The film is an adaptation of the 1980 novel of the same name by J. L. Carr, and stars Colin Firth, Kenneth Branagh (in his first credited role), Natasha Richardson and Patrick Malahide.

[3] Set in 1920, the film follows Tom Birkin, who has been employed under a bequest to restore a medieval mural discovered in a church in the small rural community of Oxgodby, Yorkshire.

Birkin, haunted by his World War I experiences, waking up with nightmares, soon fits into the remote village's slow-paced life, and over the course of a summer uncovering a painting, begins losing his trauma-induced stammer and tics.

Birkin forms a close friendship with archaeologist James Moon, also a war veteran who wakes up screaming in his bell tent in the field next to the church.

Moon is employed in the village under the same bequest, working to uncover a mysterious lost grave, but is more interested in discovering the remains of an earlier Saxon church building in the field next to the churchyard.

[3] To compensate for the lack of budget, a very tight shooting schedule was planned over 28 days, during which Kenneth Branagh was only available for two weeks and was on the stage nightly in London.

To create the impression of an austere country church, Victorian stone flags were replaced with brick pavers for the duration of filming and the original wall paintings covered up.

[14] The score was subsequently arranged into a suite for string orchestra, and is available on CD in a recording by the English Northern Philharmonia conducted by Paul Daniel.

Rita Kempley, writing in The Washington Post suggested "It's all rather Arthurian, with its chivalric hero on his spiritual quest, the atmosphere suffused, seeming to dance with once and future truths.

"[17] Desmond Ryan of The Philadelphia Inquirer wrote "Rarely has the impossibility of love been more wrenchingly presented than in the scenes of dashed hope between Firth and Richardson.

[18] Nigel Andrews of the Financial Times found it "like a pastoral parable that has been left outside in the damp too long, causing its batteries to go flat"[18] and following a 2008 screening, Sam Jordison of The Guardian suggested "even though this film is (unusually) faithful to the book...it is really little better than inoffensive.

[3] In 2008, a higher quality print was located in the Academy Film Archive in Los Angeles and a campaign began to have it restored and released on DVD.