An elderly, exiled British spy remembers his days at an English boarding school in the 1930s. In school, he fell in love with a male classmate, explored his homosexuality and was exposed to Marxist ideas, both contributing to his activities as a spy.

Based on the award-winning play by Julian Mitchell, the film explores the effect of Public School life in the 1930's on Guy Burgess as his homosexuality and unwillingness to "play the game" turns him eastwards towards communist Russia.