The Go-Between main backdrop
The Go-Between main poster

The Go-Between

Visit website

6.8/10 • 131

1971-06-161h 56m

DramaRomance

In those days, you fell in love with your own class. Or found a Go-Between.

British teenager Leo Colston spends a summer in the countryside, where he develops a crush on the beautiful young aristocrat Marian. Eager to impress her, Leo becomes the "go-between" for Marian, delivering secret romantic letters to Ted Burgess, a handsome neighboring farmer.

Directors
Joseph Losey
Editors
Reginald Beck

Top Billed Cast

View Credits
  1. Julie Christie

    Julie Christie

    Lady Marian Trimingham

  2. Alan Bates

    Alan Bates

    Ted Burgess

  3. Edward Fox

    Edward Fox

    Hugh Trimingham

  4. Michael Redgrave

    Michael Redgrave

    The Older Leo Colston

  5. Dominic Guard

    Dominic Guard

    The Young Leo Colston

  6. Margaret Leighton

    Margaret Leighton

    Mrs Maudsley

  7. Michael Gough

    Michael Gough

    Mr Maudsley

  8. Richard Gibson

    Richard Gibson

    Marcus Maudsley

  9. Simon Hume-Kendall

    Simon Hume-Kendall

    Denys

Reviews1

View Reviews
CinemaSerf Avatar

CinemaSerf

May 29, 2023

6/10

Sadly, time has not been very kind to the potency of this film. In 2020s society, the overwhelming feeling of "so what?" is hard to shake off; despite some really strong performances. Dominic Guard is "Leo", just 13 when he is invited to summer at the Norfolk country home of one of his classmates. He quickly befriends his older sister "Marian" (Julie Christie) and is soon acting - innocently, at first - as her courier passing ostensibly harmless letters between herself, her fiancée "Hugh" (Edward Fox) and a swarthy tenant farmer "Ted" (Alan Bates). Guard is great as the young man who starts to put two and two together as he slowly gets caught up in this menage-à-trois whilst trying to accommodate his own sexual awakening. His own naive inquisitiveness gives his character an engaging and frustrating quality that we might all have related to, once upon a time. Losey's pace is off, though - it can be quite a slow burn at times and, unusually, I found the score from Michel Legrand quite distractingly repetitive. The cinematography showed off the locale to perfection and the dialogue from LP Hartley via Harold Pinter succinctly demonstrates class distinction and prejudice well.

Media

  • The Go-Between backdrop
  • The Go-Between backdrop
  • The Go-Between backdrop
  • The Go-Between backdrop
  • The Go-Between backdrop

Recommendations

  • The Flight of the Phoenix main backdrop

    The Flight of the Phoenix

    7.2

  • Borgman main backdrop

    Borgman

    6.5

  • Shadows main backdrop

    Shadows

    6.9

  • The Bitter Tea of General Yen main backdrop

    The Bitter Tea of General Yen

    6.1

  • Far from the Madding Crowd main backdrop

    Far from the Madding Crowd

    6.8

  • The Day Will Come main backdrop

    The Day Will Come

    7.5

  • The Fixer main backdrop

    The Fixer

    5.8

  • Jack the Bear main backdrop

    Jack the Bear

    6.4

  • The Last Picture Show main backdrop

    The Last Picture Show

    7.6

  • The Way Home main backdrop

    The Way Home

    8.0

  • The Producers main backdrop

    The Producers

    7.1

  • The Cook, the Thief, His Wife & Her Lover main backdrop

    The Cook, the Thief, His Wife & Her Lover

    7.3

  • The Philadelphia Story main backdrop

    The Philadelphia Story

    7.6

  • One Night in Miami... main backdrop

    One Night in Miami...

    7.0

  • American Murder: The Family Next Door main backdrop

    American Murder: The Family Next Door

    7.3

  • An American Werewolf in London main backdrop

    An American Werewolf in London

    7.4

  • Resident Evil: Welcome to Raccoon City main backdrop

    Resident Evil: Welcome to Raccoon City

    6.0

  • In Bruges main backdrop

    In Bruges

    7.5

  • Ex Machina main backdrop

    Ex Machina

    7.6

  • The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers main backdrop

    The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers

    8.4

Status
Released
Original Language
English
Budget
$100,000.00
Revenue
--
Keywords
countrysidebased on novel or bookenglandforbidden lovecricketbirthday partynorfolk1900s