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Cast
Gabriel Byrne
as Nicholas 'Nick' Mullen
Greta Scacchi
as Nina Beckman
Denholm Elliott
as Vernon Bayliss
Ian Bannen
as Dennis Markham
Fulton Mackay
as Victor Kingsbrook
Bill Paterson
as Jack Macleod
David Calder
as Harry Champion
Frederick Treves
as Arnold Reece
Robbie Coltrane
as Leo McAskey
Steven Woodcock
as Steven Dyce
Movie Info & Details
Release Year1986
Runtime1h 36m
LanguageEnglish
CertificationPG
GenresAction, Thriller
Votes41
DirectorDavid Drury
WritersMartin Stellman
TypeFeature Film
Rating6.5 out of 10
Cast10 credited
Also Known AsDefence of the Realm
About Defence of the Realm
A reporter named Mullen 'stumbles' onto a story linking a prominent Member of Parliament to a KGB agent and a near-nuclear disaster involving a teenage runaway and a U.S. Air Force base. Has there been a Government cover-up? Mullen teams up with Vernon Bayliss, an old hack, and Nina Beckam, the MP's assistant, to find out the truth.
Directed by David Drury, Defence of the Realm leans on a strong ensemble — Gabriel Byrne, Greta Scacchi, Denholm Elliott — to carry a story that balances spectacle with character.
The film landed with audiences for its craft and performances, and remains one of the most talked-about action titles of 1986.
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