

100
Universal Acclaim

Casablanca

100
Universal Acclaim

Citizen Kane

100
Universal Acclaim

Three Colors: Red

100
Universal Acclaim

The Leopard (re-release)

100
Universal Acclaim

The Conformist

100
Universal Acclaim

Lawrence of Arabia (re-release)

100
Universal Acclaim

Boyhood

100
Universal Acclaim

Notorious

100
Universal Acclaim

Fanny and Alexander (re-release)

100
Universal Acclaim

Touch of Evil

99
Universal Acclaim

Army of Shadows

99
Universal Acclaim

City Lights

99
Universal Acclaim

Moonlight

99
Universal Acclaim

Intolerance

99
Universal Acclaim

The Rules of the Game

99
Universal Acclaim

Seven Samurai

98
Universal Acclaim

The Wild Bunch

98
Universal Acclaim

Au hasard Balthazar

98
Universal Acclaim

The Treasure of the Sierra Madre

98
Universal Acclaim

Related News

2024 Movie Release Calendar

2024 Movie Release Calendar

Jason Dietz

Find release dates for every movie coming to theaters, VOD, and streaming throughout 2024 and beyond, updated weekly.

  • movie
Every Zack Snyder Movie, Ranked

Every Zack Snyder Movie, Ranked

Nick Hyman

With the arrival of Zack Snyder's latest Rebel Moon chapter on Netflix, we rank every one of the director's films—from bad to, well, less bad—by Metascore.

  • movie
Every Guy Ritchie Movie, Ranked

Every Guy Ritchie Movie, Ranked

Nick Hyman

We rank every one of the British director's movies by Metascore, from his debut Lock, Stock, and Two Smoking Barrels to his brand new film, The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare.

  • movie
April Movie Preview (2024)

April Movie Preview (2024)

Keith Kimbell

The month ahead will bring new films from Alex Garland, Luca Guadagnino, Dev Patel, and more. To help you plan your moviegoing options, our editors have selected the most notable films releasing in April 2024, listed in alphabetical order.

  • movie
DVD/Blu-ray Releases: New & Upcoming

DVD/Blu-ray Releases: New & Upcoming

Jason Dietz

Find a list of new movie and TV releases on DVD and Blu-ray (updated weekly) as well as a calendar of upcoming releases on home video.

  • movie