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For Queen and Country is a 1989
1989 in film

Events* "Batman " is released on June 23rd, and went on to become the biggest blockbuster of the year; Grossing over $250 million at the box office....
 crime drama film
Film

Film encompasses individual motion pictures, the field of film as an art form, and the film industry. Films are produced by recording images from the world with cameras, or by creating images using animation techniques or special effects....
 from Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer and produced by Atlantic Entertainment Group
Atlantic Releasing

Atlantic Releasing Corporation was an independent film distributor that lasted from 1981 until 1988. After 1988, the library was bought by Island Pictures, which was later absorbed into PolyGram Filmed Entertainment....
, Working Title Films
Working Title Films

Working Title Films is a United Kingdom film production company, based in London, England. The company was founded by Tim Bevan and Sarah Radclyffe in 1984....
 and Zenith, starring Denzel Washington
Denzel Washington

Denzel Hayes Washington, Jr. is an United States actor and film director. He has garnered much critical acclaim for his work in film since the 1990s, including for his portrayals of real-life figures, such as Steve Biko, Malcolm X, Rubin "Hurricane" Carter, Melvin B....
. Washington stars as Reuben James, a Black British
Black British

group = Black British|image= File:Chiwetel Ejiofor by David Shankbone.jpgFile:Naomie Harris 1.JPGFile:Allsaints8.jpgFile:IgnatiusSancho.jpgFile:Estelle Swaray.jpgFile:ThandieNewtonBAFTA07.jpg...
 former-PARA, who joined the British Army
British Army

The British Army is the Army branch of the British Armed Forces. It came into being with the unification of the Kingdoms of Kingdom of England and Kingdom of Scotland into the Kingdom of Great Britain in 1707....
 to escape the poverty of inner city
Inner city

The inner city is the central area of a major city or metropolis. In the United States, Canada, United Kingdom and Republic of Ireland, the term is often applied to the poorer parts of the city centre and is sometimes used as a euphemism with the connotation of being an area, perhaps a ghetto or slum, where residents are less educated and mor...
 London
London

London is the capital of both England and the United Kingdom, and the most populous municipality in the European Union. An important settlement for two millennia, History of London goes back to its founding by the Roman Empire....
. For Queen and Country was rated R by the MPAA for violence
Violence

Violence is the expression of physical force against self or other, compelling action against one's will on pain of being hurt. Variant uses of the term refer to the destruction of non-living objects ....
, language
Language

A language is a form of symbol communication in which elements are combined to represents something other than themselves. Language can also refer to the use of such systems as a general phenomenon....
, some drug content, and adult situations, and was released in theaters on January 1, 1989.

en (Washington), although having grown up in London
London

London is the capital of both England and the United Kingdom, and the most populous municipality in the European Union. An important settlement for two millennia, History of London goes back to its founding by the Roman Empire....
, was originally born in St.






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For Queen and Country is a 1989
1989 in film

Events* "Batman " is released on June 23rd, and went on to become the biggest blockbuster of the year; Grossing over $250 million at the box office....
 crime drama film
Film

Film encompasses individual motion pictures, the field of film as an art form, and the film industry. Films are produced by recording images from the world with cameras, or by creating images using animation techniques or special effects....
 from Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer and produced by Atlantic Entertainment Group
Atlantic Releasing

Atlantic Releasing Corporation was an independent film distributor that lasted from 1981 until 1988. After 1988, the library was bought by Island Pictures, which was later absorbed into PolyGram Filmed Entertainment....
, Working Title Films
Working Title Films

Working Title Films is a United Kingdom film production company, based in London, England. The company was founded by Tim Bevan and Sarah Radclyffe in 1984....
 and Zenith, starring Denzel Washington
Denzel Washington

Denzel Hayes Washington, Jr. is an United States actor and film director. He has garnered much critical acclaim for his work in film since the 1990s, including for his portrayals of real-life figures, such as Steve Biko, Malcolm X, Rubin "Hurricane" Carter, Melvin B....
. Washington stars as Reuben James, a Black British
Black British

group = Black British|image= File:Chiwetel Ejiofor by David Shankbone.jpgFile:Naomie Harris 1.JPGFile:Allsaints8.jpgFile:IgnatiusSancho.jpgFile:Estelle Swaray.jpgFile:ThandieNewtonBAFTA07.jpg...
 former-PARA, who joined the British Army
British Army

The British Army is the Army branch of the British Armed Forces. It came into being with the unification of the Kingdoms of Kingdom of England and Kingdom of Scotland into the Kingdom of Great Britain in 1707....
 to escape the poverty of inner city
Inner city

The inner city is the central area of a major city or metropolis. In the United States, Canada, United Kingdom and Republic of Ireland, the term is often applied to the poorer parts of the city centre and is sometimes used as a euphemism with the connotation of being an area, perhaps a ghetto or slum, where residents are less educated and mor...
 London
London

London is the capital of both England and the United Kingdom, and the most populous municipality in the European Union. An important settlement for two millennia, History of London goes back to its founding by the Roman Empire....
. For Queen and Country was rated R by the MPAA for violence
Violence

Violence is the expression of physical force against self or other, compelling action against one's will on pain of being hurt. Variant uses of the term refer to the destruction of non-living objects ....
, language
Language

A language is a form of symbol communication in which elements are combined to represents something other than themselves. Language can also refer to the use of such systems as a general phenomenon....
, some drug content, and adult situations, and was released in theaters on January 1, 1989.

Plot synopsis

Reuben (Washington), although having grown up in London
London

London is the capital of both England and the United Kingdom, and the most populous municipality in the European Union. An important settlement for two millennia, History of London goes back to its founding by the Roman Empire....
, was originally born in St. Lucia, West Indies, and joined the British Army
British Army

The British Army is the Army branch of the British Armed Forces. It came into being with the unification of the Kingdoms of Kingdom of England and Kingdom of Scotland into the Kingdom of Great Britain in 1707....
 of Her Majesty's Armed Forces to escape the poverty
Poverty

Poverty is the shortage of common things such as food, clothing, shelter and safe drinking water, all of which determine our quality of life. It may also include the lack of access to opportunities such as education and employment which aid the escape from poverty and/or allow one to enjoy the respect of fellow citizens....
 of inner city
Inner city

The inner city is the central area of a major city or metropolis. In the United States, Canada, United Kingdom and Republic of Ireland, the term is often applied to the poorer parts of the city centre and is sometimes used as a euphemism with the connotation of being an area, perhaps a ghetto or slum, where residents are less educated and mor...
 life. He serves with the Parachute Regiment, doing a tour in Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland

conventional_long_name = Northern Ireland|native_name= Tuaisceart ?ireannNorlin Airlann|motto =|image_map = Europe location N-IRL2.png...
 for three years at the height of The Troubles
The Troubles

The Troubles was a period of ethno-political conflict in Northern Ireland which spilled over at various times into England, the Republic of Ireland and Continental Europe....
 in the late 1970s, and fighting in the Falklands Conflict in the South Atlantic for the remainder of his military career, eventually becoming a war hero himself.

Six years later after leaving the army and hanging up his guns, Reuben returns to civilian life in London with everything seeming normal after being dropped off by a truck driver. But he receives far from a hero's welcome, mostly no-one caring about his time in the army, while many of his childhood friends have turned to crime and drug-dealing to support themselves. He is shocked to find his old community, the East End, is still beset by the crime, poverty and racism that made him leave rather than being a better neighborhood. In particular, he suffers abuse and brutality at the hands of racist police officers and is pressured by some old friends to go against the law. He struggles to adjust to everyday life, but with increasing difficulty, losing his girlfriend (Amanda Redman
Amanda Redman

Amanda Redman is an English actor, perhaps best known for her role as Detective Superintendent Sandra Pullman, in New Tricks....
). With changes in the British nationality law
British nationality law

British nationality law is the law of the United Kingdom concerning citizenship and other categories of British nationality. The law is complex owing to the United Kingdom's former status as an imperialism power....
 that occurred in 1981, Reuben also can't claim British citizenship and any residency of the United Kingdom at all and finds himself unemployed and is frustrated by being unable to find work despite his outstanding military service as a dutiful soldier and begins to feel betrayed by the country he fought for. He drives a taxi for a short time, but is soon brought into business with Colin, a criminal friend played by Bruce Payne
Bruce Payne

Bruce Martyn Payne is an England actor and producer. Though better known for his villainous roles, Bruce Payne has played characters across the spectrum....
 who was always nice to him. He becomes a vigilante bent on change instead of becoming a criminal himself.

Reuben acquires a St. Lucia passport and gets two tickets to return to St. Lucia since he won't be able to go to Paris
Paris

Paris is the Capital of France and the country's largest city. It is situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the ?le-de-France Regions of France ....
 as he had planned to with his former girlfriend who sees him only as a bloody product of an old era and left him because she couldn't stand men with guns and his best friend's wife left him to move to Ireland
Ireland

Ireland is the List of islands by area in Europe, and the twentieth-largest island in the world. It lies to the north-west of continental Europe and is surrounded by hundreds of islands and islet....
. Reuben's old army friend, Tony aka Fish played by Dorian Healy
Dorian Healy

Dorian Healy is best known for his role as Cpt/Mjr Kieran Voce in the award winning drama series Soldier Soldier .He composed and wrote the TV series Masculine Mescaline with Soldier Soldier co-star Gary Love ....
,who saved his life in the Falklands and lost his leg gets Lynford down because Lynford threatened to kill Reuben for telling the police that he killed Harry but is shot by a corrupt and racist policeman, Challoner who first started the harassment in the first place. Reuben sets about avenging his friends' deaths and is able to during a riot between the police and drug addicts, shooting the policeman who killed his best friend. Reuben is targeted by a police sniper
Sniper

A sniper is usually a highly trained marksman that shoots targets from Concealment positions or distances exceeding the capabilities of regular personnel....
 who is another friend from the army. Just as he fires the shot, the movie ends.

DVD release

It was released on DVD
DVD

DVD, also known as "Digital Versatile Disc" or "Digital Video Disc,"is a popular optical disc data storage device media format. Its main uses are video and data storage....
 on June 1, 2004.

See also

  • Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer


External links