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The Go-Between

Play trailer Poster for The Go-Between PG Released Jul 29, 1971 1h 56m Drama Play Trailer Watchlist
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100% Tomatometer 11 Reviews 78% Popcornmeter 500+ Ratings
In this period drama, British teenager Leo Colston (Dominic Guard) spends a summer in the countryside, where he develops a crush on the beautiful young aristocrat Marian (Julie Christie). Eager to impress her, Leo becomes the "go-between" for Marian, delivering secret romantic letters to Ted Burgess (Alan Bates), a handsome neighboring farmer. However, when Marian becomes engaged to Hugh Trimingham (Edward Fox), a local viscount, all their lives are altered.
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The Go-Between

Critics Reviews

View All (11) Critics Reviews
Margaret Hinxman Daily Telegraph (UK) What I saw on the screen is, I think, a masterpiece: the peak toward which Losey has been striving, experimenting, discarding and overdoing it, during 20 odd stormy years as a film-maker. Mar 11, 2020 Full Review Roger Ebert Chicago Sun-Times Joseph Losey's The Go-Between is about class distinction and its warping effect upon the life of one small boy... Losey and his screenwriter, Harold Pinter, are terribly observant about small nuances of class. Rated: 3.5/4 Jul 7, 2018 Full Review David Elliott Chicago Daily News The Go-Between, taken from L.P. Hartley's novel, is also facile but in the best sense, and more a work of genuine sensitivity. It's a vignette, nothing more -- but of the kind that changes a man's life forever. Oct 3, 2023 Full Review Brian Viner Daily Mail (UK) [A] powerful coming-of-age story. Rated: 4/5 Apr 25, 2020 Full Review Amber Wilkinson Eye for Film Both Losey and Pinter are less interested in the romance itself than in the way its illicit nature exposes the class divide. Rated: 4/5 Oct 3, 2019 Full Review Rob Aldam Backseat Mafia A script which feels both authentic and slightly edgy. Sep 16, 2019 Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

View All (75) audience reviews
Lynn R I remember when my mother went to see this film. For some reason I didn’t go with her. Usually we would go to the movies together to see these type of films. My father would take me to all the WW2 films that came out in the 60’s. So when I saw this was on TCM I decided to watch it. I always adored Alan Bates and Julie Christie. I remember my mother loving the film. I gave it 4 stars and not 5 only bc I found it a tad slow in the beginning. It just took awhile for me for the story line to pick up. It turned around for me after 35 minutes and then picked up. After that it was great. And as an observer you really didn’t know that it would take such a dark turn toward the end. The story line starts you out on a bright cheery journey. And btw, global warming?? Here it is 1900 and it’s over 90 degrees!!! It’s sweltering hot!!! The film in a very subtle way takes you towards the end to something very tragic. The thunderstorm. The heavy rain. No more sunshine. And this wonderful vacation for Leo will turn out to ruin the rest of his life that had started out for him as just a playful innocent game. Excellent film. Rated 4 out of 5 stars 06/23/24 Full Review Alec B It always feels completely honest both in regards to the time period and the characters. Glad they had the good sense to incorporate the novel's outstanding first line. Rated 4 out of 5 stars 01/09/24 Full Review gioconda d Great art direction but moves very slowly Rated 4 out of 5 stars 01/05/24 Full Review Leaburn O I was looking forward to this having picked up and just finished an old Penguin edition of Hartley's novel. The book is excellent despite the slowly unravelling plot. The film naturally omits large parts of the book but in so doing makes the whole thing feel even more overwrought. I'm not sure the film quite makes enough sense with the sections omitted and to leave out the sensational ending in the film was very frustrating. The way that Marian's conversations with an older Leo are interwoven simply doesn't work and feels confusing. That should have been an epilogue to the film as per the book. However, Pinter does a good job otherwise in being fairly true to the novel. Annoyingly like many other films, it simply doesn't live up to the original material. I bought this one on DVD a long time back and finally got round to watching. It is the penultimate film I have to watch on the BFI Top 100 British film list. Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars 10/27/23 Full Review Mat L All the best gathered to create this perfect movie. Rated 5 out of 5 stars 07/21/24 Full Review Audience Member Absolutely one of the most disconnected, pointless pieces of dreck I’ve seen in some time! Most of the scenes were strung together without any hint of coherency while the dialogue made virtually no sense. Oh, and the acting was absolutely contrived given the strength of the cast! Rated 0.5 out of 5 stars 08/01/21 Full Review Read all reviews
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Movie Info

Synopsis In this period drama, British teenager Leo Colston (Dominic Guard) spends a summer in the countryside, where he develops a crush on the beautiful young aristocrat Marian (Julie Christie). Eager to impress her, Leo becomes the "go-between" for Marian, delivering secret romantic letters to Ted Burgess (Alan Bates), a handsome neighboring farmer. However, when Marian becomes engaged to Hugh Trimingham (Edward Fox), a local viscount, all their lives are altered.
Director
Joseph Losey
Producer
John Heyman, Norman Priggen
Screenwriter
Harold Pinter
Distributor
Columbia Pictures
Production Co
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer British Studios, EMI Films Ltd.
Rating
PG
Genre
Drama
Original Language
English
Release Date (Theaters)
Jul 29, 1971, Original
Release Date (Streaming)
Sep 28, 2010
Runtime
1h 56m
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